University of St. Gallen Scholarships 2027 in Switzerland for International Students

Scholarship Details

Introduction

The University of St. Gallen (HSG) in Switzerland offers different scholarship and financial assistance opportunities for students pursuing undergraduate and master’s degree programmes.

These opportunities include merit-based Excellence Scholarships, the HSG Loan and Scholarship Fund, tuition fee reductions and selected master’s-level funding programmes.

Both Swiss and international students may qualify for certain forms of financial assistance. However, the eligibility requirements, award values and application procedures differ between funding programmes.

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Important: Most of the university’s internal financial support is intended for students who are already enrolled at HSG. International applicants should carefully check the conditions of each award before applying.

About the University of St. Gallen

The University of St. Gallen is a public research university located in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

The university specialises in areas including:

• Business Administration
• Economics
• Law
• Social Sciences
• International Affairs
• Computer Science

It provides several forms of financial support to help students access higher education, including scholarships, study loans and tuition fee assistance.

1. Excellence Scholarships for Bachelor’s Students

The University of St. Gallen offers merit-based Excellence Scholarships to outstanding international students enrolled in its Bachelor’s programmes.

The scholarships recognise students with exceptional academic performance during the university’s Assessment Year.

Scholarship benefits:

• The award corresponds to the current tuition fees at the Bachelor’s level.
• It covers tuition fees for six semesters.
• The funding is paid over three years.

The university’s funding database lists an annual award of CHF 6,252, equivalent to CHF 18,756 over three years. Applicants should confirm the applicable tuition-fee value for their admission year.

Eligibility requirements:

Applicants must:

• Be international students with internationally recognised educational qualifications and certificates.
• Successfully pass the University of St. Gallen’s internal admission test.
• Complete the admission and enrolment process.
• Demonstrate outstanding academic performance during the Assessment Year.

Application process:

Students must first secure admission and enrol at the university.

Following successful enrolment, eligible undergraduates must submit:

1. A motivation letter of no more than 600 words.
2. A two-minute video in MP3 or MP4 format.

The motivation letter should explain why the applicant chose their field of study and the University of St. Gallen, and why they deserve the scholarship.

The video should introduce the applicant personally and present their background, family, curriculum vitae and extracurricular activities. Reference persons may also appear in the video.

Creativity and the quality of the video are relevant assessment criteria.

Applications are submitted to the Advice Centre for Study Funding at studyfunding@unisg.ch. The university’s funding database lists July as the submission period.

An application without an invitation from the university is not possible under the university’s current Excellence Scholarship procedure.

2. HSG Loan and Scholarship Fund

The University of St. Gallen operates a Loan and Scholarship Fund (DSF) to support students whose financial resources are insufficient to cover their educational needs.

The fund is available to:

• Assessment Year students.
• Bachelor’s students.
• Master’s students.

Both Swiss and international students can apply.

Benefits:

The fund provides financial assistance through:

• Scholarships.
• Study loans at favourable interest rates.

The support is based primarily on financial need, taking into account the financial and family circumstances of applicants and their parents or guardians.

Academic performance at the university may also be considered.

The fund does not cover all study and living expenses.

When can students apply?

Applications are generally submitted for the following deadlines:

• Autumn semester: 1 October.
• Spring semester: 1 March.

As a rule, financial support is provided from the second regular semester after initial enrolment or re-enrolment.

Emergency loans may be requested at any time.

How to apply:

Students can obtain the application form through the university’s Compass student portal under:

Requests → Study Funding.

Applicants must provide the required supporting documents for the financial assessment.

The Advice Centre for Study Funding checks whether applications are complete and contacts applicants to arrange a personal interview.

3. HSG Best Talents Programme

The HSG Best Talents Programme is an excellence scholarship programme for outstanding and engaged Bachelor’s graduates who wish to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of St. Gallen.

Eligibility:

The programme is specifically open to:

• EU/EFTA nationals.
• Holders of a Swiss C residence permit.

Applicants should have excellent academic results and demonstrate involvement beyond their studies.

The selection process also considers:

• A sense of responsibility towards society, the economy and the environment.
• Diversity of perspectives.
• Engagement and commitment beyond academic work.

Benefits:

Successful participants receive:

• Financial support during their Master’s studies.
• A personal development programme alongside their studies.

Participants are also expected to support future Best Talents after completing their studies, contributing to the programme’s alumni community.

This programme is not generally open to international applicants from outside the stated nationality and residence categories.

4. Other Master’s Excellence Scholarships

Some Master’s programmes at the University of St. Gallen may offer additional Excellence Scholarships.

The availability, award value and eligibility requirements depend on the specific Master’s programme.

Interested applicants should contact the representative of their intended Master’s programme to obtain information about available funding.

5. Partial or Full Tuition Fee Remission

Students experiencing urgent, unexpected and serious financial difficulties may apply for partial or complete remission of their tuition fees.

The university considers the financial and family circumstances of the applicant and their parents when assessing these requests.

Application process:

1. Download the tuition fee remission application form from the Compass student portal.
2. Complete the form.
3. Attach all required supporting documents for the financial assessment.
4. Submit the application before the applicable deadline.

The deadlines are:

• 1 October.
• 1 March.

Applications that are incomplete will not be processed.

6. Additional Financial Support and Funding Opportunities

The University of St. Gallen provides information about other financial assistance opportunities through its Funding Finder.

The database contains information on more than 150 private and public institutions offering scholarships, grants, loans and other forms of financial support.

Students can also explore external funding opportunities, including:

• Swiss cantonal scholarships.
• Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for eligible students from selected countries.
• Swiss Study Foundation funding.
• German Academic Scholarship Foundation opportunities.
• Other private and public foundations.

The university also has a Social and Cultural Fund operated by the Student Union (SHSG). Matriculated students with a valid student ID may apply for financial assistance for student initiatives and improvements to their social situation.

7. Scholarships for PhD Students

The University of St. Gallen states that it does not provide scholarships or loans specifically for PhD students through its regular student funding schemes.

Most PhD students finance their studies through employment, commonly working as institutional assistants with a 70% workload.

Interested doctoral applicants should contact their intended institute or supervisor to ask about employment opportunities.

The Office of Doctoral Studies can also provide further information. The HSG student body may offer one-time financial assistance to PhD students who meet its criteria.

How to Apply for University of St. Gallen Funding

The application process depends on the funding programme.

For the Loan and Scholarship Fund and tuition fee remission:

1. Secure admission and enrol at the University of St. Gallen.
2. Access the Compass student portal.
3. Navigate to Requests and select Study Funding.
4. Download the relevant application form.
5. Complete the form and prepare the supporting financial documents.
6. Submit the application before the applicable deadline.
7. Attend an interview if requested by the Advice Centre for Study Funding.

For the Bachelor’s Excellence Scholarship, students must first enrol and receive an invitation from the university before submitting the required motivation letter and video.

Applicants interested in the Best Talents Programme or other Master’s scholarships should consult the relevant programme information.

Application Deadlines

The university does not have one general deadline for all its scholarships and funding programmes.

The published deadlines include:

• Loan and Scholarship Fund: 1 October for the autumn semester and 1 March for the spring semester.
• Tuition fee remission: 1 October and 1 March.
• Bachelor’s Excellence Scholarship: Submission is listed for July in the university’s funding database.
• Other Master’s scholarships: Deadlines depend on the individual programme.

Applicants should confirm the current application schedule with the university before submitting their documents.

Contact Information

Advice Centre for Study Funding

University of St. Gallen
Dufourstrasse 50
9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland

Email: studienfinanzierung@unisg.ch

Telephone: +41 (0)71 224 28 68

For Bachelor’s Excellence Scholarship enquiries, the university’s funding database also lists:

Email: studyfunding@unisg.ch

Conclusion

The University of St. Gallen offers several financial support opportunities for undergraduate and Master’s students, including merit-based Excellence Scholarships, need-based scholarships, study loans and tuition fee remission.

However, many of these opportunities are available only after students have enrolled at the university. International applicants should review the eligibility conditions carefully, particularly the nationality and residence restrictions attached to certain awards.

Official Application and Information Links

University of St. Gallen Funding and Excellence Scholarships:

https://www.unisg.ch/en/studying/orientation/advice-and-support/financing-your-studies/hsg-funds-and-excellence-scholarships

University of St. Gallen Funding Finder:

https://funding.unisg.ch/en

HSG Loan and Scholarship Fund:

https://funding.unisg.ch/en/programmes/1240?category=hsg-hsg

Bachelor’s Excellence Scholarships:

https://funding.unisg.ch/en/programmes/1441