Scholarships

NTHU Scholarship 2027 | Tuition Waiver + Stipend for International Students

Faseeh Sultan

July 25, 2026
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NTHU Scholarship 2027 — Tuition Waiver + Monthly Stipend for International Students

Taiwan’s second-ranked university is opening applications for Spring 2027 on August 3, 2026 — and the financial support built into the admission process is one of the most straightforward in Asia. National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Hsinchu offers an institutional scholarship that covers full tuition and credit fees at bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD level, plus a monthly stipend ranging from NTD 5,000 for undergraduate and master’s students up to NTD 40,000 for doctoral researchers. The application closes September 30, 2026. This guide covers every benefit, requirement, and step you need to apply with confidence.

Detail	Information
University	National Tsing Hua University (NTHU)
Country	Taiwan
Degree Level	Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD / Doctoral
Funding Type	Tuition & credit fee waiver + monthly stipend
Application Opens	August 3, 2026
Application Deadline	September 30, 2026 — 15:00 Taiwan Time
Scholarship Results	Late December 2026
Classes Begin	Early February 2027
Open To	International students (non-Taiwan nationals)
Official Link	NTHU Scholarship Page

🎓 About NTHU and This Scholarship

Founded as Tsing Hua Academy in Beijing in 1911 and re-established in Hsinchu, Taiwan in 1956, National Tsing Hua University has spent over a century earning one of the strongest research reputations in Asia. Today it houses 12 colleges and more than 140 degree programs, with a student body of roughly 17,000 — around 6% of whom come from abroad.

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, NTHU climbed to #142 globally, making it the second-ranked university in Taiwan right behind National Taiwan University. Its employer reputation sits at #116 worldwide — which means the companies hiring globally actually know this institution. For a student thinking about where a degree takes them after graduation, that number matters.

What makes the NTHU International Student Scholarship stand out from many university awards is how it works: it runs automatically through the same portal as your admission application. There is no separate scholarship form, no separate deadline, and no separate committee. Your scholarship consideration happens alongside your admission review, making this one of the least bureaucratic funding pathways at a top-ranked Asian university.

The scholarship is managed by NTHU’s Office of Global Affairs (OGA) and is open to students at every level — bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD. Awards are made on merit during the admission review; the number of scholarships per cycle is not publicly capped.

🎓 Scholarship Benefits

Here is exactly what the NTHU scholarship covers, confirmed from the official regulation updated April 2025:

For PhD / Doctoral Students

NTD 20,000–40,000 per month stipend for general doctoral programs
NTD 10,000 per month for PhD students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or in the International Intercollegiate PhD Program supervised by faculty from that college
Full tuition and credit fee waiver

For Master’s Students

NTD 5,000 per month stipend
Full tuition and credit fee waiver

For Bachelor’s Students

NTD 5,000 per month stipend
Full tuition and credit fee waiver

Scholarship duration: Bachelor’s — up to 4 years; Master’s — up to 2 years (up to 3 years for certain humanities and counseling psychology programs); PhD — up to 5 years. Renewal is subject to annual review. (Verify current duration terms on the official website.)

Living costs in Hsinchu are meaningfully lower than in most East Asian capitals. With tuition waived and a monthly stipend in hand, many students find the support covers a substantial portion of their day-to-day expenses — though you should budget separately for accommodation, food, and personal costs. (Verify current living cost estimates at the official NTHU Tuition & Living Costs page.)

🎓 Eligibility Criteria

Check every point before you begin:

Nationality: You and both your parents must hold foreign nationality. You must never have held Taiwan (R.O.C.) citizenship
No Overseas Chinese student status: You must not have studied in Taiwan under Overseas Chinese student regulations at the time of application
Academic qualifications: Completed high school for bachelor’s programs; bachelor’s degree for master’s programs; master’s degree for PhD programs
Health: Must be in good physical and mental health
No conflicting scholarships: Cannot hold another Taiwanese government or institutional scholarship simultaneously
English proficiency: NTHU does not require IELTS or TOEFL as a standalone test in most cases. If your previous degree was taught in English, a medium-of-instruction certificate from your institution is typically sufficient. Some departments specify minimum scores such as TOEFL iBT 71 / IELTS 5.5 / TOEIC 750 — check your specific department’s requirements on the official site before assuming you are exempt
Program restrictions (undergraduate only): Medicine, Dentistry, and Traditional Chinese Medicine programs are excluded for international bachelor’s applicants. No such restriction applies at graduate level

🎓 Who Should Apply — and Who Shouldn’t

✅ Strong candidates:

Students targeting a research-intensive, globally ranked university in Asia at a genuinely competitive cost-of-living location
Applicants from non-English-speaking backgrounds whose previous degree was taught in English — the medium-of-instruction letter often removes the IELTS requirement entirely
PhD researchers in STEM, engineering, electrical engineering, nanotechnology, computer science, or materials science — NTHU’s strongest subject areas globally
Students who want a simple process: scholarship consideration is built into the admission form, not a separate application
Budget-conscious researchers: the NTD 20,000–40,000 monthly PhD stipend in a city cheaper than Taipei is a combination hard to match in the region

❌ This may not be the right fit if:

You want to study Medicine, Dentistry, or Traditional Chinese Medicine at bachelor’s level
You currently hold or plan to hold another Taiwan government scholarship in the same year
You are applying as an Overseas Chinese student — a different admission pathway applies
You need a decision before December 2026 — scholarship results for the Spring 2027 intake are announced in late December 2026

🎓 Available Programs and Fields

NTHU offers programs across 12 colleges and more than 140 degree programs. Key research and study areas include:

Science and Engineering — materials science, nanotechnology, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science — AI, semiconductor design, information systems
Life Science and Medicine — biomedical science, molecular biology (note: Medicine and Dentistry excluded for undergrads)
Humanities and Social Sciences — economics, sociology, history, linguistics
Technology Management and Business
Arts and Design
Education and Psychology
Nuclear Science — one of Asia’s few dedicated nuclear engineering programs

For the full current list of programs available to international students, visit NTHU Departments and filter by your intended degree level. Program-specific language and admission requirements vary — always check the individual department page alongside the scholarship page.

🎓 Required Documents

Prepare all of these in PDF before opening the application portal:

Valid passport (photo page)
Recent passport-sized photograph
Official academic transcripts — certified copies for all degrees held, with numerical grades
Graduation certificate(s) or degree certificate(s)
English or Chinese medium-of-instruction certificate from your previous institution — or TOEFL/IELTS/TOEIC score report if your department requires one
For Mandarin-medium programs: TOCFL certificate at the required level (verify with your department)
Study or research plan — required for all graduate applicants; this is the most important document in your file
Letters of recommendation — number and format vary by department; check your program page
For PhD applicants: research publications or thesis excerpt, if available
Health certificate (verify required format on the application portal)
Proof of financial capacity — bank statement or equivalent (verify minimum amount on the official site)

Application fee: NTD 2,000–4,000 depending on the program. Fee waivers may be available for students from certain countries — check the guidelines PDF linked in the application portal. (Verify on official website.)

🎓 Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1 — Confirm your eligibility Check that you meet the nationality, academic level, and program-specific requirements before beginning. If you are targeting a graduate program, identify a potential supervisor whose research interests align with yours before applying — this strengthens your application significantly.

Step 2 — Review your department’s requirements Visit NTHU Departments and read the specific admission criteria and language requirements for your intended program. Some departments have individual admission processes separate from the joint portal.

Step 3 — Prepare your documents Gather and scan everything listed above into clearly labelled PDFs. For graduate applicants, start your study or research plan early — reviewers look for clarity of research direction, alignment with available supervisors, and evidence you have engaged with the department’s existing work.

Step 4 — Create your account on the portal From August 3, 2026, the NTHU International Student Online Application System opens. Create an account and complete the personal and academic information sections.

Step 5 — Tick the scholarship box In the “Personal Information” section, select “Apply for NTHU International Student Scholarship.” This step is mandatory for bachelor’s and master’s applicants. PhD applicants are considered automatically. Missing this tick means no scholarship review — it cannot be added after submission.

Step 6 — Upload documents and pay the application fee Upload every required file before the deadline. Incomplete submissions are not reviewed under any circumstances.

Step 7 — Submit before the deadline The portal closes at 15:00 Taiwan Time on September 30, 2026. Late submissions are never accepted.

Step 8 — Track your application Log back into the application system to monitor your status. Respond promptly to any requests for interviews or additional documents.

Step 9 — Confirm your enrollment Admission results are announced December 1, 2026. Accepted students must confirm enrollment by December 20, 2026. Scholarship results follow in late December 2026.

💡 Pro tip: Your study or research plan is not a formality. NTHU faculty reviewers look for a clear research direction, a credible match with available supervisors, and evidence that you have read the department’s existing work. Spend real time on this document — it is what separates competitive applications from the rest.

🎓 Important Dates

Date	Event
July 6, 2026	Application guidelines released
August 3, 2026	⭐ Application portal opens
September 30, 2026 — 15:00 Taiwan Time	⭐ APPLICATION DEADLINE
December 1, 2026	Admission results announced
Late December 2026	Scholarship results announced
December 20, 2026	Enrollment confirmation deadline
Early February 2027	Registration and classes begin

Bookmark this page and check back for updates — deadline extensions are not offered at NTHU and late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.

🎓 Why NTHU — Why Taiwan

Hsinchu, where NTHU is based, is not just a university city. It is home to the Hsinchu Science Park — Taiwan’s answer to Silicon Valley and the operational base of TSMC, MediaTek, and hundreds of semiconductor and deep-tech companies. For students in engineering, computer science, and materials science, the proximity to active world-class industry is a career advantage that very few universities globally can offer.

NTHU’s employer reputation ranks #116 in the world — which tells you that the companies hiring globally know this institution by name. That recognition matters whether you are applying for positions in Asia, Europe, or North America after graduation.

Taiwan itself is one of the more underrated destinations for international students in Asia. The country combines a relatively low cost of living with world-class infrastructure, a welcoming attitude toward international visitors, and a research culture that punches significantly above its geographic size. NTHU’s citations-per-faculty score jumped from 268th to 187th in a single QS cycle — a sign of genuine research momentum, not just brand recognition.

For PhD students specifically: a monthly stipend of up to NTD 40,000 at a #142-ranked global university, in a city with lower living costs than most East Asian capitals, with direct semiconductor and tech industry access nearby, is a combination that is genuinely difficult to find anywhere else in the region.

🎓 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need IELTS or TOEFL to apply for the NTHU scholarship? Not as a standalone test in most cases. If your previous degree was taught in English, a medium-of-instruction letter from your institution is typically sufficient. Some departments specify minimum scores — check your specific program’s requirements on the NTHU website before assuming you are exempt.

Q: Do I apply for the scholarship separately from my admission application? No. The scholarship is fully integrated into the admission application. Bachelor’s and master’s applicants tick the scholarship box in the “Personal Information” section. PhD applicants are considered automatically. There is no separate form, portal, or deadline.

Q: Can I hold the NTHU scholarship alongside a Taiwan Government scholarship? No. You cannot hold conflicting scholarships simultaneously. If you are applying for the Taiwan Government Scholarship (MOFA, MOE, or TaiwanICDF) at the same time, you will need to choose one if offered both.

Q: Can I study Medicine or Dentistry as an international student at NTHU? Not at bachelor’s level. Medicine, Dentistry, and Traditional Chinese Medicine programs are excluded for international undergraduate applicants. There is no such restriction at graduate level — international students may apply to any field for master’s or PhD programs.

Q: Is there a GPA requirement for the NTHU scholarship? The official scholarship page does not state a minimum GPA. Selection is based on the overall merit of your admission application. A strong academic record, a compelling research or study plan, and strong letters of recommendation all factor into the decision. (Verify on official website.)

Q: What is the cost of living in Hsinchu for international students? Hsinchu is generally more affordable than Taipei. Students typically budget for accommodation, food, transport, and personal expenses on top of their stipend. Verify current estimates at the official NTHU Tuition & Living Costs page before planning your budget.

🎓 Official Source and Contact

Contact	Details
Scholarship Page	NTHU Scholarship Page
Application Portal	NTHU Online Application System
Email	itc@my.nthu.edu.tw
Phone	+886-3-5162453
Office Hours	Monday–Friday, 08:30–12:00 & 13:30–17:00 Taiwan Time
Address	No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu, Taiwan 300044 — Office of Global Affairs, 旺宏館 1F

🎓 Summary Table

Detail	Information
University	National Tsing Hua University (NTHU)
Location	Hsinchu, Taiwan
QS Ranking	#142 globally (QS 2027), #2 in Taiwan
Degree Level	Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD
Funding	Tuition & credit fee waiver + monthly stipend
PhD Stipend	NTD 20,000–40,000/month (NTD 10,000 for Humanities/Social Sciences PhD)
Master’s Stipend	NTD 5,000/month
Bachelor’s Stipend	NTD 5,000/month
Application Opens	August 3, 2026
Deadline	September 30, 2026 — 15:00 Taiwan Time
Admission Results	December 1, 2026
Scholarship Results	Late December 2026
Classes Begin	Early February 2027
Eligibility	Non-Taiwan nationals, never held ROC citizenship, appropriate academic level
English Requirement	Medium-of-instruction letter (or TOEFL/IELTS for programs that specify a score)
Restricted Programs	Medicine, Dentistry, TCM (bachelor’s level only)
Official Link	Apply Here