What is a full scholarship? The secret to a successful full scholarship hunt

1.1. What is a full scholarship?

A full scholarship is one of the prestigious scholarships and is also the goal of most international students. This is a type of scholarship that covers all expenses related to your study and living abroad, including tuition fees, living expenses, health insurance, books and study materials, airfares and other expenses..

Full scholarships are usually awarded by the governments of countries, international organizations, educational foundations, or prestigious universities. Because of its great value and high competitiveness, this scholarship usually requires applicants to have an excellent academic record, outstanding extracurricular achievements, good English proficiency, along with a convincing essay or study plan.

1.2. Benefits of hunting for full scholarships

Hunting for a full scholarship will not only help you reduce your financial burden, but it will also bring a wealth of long-term value to your career and future. These are the outstanding benefits when you successfully conquer a full scholarship:

• Maximum cost savings:

  The most obvious benefit is comprehensive financial support. The full scholarship covers all or nearly all of the tuition fees, living expenses, health insurance, books, and even airfare. This will reduce the financial burden on yourself and your family, allowing you to focus entirely on studying and experiencing life while studying abroad.

• Access to quality education:

  Full scholarships are often awarded by the world's leading universities or prestigious educational institutions. This means that you will have the opportunity to study in the most advanced educational environment, learn from excellent lecturers, modern facilities and world-class training programs.

• Enhance the value of your profile and prestige:

  As a full scholarship recipient, you will be highly valued for your academic ability, thinking, and adaptability. This is an extremely impressive bright spot in your academic and professional profile, helping you stand out from other applicants when applying for a job or pursuing higher education More.

• Expand international relationships:

  You will have the opportunity to meet and learn from leading students, professors, and experts from around the world. These relationships are not only friends, but can also become your partner, colleague, or mentor in the future.

Full scholarships are awarded from many different sources, each with its own criteria and conditions. To give you an overview, here are the common types of full scholarships you need to know.

Government Scholarships:

These are the most prestigious scholarships, sponsored by national governments to attract talent and promote international relations. These scholarships are usually full value, including tuition fees, living expenses, insurance, airfare, and other expenses.

Fulbright Full Scholarship (USA)

The Fulbright Scholarship is one of the most prestigious international scholarship programs, funded by the U.S. government. Founded in 1946 by Senator J. William Fulbright, Fulbright seeks applicants who not only excel academically but also have the ability to become cultural ambassadors, helping to enhance cultural understanding and exchange between the United States and other countries.

The Fulbright Full Scholarship covers the full cost for students who wish to pursue graduate programs in the United States. In addition, Fulbright offers exchange and research programs for faculty, researchers, or experts in any field. You will have 1 year of comprehensive study and research in the U.S. in most fields of social sciences and humanities, as well as many STEM disciplines (except those related to clinical medicine and pharmacy).

Chevening Full Scholarship (UK)

The Chevening Scholarship is a prestigious global scholarship program of the UK Government, funded by the Department for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth, and Development (FCDO) and partners. In addition to supporting the cost of studying abroad during 1 year in the UK, the Chevening full scholarship also sponsors students with fees such as the visa application fee to the UK, the cost of admission procedures, medical examination, round-trip airfare to the UK, and the full tuition fee or GBP 22,000 for students who choose to study the MBA program. monthly living expenses and some allowances.

Chevening supports a wide variety of disciplines. Whether you study politics, economics, communication, education, science, etc., you have the opportunity to apply as long as the discipline aligns with your leadership development goals and Chevening's priority areas each year.

See more: Conditions for applying for Chevening scholarship

Endeavour Full Scholarship (Australia)

The Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships Program is a full scholarship program of the Australian Government, which aims to support international students with outstanding achievements in studying, researching, or professional development in Australia.

Popular types of Endeavour scholarships today include:

• Endeavour Postgraduate Awards

• Endeavour Research Awards

• Scholarships for Managers (Endeavour Executive Fellowship Awards)

• Vocational Education and Training Scholarship - VET (Endeavour Vocational Education and Training Scholarship)

Full scholarships from universities (university scholarships):

Prestigious universities around the world, especially in the UK, Australia, and the US, often have their own full scholarship funds to attract and support talented and diverse students from all over the world. These scholarships are often highly competitive and require outstanding academic achievement, high standardized test scores, along with impressive essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities.

To find full scholarships to study abroad at universities in 2025-2026, please contact IDP for detailed advice.

To successfully "hunt" for a full scholarship, you need to meet a number of overall criteria, not only academically but also in other aspects of yourself. The scholarship review committee will evaluate applicants comprehensively to find the best fit for their criteria. Here are the most basic criteria for considering a full scholarship:

3.1. Academic Excellence

• Academic Grade Point Average (GPA):

  This is one of the most fundamental and important factors. Most full-ride scholarships require a very high GPA, usually 3.5/4.0 or higher (equivalent to 8.0–9.0/10). Some highly competitive scholarships may require an almost absolute GPA.

• Results of international standardized exams:

  For the full scholarship, you should have an IELTS of 7.0 or higher (no skill below 6.5). When you want to pursue programs like a master's or PhD (especially in STEM disciplines or business), a high GRE or GMAT score is an important requirement.

• Awards and Certificates of Merit: Awards in national and international excellent student exams, science competitions, or prestigious academic certificates will make your profile more prominent.

3.2. Extracurricular Experience and Achievement

Full-ride scholarships typically look for applicants who have the potential to make a social impact. You need to prove this by

• Participation in community activities, volunteering...

• Experience in clubs and organizations, especially if you hold key positions.

• Work experience or internship related to the field of study or career goals

• Individual or participatory projects that demonstrate passion, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.

3.3. Impressive Personal Essay and Letter of Recommendation

The essay is an indispensable element in the full scholarship hunt application. Through the essay, you need to demonstrate your passion, academic motivation, career goals, and why you deserve this scholarship. Besides, an impressive, unique, and sincere letter of recommendation is also an "objective proof" to help you stand out and win a scholarship.

See more: How to Write an Impressive Scholarship Application Essay

4.1. Learn the criteria for full scholarships early

Full scholarships have a highly competitive rate but you can achieve them

Most full-ride scholarships have fairly competitive rates, so you should plan to prepare at least 1-2 years in advance before applying, especially for scholarships that have a multi-round selection process. Studying scholarships early allows you to explore a variety of scholarship sources, not just limited to a few well-known scholarships. Since each scholarship has its own deadlines and requirements, capturing information in advance will help you allocate your time appropriately, submit many quality applications, thereby improving your chances of admission.

In addition, each full scholarship has a unique goal (e.g., Fulbright seeks cultural ambassadors, Chevening seeks leaders, research fellowships focus on scientific potential). Early research helps you determine the most suitable full scholarship for yourself and orient yourself to develop yourself according to the criteria of the scholarship.

4.2. Invest in a personal essay (SOP)

Among thousands of resumes with beautiful grades and impressive achievements, a personal essay (Statement of Purpose) is the factor that helps you stand out and make your own mark. Most scholarships are not only looking for good candidates, but also candidates who have a story, have a sense of direction, and inspire the community.

Tell a story about a meaningful experience and connect with your goals with the scholarship program. Explain in detail what makes you different, why you chose this major, program, and scholarship, and what you will contribute to the community after completing the program.

See also: "Everything" you need to know about personal essays

4.3. Choose the right letter of recommendation writer

To make a decision, the board will not only rely on what you say about yourself, but also want to know what others think of you. Therefore, choosing the right letter of recommendation (LOR) writer is one of the most strategic decisions when you are hunting for a full scholarship.

The letter of recommendation writer does not have to be a high-ranking person, but should be someone with strong expertise and respect in your field of pursuit. For academic letters of recommendation, choose your professor, lecturer, or supervisor for your dissertation, research topic. They are the ones who can accurately assess your academic capacity, mindset, work attitude, and progress in your professional field.

4.4. Practice the interview thoroughly (if there is an interview round)

With many prestigious full scholarships such as Chevening, Fulbright, Australia Awards, Gates Cambridge,... The interview round is the last chance for the selection committee to evaluate you not only for your application, but also for your confidence, thinking, communication and personal vision.

Before entering the interview, you need to have a firm grasp of the philosophy, goals, and criteria of the scholarship. Also, asking smart questions demonstrates your initiative, enthusiasm, and thorough research on the full scholarship.

To maximize your chances of hunting for a full scholarship, it is extremely important to master the sources of searching for scholarship information. Here is reputable information you can't ignore:

There are associations looking for full scholarships from many different sources

5.1. Official websites of universities:

This is the most accurate and up-to-date source of information about scholarships from prestigious universities. Many of the world's top universities have their own scholarship funds for international students to attract talent.

How to search: You can go directly to the websites of the schools you are interested in. Search for "scholarships," "financial aid," or "admissions" for international students. You can filter by level of study (undergraduate, graduate), major, or nationality.

5.2. Websites of the governments of countries:

Governments of countries often sponsor very prestigious full scholarships, which are of great value and widely recognized globally. These scholarships are usually aimed at promoting cultural relations, education, and human resource development for partner countries.

You can find it on sites like

• Australia: Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS) (refer to Australia Awards Vietnam).

• USA: Fulbright Program (see U.S. Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam).

• UK: Chevening Scholarships, Commonwealth Scholarships, GREAT Scholarships (see Study UK - British Council).

5.3. Reputable study abroad consulting companies

If you find it difficult to find scholarships on your own or need a companion in preparing applications, choosing schools, and applying for visas, finding reputable study abroad consulting companies is also an extremely effective option for most students. These companies often have partnerships with thousands of universities and educational institutions around the world, providing you with the most up-to-date and accurate information on scholarships (including full scholarships).

Hunt for full scholarships from all countries with IDP

A full scholarship is not only a worthy reward for your academic efforts and dedication but also a valuable opportunity for you to develop yourself in an international environment. Although the journey to conquer a scholarship can be challenging, with careful preparation, a clear orientation, and continuous efforts, you can completely make your dream of studying abroad come true.

As a co-owner of the IELTS exam and an official admissions partner of more than 700 universities and colleges in Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, and New Zealand, IDP always supports and helps you increase your access to scholarships. A team of experienced consultants will support you in choosing a school with a scholarship that suits your academic ability and finances, preparing study abroad documents with CVs, essays, and letters of recommendation.

Besides, you can participate in these Study Abroad Exhibitions organized by IDP to meet and answer questions directly from school representatives, consider scholarships on the spot, and discover all information about schools and majors that attract human resources.

Contact IDP to start advising on available scholarships

Free study abroad advice hotline: 19006955