Scholarships and Student Financial Aid in Greece

Documents you typically need

• Proof of enrollment or admission at a Greek university

• Academic transcripts and any prior degree certificates

• Proof of family income for income-based programs

• A valid passport or ID, and residence documents for non-EU applicants

• A research proposal or reference letters for doctoral and postdoctoral calls

IKY, the State Scholarships Foundation

IKY (Ίδρυμα Κρατικών Υποτροφιών) is Greece's main public body for student funding, covering undergraduate, master's, doctoral and postdoctoral levels. Its programs run through iky.gr , and eligibility, deadlines and required documents change every academic cycle, so check the current call before you plan around a specific program. Set up an alert for new calls if the site offers one, since some programs open with only a few weeks' notice and close as soon as the deadline passes.

Undergraduate financial aid

The Vulnerable Social Groups Scholarships program, funded through the National Strategic Reference Framework 2021-2027, supports low-income undergraduates who keep good academic standing, according to IKY's scholarship listing . Grant amounts depend on your family income bracket and change each call, so confirm the current threshold and payment amount directly on the IKY site before you apply.

Doctoral and postdoctoral funding

IKY runs several bilateral and named programs for doctoral researchers. The IKY-EYDAP program, for example, funds 2 PhD scholarships worth 1,000 EUR a month over a 4-year period for doctoral candidates at Greek universities, according to IKY's 2025-2026 announcement . Other programs partner with foreign institutions and agencies, including cooperation schemes with Germany, France and the UK, plus postdoctoral funding tied to the same NSRF cycle.

University-level scholarships

Individual universities run their own scholarship and fee-waiver schemes on top of IKY funding, mostly for postgraduate study. Public master's programs commonly set fees on a sliding scale down to 0 EUR for students who meet income or merit criteria, so a program listed at "1,500-4,800 EUR a year" often means some students pay nothing while others pay the full rate. Check each program's own funding page for the exact criteria, since universities set these rules independently.

Named and donor-funded scholarships

IKY also administers scholarships funded through bequests and donations, named after individual benefactors, covering a mix of subjects and study levels. These typically carry narrower eligibility criteria tied to the donor's original terms, such as a specific field of study or region of origin, so read the call text closely before applying.

Comparing funding routes

Regional and subject-specific funds

Some scholarships target a specific field, such as engineering, maritime studies or Greek language and culture, rather than staying open to all subjects. Others tie to a specific university or region, reflecting local government or private-sector funding rather than the national IKY budget. Search both the national IKY listings and your target university's own scholarships page, since university-run funds rarely appear in the national database.

Funding from your home country and the EU

If you move to Greece from another European country for a full degree or an exchange, check whether your home country runs a portable grant or loan scheme that follows students abroad, since several EU countries let students take national aid to another EU/EEA institution. Erasmus+ exchange students receive a separate mobility grant through their home university, paid on top of any national aid, to cover part of their costs while in Greece.

How to apply

Most IKY programs open a call on the foundation's website, with an online application, supporting documents and a fixed deadline. Build in time to gather transcripts, income certificates and any language test scores, and apply as soon as the relevant call opens, since several programs award funding within the eligible pool on a rolling basis.

What scholarships typically do not cover

Most IKY grants and university fee waivers reduce or remove tuition and sometimes add a monthly stipend, but few cover your full cost of living outright. Budget separately for rent, food and health insurance even after securing funding, and treat a scholarship as a way to cut your total cost rather than a guarantee that covers everything.

Tips for a strong application

Read the exact eligibility wording of each call before you apply, since Greek scholarship programs often specify subject, nationality or income bands precisely, and a near match still counts as ineligible. Prepare your income certificates and transcripts in an EU-standard format, translated where needed, so you are not scrambling once a call opens with a short deadline. Apply to more than one route in parallel, since IKY funding, university fee waivers and home-country aid are not mutually exclusive in most cases.