Brazil is widely known for the Amazon and its yearly Carnival celebrations. In recent years, it has also become a notable option for international students interested in Portuguese-language study, research, and lower-cost public higher education.
The latest Brazilian Higher Education Census recorded more than 10 million undergraduate enrollments in 2024. Foreign undergraduate students represent a much smaller group than that total, and most of them come from the Americas.
Public higher education in Brazil is generally tuition-free, although admission is competitive and places for international applicants depend on each program or government exchange route. Private universities charge tuition that varies by institution and program.
Although studying in Brazil is cheap, international students may also find funded study routes through government programs, university scholarships, and research fellowships. Here are Brazil scholarship programs and opportunities that international students can review:
Top Scholarships in Brazil for International Students
Note: Scholarship availability changes quickly. The GCUB-Mob/OAS program below is a current call, while several FAPESP project-based fellowships listed here are archived examples of past opportunities. Always check the official scholarship page before applying.
1. Brazil Scholarships Partnership Program for Education and Training – OAS/GCUB PAEC
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Academic fee exemption and monthly stipend for up to 24 months for master’s students or up to 48 months for doctoral students
- Eligible Degree/s: Master’s, Ph.D.
The former OAS-GCUB scholarship route is currently promoted through the GCUB International Mobility Program, with support from partners including the Organization of American States (OAS). The 2026 call offers 539 master’s scholarships and 350 doctoral scholarships at 62 Brazilian universities, with programs scheduled to begin in 2027.
The scholarship covers academic fee exemption and a monthly stipend. The maximum duration is 24 months for master’s programs and 48 months for doctoral programs. Applicants should also budget for costs not covered by the scholarship, such as airfare, visa processing, international health insurance, and other personal expenses.
Applications for the 2026 call are free and must be submitted electronically by July 6, 2026. Applicants may apply for up to four master’s or doctoral programs at different Brazilian higher education institutions.
Required documents include an identification document, curriculum vitae, undergraduate diploma or certificate of completion, master’s documents when required for the chosen doctoral program, and the written application texts requested in the call. Students may also need to provide proof of a professor’s affiliation with the Brazilian institution, depending on the program.
Awardees are selected through a multi-phase process. Selection criteria include academic merit, geographic distribution, professors affiliated with Brazilian higher education institutions, the applicant’s program preference order, the Human Development Index of the applicant’s country, and gender balance.
Once selected, the student must accept the scholarship contract within ten days. Failure to do so will be treated as declining the offer.
2. FAPESP Direct Doctoral Scholarship in Physics
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: FAPESP direct-doctorate fellowship according to FAPESP rules
- Eligible Degree/s: Ph.D.
USP is one of Brazil’s top-ranked universities and has been active since 1934. This archived FAPESP opportunity was connected with the University of São Paulo and the project titled “Structural and biophysical properties of native and modified lipoproteins.”
The original opportunity offered one direct-doctorate fellowship and was open to Brazilian and foreign students, but its application deadline was August 15, 2021. Students should not treat this specific posting as a current opening.
Current FAPESP direct-doctorate fellowships are intended for students regularly enrolled in higher education institutions in the state of São Paulo who do not already hold a master’s degree. The current general duration may be up to 60 months, and the monthly amount follows FAPESP’s official scholarship table.
Applicants interested in similar opportunities should review the current FAPESP opportunities page and the official FAPESP scholarship rules before applying.
3. Direct Doctoral Scholarship in Computer Systems
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: FAPESP direct-doctorate fellowship according to FAPESP rules
- Eligible Degree/s: Ph.D.
This archived direct-doctorate opportunity in computer systems was a FAPESP-funded posting at São Paulo State University (Unesp), not USP. It offered two positions connected with the project “Performance optimizations for multicore architectures.”
The original opportunity focused on optimization in the context of persistent memories, including technologies such as Intel Optane DC persistent memory. It was intended for students with strong academic performance who could contribute to research on performance barriers in computer systems.
As a direct doctoral opportunity, applicants did not need a master’s degree. The original posting requested documents such as a curriculum vitae, undergraduate academic record, and recommendation contacts or letters.
The deadline for this specific opportunity was December 31, 2021, so students should use it only as an example of the type of project-based FAPESP fellowships that may appear. Applicants should check FAPESP’s current opportunities page for open calls.
4. Experimental Medicine Research Cluster Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Salary equivalent to a FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship
- Eligible Degree/s: Postdoctoral research
UNICAMP, a public university in Brazil, hosts the Experimental Medicine Research Cluster. One postdoctoral opportunity is connected with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative-funded project “High-Resolution Profiling of Body Fat Immune Cells in Brazilian Populations.”
The expected qualifications include a completed doctoral degree in a relevant field, an excellent academic record, and strong written and spoken English skills.
Applicants should have experience with high-throughput data analysis, including bulk RNA sequencing, single-cell RNA sequencing, genetic and protein interaction networks, and machine learning. Programming skills in R, Python, Java, or Bash are also relevant.
The selected fellow will receive a salary equivalent to a FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship and will be part of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Human Cell Atlas networks.
Application documents include a single PDF containing a cover letter, research experience, and two reference letters. Applications are accepted until the position is filled.
5. Masters in Plant Molecular Biology Scholarship
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: FAPESP master’s fellowship according to FAPESP rules
- Eligible Degree/s: Master’s
This archived FAPESP master’s fellowship was a joint research opportunity connected with the Institute of Biosciences at USP. It offered one master’s scholarship for research on rice response to heat stress.
The original opportunity was tied to the project “Impact of alternative splicing on heat stress tolerance in rice” and had an application deadline of September 1, 2021. Because the specific call is closed, students should not treat it as a current scholarship opening.
Current FAPESP master’s fellowships may last up to 24 months, and the monthly amount follows FAPESP’s official scholarship table. Requirements, documents, and eligibility conditions depend on the current call and the graduate program.
The original project mentioned opportunities for research connections with institutions such as the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and the James Hutton Institute in the United Kingdom.
We hope that this article on the best scholarships in Brazil for international students was helpful! Make sure to check out the Available Programs for International Students!
