Chungnam National University Scholarships for International Students 2026

Most CNU-related scholarships are designed for on-campus study (degree students), rather than fully online programs. For example, CNU’s international programs emphasize benefits such as tuition waivers, on-campus accommodation support, and sometimes Korean language classes, all of which assume you are physically studying at CNU.

Also, some major scholarships students use to study at CNU, like the Korean Government’s Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), are primarily structured around studying in Korea (often including a Korean language year). For a personal example, Vivian Prayitno (GKS recipient at CNU) shared that “What I like the most about this scholarship is the one-year Korean language course,” which highlights how on-campus (or in-country) the experience is.

At CNU, the main language of instruction is Korean for many programs and courses, but CNU also offers a meaningful number of English-taught courses (and publishes English course lists). In other words, you can study at CNU with English in many cases, but you should still expect Korean to be important, especially outside the classroom and for many majors. CNU even provides public listings of “Courses in English / Foreign Languages,” showing that English-taught options exist across different academic areas.

This depends on whether the scholarship is a CNU-based scholarship or a government/external scholarship.

1. Government scholarship (GKS): GKS is limited to applicants from NIIED-designated countries, and applicants (and usually both parents) must hold non-Korean citizenship. The eligible country list can differ by track and by year, so always check the current guideline. For example, Vivian Prayitno from Indonesia received GKS for CNU, illustrating how nationality eligibility works through a designated-country program like GKS.
2. CNU / program-based scholarships: Many scholarships tied to admission are broadly for international students (often with conditions like being admitted). So, there are typically no admissions requirements.

For admission and university-specific scholarships, CNU often requires proof of language ability, either Korean or English, depending on level/program.

1. Undergraduate (international admission): CNU lists options such as TOPIK (Korean) and also recognized English tests (with minimum scores shown on the undergraduate admission page).
2. Graduate (international admission): CNU also lists language proficiency documentation (TOPIK or English tests) for graduate admission, along with minimum English score thresholds and validity rules.

For external/government scholarships, language scores can strengthen your application and some don’t require it; however some major scholarships explicitly award advantages for language ability. For example, Vivian Prayitno shared that she prepared for an English test to support her application, saying she “prepared for the TOEIC exam to demonstrate her English proficiency.”

CNU’s international admission pages emphasize that acceptance is based on an overall review—not just one numeric cutoff.
Both undergraduate and graduate admissions describe decisions being made through document review and (typically) an interview, evaluating overall academic strength and fit for the major.

That said, some scholarships do have minimum academic thresholds. For instance, major government scholarships like GKS commonly require a strong academic standing (often expressed as an 80% equivalent / top portion of class, depending on the year’s guideline).

A real example of the kind of academic profile that can succeed: Vivian Prayitno (GKS at CNU) reported a GPA of 3.85/4.00 in her previous degree, showing the level of performance often seen in competitive scholarship wins.

A strong scholarship profile usually combines high academic performance, clear academic direction, and evidence you can succeed in your field (research, projects, work experience, or awards).

One detailed example is Vivian Prayitno, a GKS recipient at CNU. She had a 3.85/4.00 GPA in Bioprocess Engineering and strengthened her application by writing a strong essay and attaching a research manuscript. She also described why she chose her field, saying, “I decided to pursue further education in Food Science and Technology through a master’s degree,” connecting her goals directly to the program.

In general, strong candidates often show:

• Strong GPA / class rank (especially for competitive scholarships)
• Fit between your past studies and your intended major
• Research or project evidence (papers, capstones, lab work, portfolio)
• Language readiness (TOPIK and/or IELTS/TOEFL/TOEIC where relevant)
• Clear plan (study plan, research proposal if needed)

Yes. CNU lists a non-refundable application fee of KRW 60,000 for both undergraduate and graduate international admissions (as shown on the official admission pages).