Colombia is a colorful country known for its culture and cuisine. It is also a destination for international students considering higher education in Latin America.
Colombian institutions offer undergraduate and graduate study options. Tuition fees and scholarship conditions vary by institution and call, so applicants should review the official pages before applying.
Some scholarships can cover tuition, while others provide mobility support or partial tuition assistance. Let’s take a look at the top scholarships in Colombia for international students.
Top Scholarships in Colombia for International Students
| Scholarship Name | Scholarship Type | Eligible Degrees or Activities | Scholarship Value |
|---|
| Beca Colombia Extranjeros | ICETEX and participating Colombian higher education institutions | Master’s degrees | 100% tuition for programs in the academic offer catalog; additional benefits are available for eligible in-person recipients |
| Pacific Alliance Student and Academic Mobility Platform | Pacific Alliance member governments | Technical, technological, and undergraduate mobility
Doctoral and postdoctoral mobility
Researchers and professors | Mobility support, including a stipend, health insurance, transportation, and academic-cost exemptions under applicable agreements |
| Universidad de Antioquia Graduate Scholarships | Universidad de Antioquia | Participating master’s and doctoral programs | Master’s: up to COP 3,046,300 per semester for up to four semesters
Doctoral: up to COP 6,092,600 per semester for up to eight semesters |
| Universidad de La Sabana Beca Excelencia Posgrados | Universidad de La Sabana | Eligible new students in specialization and master’s programs | Scholarship percentages and the number of awards are set each term |
1. Beca Colombia Extranjeros
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: 100% tuition for eligible academic programs, with additional benefits for qualifying in-person recipients
- Eligible Degree/s: Spanish courses linked to eligible postgraduate study, specializations, and master’s degrees
ICETEX administers the Beca Colombia Extranjeros program in coordination with participating Colombian public and private higher education institutions. This scholarship is for foreign citizens seeking eligible specializations or master’s degrees in Colombia. Spanish courses of up to six months were also available for applicants from non-Spanish-speaking countries who had been admitted to an eligible postgraduate program.
The scholarship covers 100% of tuition for programs included in the applicable academic offer catalog. Eligible recipients enrolled in in-person programs may also receive medical-coverage support, a letter to request a courtesy visa, a monthly living allowance equivalent to two Colombian legal monthly minimum wages, and a one-time COP 250,000 allowance for the foreigner identification card. Students enrolled in virtual programs from their home countries receive the tuition exemption only.
Applicants must be older than 18 and younger than 50 when the call closes. They must be foreign citizens without Colombian nationality, including dual nationality. They must not be living in Colombia, have lived in Colombia during the six months immediately before applying, or have already started their studies in Colombia.
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, have an undergraduate GPA of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 or its equivalent, provide a medical certificate, and document at least 12 months of relevant professional experience obtained after completing their undergraduate degree.
Required application materials include one to three final admission letters for eligible programs, a diploma, an undergraduate transcript, a motivation section completed through the application platform, a valid passport, a medical certificate, and professional-experience certificates. Applicants should review the current call carefully because the requirements can change.
For postgraduate admission, applicants from non-Spanish-speaking countries must have at least a B1 level of Spanish or meet the level required by the destination institution.
2. Alianzo-Pacifico Scholarship
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Mobility support, including a stipend, health insurance, transportation, and academic-cost exemptions under applicable agreements
- Eligible Degree/s: Technical, technological, and undergraduate mobility; doctoral and postdoctoral mobility; researchers and professors
The Pacific Alliance Student and Academic Mobility Platform is a scholarship program coordinated by the Pacific Alliance member governments: Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. It is a mobility program rather than a scholarship for completing an entire bachelor’s or doctoral degree in Colombia.
The program supports selected participants who take courses or complete academic activities at participating higher education institutions in another Pacific Alliance country. For technical, technological, and undergraduate students, the mobility period lasts for a maximum of one academic term, or up to six months. Doctoral students, researchers, and professors may complete academic mobility lasting from four weeks to six months.
Eligible academic areas in the latest call included public administration and governance; political science and international relations; economics, finance, and international trade; engineering; innovation, science, technology, and artificial intelligence; the environment, climate change, and renewable energy; and tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy.
Technical, technological, and undergraduate applicants must be regular students who have completed at least 50% of their programs. Minimum academic requirements vary by the applicant’s country of origin. Applicants should consult the current call for the complete requirements and the participating institutions.
3. Universidad de Antioquia Scholarship Fund
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: Master’s students can receive up to COP 3,046,300 per semester for up to four semesters; doctoral students can receive up to COP 6,092,600 per semester for up to eight semesters
- Eligible Degree/s: Participating master’s and doctoral programs
Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA) is a public university founded in 1803. Its main campus is in Medellín, Colombia, and it also has campuses and facilities in other parts of the department of Antioquia.
UdeA’s lateset graduate scholarship call covers participating master’s and doctoral programs. Master’s students can receive up to COP 3,046,300 per semester for a maximum of four semesters. Doctoral students can receive up to COP 6,092,600 per semester for a maximum of eight semesters.
Applicants should review the current list of participating programs instead of assuming that every faculty and postgraduate program is included. International applicants should also confirm the applicable admission and immigration requirements with UdeA before applying.
4. Universidad de La Sabana Excellence Scholarship
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: The number of scholarships and the applicable percentages are set each term
- Eligible Degree/s: Eligible specialization and master’s programs for new students
Universidad de La Sabana offers postgraduate scholarships and discounts for admitted students and regular students.
The Beca Excelencia Posgrados is for admitted students with strong undergraduate and professional performance. Applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 4.0, at least two years of professional experience, an excellent motivation essay evaluated by the faculty, admission to a postgraduate program, and an excellent scholarship-application result.
The scholarship applies to new students in eligible specialization and master’s programs. It does not apply to medical-surgical specializations, extension programs, doctoral programs, double programs, or credit-transfer arrangements. Scholarship percentages and the number of awards are determined each term. Recipients must maintain a minimum academic average of 4.20 each semester.
Colombia offers international students opportunities to experience its culture, cuisine, and higher education system. The scholarships above may help reduce the cost of studying in the country. Students can also explore other fully funded scholarships on our website.
We hope that this article on scholarships in Colombia was helpful. If you’re interested in studying abroad, make sure to check out the Available Programs for International Students!
