Scholarships and Student Financial Aid in Denmark

EU/EEA students: free tuition plus SU

EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens pay no tuition in Denmark, which removes the largest cost before any scholarship search even starts. On top of free tuition, you gain access to the Danish State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU), the same support Danish students receive.

To claim SU as a non-Danish EU/EEA citizen, you first need equal status with Danish citizens. The most common route is working as an employee in Denmark for a minimum number of hours a week alongside your studies, which qualifies you as a worker under EU free movement law. Apply for equal status and SU directly through su.dk , which lists current grant and loan rates. Source: University of Copenhagen .

Once approved, SU pays a monthly grant, and you add an optional monthly loan on top if you want extra funds. Keep your study progress on track, since SU reviews your credits every March and September, and falling more than 30 ECTS behind schedule puts your grant at risk.

Nordic citizens: automatic equal status

If you hold citizenship in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, or Finland, you get equal status with Danish citizens automatically under the Nordic Convention, with no work requirement attached. This gives you the same access to SU as a Danish student from your first semester.

Non-EU students: the Danish Government Scholarship

Non-EU/EEA students admitted to a master's program get considered automatically for the Danish Government Scholarship, with no separate application. The scholarship covers a full or partial tuition waiver, and some faculties add a living stipend, paid for up to 22 months depending on program length. Source: University of Copenhagen .

Competition is fierce. At the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science, the 2025 cutoff sat around a 98 percent grade average, and most faculties award only 2 to 4 scholarships a year. Universities select purely on academic record, so financial need plays no part in the decision. Living stipends count as taxable income in Denmark, though some nationalities are exempt under tax treaties.

If you do not win a Danish Government Scholarship, you still pay tuition directly to the university, so confirm your funding plan before you accept an offer.

University-specific scholarships

Beyond the government scheme, individual universities run their own award programs for high-achieving non-EU applicants, often as partial tuition waivers rather than cash. Check the international admissions or scholarships page of each university you apply to. As an example, the Royal Danish Academy lists its own tuition and scholarship terms for non-EU students directly on its admissions site.

Covering living costs while you wait for an answer

Whether or not you win a scholarship, plan to prove you support yourself if you need a residence permit. Danish immigration requires evidence of disposable funds of DKK 7,426 a month, the 2026 level, capped at DKK 89,112 for a full year of study. A scholarship, savings, or a combination of both meets this requirement. Source: New to Denmark (SIRI) .

Part-time work as extra funding

EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens work in Denmark without hour restrictions. Non-EU students holding a study residence permit work up to 90 hours a month during term time, September to May, and full-time in June, July, and August, which covers a real share of monthly costs for many students. Source: New to Denmark (SIRI) .

Erasmus+ and exchange funding

If you study in Denmark as part of an exchange rather than a full degree, Erasmus+ grants help cover the extra cost of living abroad for students from other European program countries. Your home university's international office runs the Erasmus+ application, not the Danish host institution, so start there.

Search your home country's own funding

Check whether your home country runs a national study-abroad grant or loan scheme for students moving to another European country, since some national systems keep paying support alongside your Danish tuition-free place or scholarship. Your home ministry of education or national student finance body publishes these rules, separate from anything Denmark offers directly.

When to start your funding search

Start checking scholarship pages the moment you shortlist universities, since the Danish Government Scholarship depends on your admission application rather than a separate form, and SU equal-status applications and residence permits take real processing time. Build in at least a few months before your semester starts for any decision to come through.