Greece is a beautiful country that is rich in history and culture. As the birthplace of modern thinking, Greece is home to many universities that rank well in the continent – and the entire world.
With the rising costs of education, Greece offers the best value for your money. Apart from having inexpensive tuition fees, Greek universities offer several scholarship programs as well. By following the tips stated below, you just might get the chance to study in Greece for free.
How to Study in Greece for Free
1. Prepare early to have a great application
Generally speaking, foreign students need to apply/send documents earlier than local applicants. That’s because international applicants have to undergo more steps. For one, you need to make sure that your home country is part of the Hague convention. You also need to get an Apostille Convention stamp. Your documents must also be translated and approved by the Greek embassy in your home country.
Greek universities are also quite strict with the application process, as they will no longer accept entries sent beyond the deadline. As such, sending your packet in advance will help increase your chances of getting admitted.
2. Research full-tuition/fully-funded scholarships in Greece
Greece’s many universities and colleges offer scholarship programs to local and international students alike. While most bursaries accept applicants based on academic performance, some provide scholarships according to financial need. By getting these scholarships, students will be able to study in Greece for free.
3. Attend cheap universities in Greece
Greek universities are relatively cheap, with institutes having an average tuition fee of 1,500 Euros ($1,823) a year. If you are unable to secure a scholarship program, you can always apply to cheap universities. Good examples include the University of Crete and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which have tuition fees of 500 Euros ($607) and 650 Euros ($790) respectively.
Check Also: Available Programs in Europe for International Students
Study Undergraduate Programs in Greece for Free
If you’re thinking of studying in Greece for your bachelor’s degree, here are some universities where scholarships allow you to study for free:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Founded in the year 1925, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) is the top-ranked institution in Greece. Named after the philosopher Aristotle, it offers several undergraduate scholarship programs through its Department of Studies. These include:
- Reciprocal scholarships
- CERN scholarships
- Scholarships for 2nd/3rd cycle alien students
- School of Modern Greek Language annual scholarship
- Financial aid scholarships
University of Patras
The University of Patras is a public educational institution founded in 1964. Despite being a young university, it is considered one of the best in Greece – and the world. It offers several scholarship bursaries for undergraduate students. These are funded by the following:
- Andreas Mentzelopoulos bursary
- Greek government (through the State Scholarships Foundation)
- Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affair
- Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- European Union
- Foreign cultural institutions, private organizations, international organizations, and research institutions
Athens University of Economics & Business
Founded in 1920, AUEB is the oldest Greek university specializing in economics. Here, students can study any of its 60 English-taught undergraduate programs in Business, Economics, and Informatics. They can apply for any of these scholarship programs too:
- International and European Economic Studies – Nikos Fotias Cash Scholarship and IKY Scholarship
- Economics – Nikos Fotias Money Award
- Business Organization and Management – MICHAIL N. STASINOPOULOS-VIOHALKO Financial Aid
- Marketing & Communication – Polina Papastathopoulou scholarship
- Informatics – 3 Performance Awards
DEI College
DEI College in Thessaloniki was founded in the year 1990. It offers Bachelor’s degrees in Tourism Management, Law, English Literature, Economics & Business Management, Psychology, Computing, and Sports Science.
Students with good academic profiles may take hold of the college’s scholarship programs, which include:
- 1st year and 2nd-year student scholarships (2 slots each level)
- Law student scholarships (2 slots)
- Academic improvement award (2nd-year student)
- Dissertation award for Business Management and Computing students (2 slots)
- Scholarship for students with award classification 1st class (1 slot)
Perrotis College
Also known as the American Farm School, the Perrotis College was founded in 1904 by missionary John Henry House. True to its’ name, it offers undergraduate programs in the fields of Agriculture, Food Technology, Environmental Science, International Business, and Digital Marketing.
Perrotis College offers an Undergraduate Studies Scholarship Program, which is given to deserving students. In exchange for the waived tuition, recipients need to clock in some volunteer work on the campus and school farm.
Getting a full-tuition or fully-funded scholarship at any of the places listed above will help you to study bachelor’s in Greece for free. So, take a look, research, and apply!
Study Master’s in Greece for Free
Greek universities offer a variety of Masters degrees, with many of them covered by the scholarships listed below. Getting these scholarships will help you to study in Greece for free.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
AUTh also offers the following masters’ scholarships for foreign students:
- Al Delmouzou scholarship for alien students from Southeast Europe
- School of Modern Greek Language annual scholarship
- Aristotle three-month research scholarship for Haitian students
- Coimbra group scholarship for Latin American and African students
International Hellenic University
Founded in 2005, the Thessaloniki-based IHU is the first public institution to offer degree programs in English. Its offers Masters degrees in Business Administration, Law, Banking & Finance, Theology, Bioeconomy, Hospitality Management, and Accounting, to name a few.
Here, students can apply for the UCIPS Academic Excellence Scholarship. Awarded to deserving students, it covers the entirety of the applicant’s tuition fees, so that Master’s students can study in Greece for free.
To qualify for this scholarship program, the student needs to provide proof of academic excellence (i.e. first-class bachelor’s degree or school documentation proving that you are at the top of your class).
Athens University of Economics & Business
AUEB scholarships for Master’s students are as follows:
- International and European Economic Studies – 2 Performance Scholarships
- European Studies – Grading performance scholarship
- Economics – Scholarships based on admission and first & second-semester performances
- Finance & Banking – Performance scholarships
- Management Science & Technology scholarship
- Business Analytics scholarship
- Business Administration with International Orientation scholarships
- Public Policy cash scholarship
- MBA scholarships
- Accounting & Finance Money Award and scholarship
- International Shipping scholarships
- Marketing & Communications cash prizes and scholarships
- HRM scholarships
- Information Systems admission & performance scholarships
- Data Science admission & performance scholarships
- Statistics admission & performance scholarships
- Mathematics performance scholarship
ALBA Graduate School at the American College of Greece
The ALBA Graduate School is considered one of the best business schools in Greece – and the world. Apart from offering an MBA, the school also offers MSc programs in Strategic HRM, Finance, Tourism Management, Entrepreneurship, International Business & Management, Marketing, Business for Lawyers, and Shipping Management.
The ALBA Graduate School offers a variety of named scholarships for its graduate students. They include:
- GMAT scholarships for students who have scored >700 in the GMAT
- Kitty Kyriacopoulous Scholarship for 2 female MBA applicants
- Chris Argyris Scholarship for 2 MSc Strategic HRM students
- Nielsen Scholarship for MSc Entrepreneurship and MSc Tourism Management students
- Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) scholarships for members
- Paul Kleindorfer scholarship for MBA students
- Y. Pastra Scholarship for MSc Finance students
- Techuni Scholarship for qualified technical university graduates
- SETE Scholarships for members and their children
- FPower merit-based scholarships
- Next Generation Family Business scholarships for MBA and MSc students
- Hellenic Shipbrokers Scholarship for MBA/MSc Shipping students
- Π.Ε.Π.Ε.Ν. Scholarship for MSc Shipping students
- International Propeller Club Scholarship for MSc Shipping students
- Women in Shipping Scholarship series for female MSc Shipping students
- Sname Scholarship for MBA Shipping students
- Equal Society Scholarship based on social & economic criteria
- Leventis Foundation Scholarship
- EANDA and EANDIL Scholarships
Study Ph.D. in Greece for Free
To get a Ph.D. in Greece for free, you need to apply to the following universities:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
AUTh has CERN scholarships available for Ph.D. students. Those who wish to take a doctorate in Greek Language and Literature are also entitled to an Al Delmouzou scholarship.
University of Patras
The university offers a variety of scholarships at the undergraduate and graduate levels, one of which is the A. Mentzelopoulos bursary. It funds a total of 15 scholarships for Ph.D. students who come from any of the following departments:
- Natural Science
- Engineering
- Health Science
- Economics
- Business Administration
- Education & Social Work
- Early Childhood Education
- Philology
The scholarship is granted according to the applicant’s entrance examination grades.
We hope that this article on how to study in Greece for free was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe!
