Scholarships: F.A.Q.

1. Who is eligible to apply?

Foreign citizens from all non-EU countries, with the following exceptions:

• citizens of Romanian origin or who are part of the Romanian historical communities in the proximity of Romania (entitled to different scholarship programmes);

• citizens who have requested or acquired a form of protection in Romania;

• stateless persons whose stay on the territory of Romania is officially recognized according to the law;

• members of the diplomatic and consular corps or family members of the diplomatic and consular corps accredited to Romania; members of the administrative and technical staff of diplomatic missions and consular offices accredited to Romania;

• staff members of international organizations based in Romania or family members of staff of international organizations based in Romania;

• beneficiaries of a scholarship from the Romanian state for the same cycle of study.

To be eligible, the scholarship applicant must:

• have good results in education, respectively an average of the study years, for the last graduated school of at least 7 (seven) corresponding to the scoring system in Romania or the "Good" score, as the case;

• submit a complete file;

• present study documents issued by accredited/recognized education institutions in the country where they were issued;

• comply with the enrolment deadline.

2. How do I apply?

You must fill in and submit the online application form, which includes information about yourself, contact details, academic background, preferred study domains, etc. and upload the required documents. Any incomplete application will not be considered.
You are required to submit your application online directly on the https://www.studyinromania.gov.ro/ website, section Apply for MFA scholarships.

3. When can I apply?

You can apply for the programme only when the call for applications is launched 16 January 2024, but no later than the application deadline mentioned in the official announcement 16 March 2024.

4. What study domains are eligible?

You can apply for most study programs provided by the higher education institutions, in almost every study domain. However, please note that scholarships are NOT awarded in the fields of medicine, dental medicine and pharmacy. Furthermore, for Bachelor and Master, you can apply only for study programs taught in Romanian.

5. Can I edit/update my application profile or upload documents after submission?

No.

6. What are the next steps, if I am selected for the scholarship?

You will receive an email notification, through your email address registered in the system, informing you on the evaluation results. You must reply by email to confirm whether you accept the scholarship offer. If you accept the offer, in order to complete your registration in the programme, you need to apply for the long-stay visa (if applicable). You should check http://eviza.mae.ro/ to see what the specific requirements for obtaining a visa are and which type of visa you need.

If you choose not to accept the scholarship, you are required to send a message of rejection as soon as possible, so another eligible candidate can be selected.

7. What are the benefits for the selected candidates?

Scholarship beneficiaries are provided with the following facilities:
•   exemption from the payment of registration fees or any other fees required by application processing, testing for the Romanian language skills, taking the admission contest for doctoral studies and the specific aptitude tests;
•   financing the tuition expenses for the Romanian language preparatory year;
•   financing the tuition expenses for the actual studies, but not more than the duration of a university cycle, corresponding to the study program followed;
•   receiving a monthly scholarship, for students enrolled in the Romanian language preparatory year;
•   receiving a monthly scholarship, for students enrolled in Bachelor, Master or doctoral studies, but not more than the duration of a university cycle;
• financing the accommodation expenses in the student dormitories, within the allocated subsidy granted through the budget of the Ministry of Education(accommodation will be provided to the extent of available places, scholarship holders having the obligation to contact the host university to find out the accommodation conditions);
•   medical assistance in case of medical-surgical emergencies and diseases with endemic-epidemic potential, in accordance with the legislation in force;

• discounts for local travel, in-city and between cities (local public, ground, naval and underground transport, as well as domestic road, railway and naval transport), in the same conditions as those offered to Romanian students, according to the legal provisions.

These facilities are granted throughout the study period, as follows:
•    for students enrolled in the Romanian language preparatory year, for the duration of the courses;
•    for students enrolled in Bachelor and Master studies, during the academic year and the legal holidays, but not during the summer holidays. In case of summer academic activities or specific legal provisions, the rights apply during the summer vacation as well;
•    for doctoral students enrolled in full-time learning, throughout the calendar year;
•    another 30 days after completing university studies lasting at least one year.

8. What are my obligations?

Foreign citizens have the following obligations:
•   to respect the Romanian Constitution and the laws of the Romanian state;
•   to comply with the internal regulations of the educational institution in which they study;
•   to comply with the provisions of this methodology;
•   to present a medical certificate attesting the ability to pursue studies and that the person is free of contagious diseases, with its authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if appropriate, when enrolling at the university where they were accepted

9. Is it possible to defer the scholarship period after I am accepted?

The scholarship awarded cannot be suspended or transferred for the next academic year.

10. What does the scholarship consists of?

The scholarship, including the preparatory year where applicable, consists of:
• financing tuition fees;
• financing the accommodation expenses in the student dormitories within the limit of the subsidy allocated for this purpose (accommodation will be provided to the extent of available places, scholarship holders having the obligation to contact the host university to find out the accommodation conditions);
• granting a monthly financial aid, as follows: the equivalent in ”lei” (the Romanian currency) of the amount of 65 EURO, for undergraduate and the preparatory year students; the equivalent in ”lei” (the Romanian currency) of the amount of 75 EURO, for Master students, the equivalent in ”lei” (the Romanian currency) of the amount of 85 EURO, for PhD students.

The scholarships do not cover the costs of international transport and those of domestic transport from the Romanian border crossing point to the university. In this regard, candidates must be prepared for the personal financial support of the additional costs.

11. What level of study does the scholarship cover?

The scholarship applicant can choose from any of the following three study cycles in accredited higher education institutions in Romania:
•   Bachelor: these programmes are addressed to graduates of high school studies or pre-university studies at the end of which they obtained a baccalaureate degree or equivalent, as well as candidates applying for further university studies in Romania. The complete programme runs for a period of 3-6 years, depending on the specialization and ends with a Bachelor exam;
•   Master: these programmes are addressed to undergraduates, run for a period of 1, 1.5 or 2 years and end with the dissertation exam;
•   PhD: doctoral programmes are addressed to graduate students or equivalent and run for a period of 3-5 years, depending on the profile of the chosen faculty and end with the presentation of a PhD thesis. In order to be admitted to doctoral studies and to obtain the scholarship, it is compulsory that, prior to submitting the application, the candidate should get the written agreement of the Doctoral Tutor, which must be a member of the doctoral school, and also that he/she passes the admission interview.

12. What is the language of study?

In order to promote the Romanian language and culture, the beneficiaries of the scholarships granted by the Romanian state for Bachelor and Master studies study only in Romanian. The exception is doctoral scholarship holders, who can opt for studies in Romanian or in a foreign language set by the doctoral school. For candidates who do not speak Romanian, a preparatory year is granted for the study of the Romanian language prior to the actual university studies, with the exception of doctoral scholarship holders who have choosen the form of education in a foreign language set by the doctoral school.
The following categories of students are exempted from enrolling in the Romanian language preparatory year:
•   those who present Romanian study documents (diplomas or certificates) or study documents, school records attesting at least four consecutive years of studies attended in Romanian in an educational unit/institution from the Romanian national system;
•   those who, in order to enrol in university education, pass the Romanian language test, organized according to the regulations in force;
•   those who, in order to enrol in university education, present a certificate of linguistic competence in Romanian, minimum level B1, issued according to the regulations in force.

13. How can I tell if my application has been successfully submitted?

After submitting the online application, you will receive a confirmation message on the platform and an email notifying you on the successful submission.

14. Can I submit more than one application?

You can only submit one application during each programme.

15. What are the documents required for the scholarship application?

Documents required to complete the application are:
•   Copies of the diplomas obtained (baccalaureate diploma or its equivalent, plus Bachelor, Master, doctoral degree (PhD), if applicable) and their authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.
•   Copies of transcripts of the completed studies and their authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.
•   Copy of the birth certificate (or equivalent document) and the authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.
•   Copy of the first three pages of the passport or of the residence permit and the authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.
•   Curriculum Vitae in English or French.
•   For the doctoral cycle the candidate needs to submit a letter of intent containing the list of scientific works, specialized publications, the detailed description of the proposed research project, as well as the agreement of a tutor, which must be a member of the chosen doctoral school. Both documents must be written in English, French, or Romanian.

The files will also include the following documents (only for candidates who belong to the specific category mentioned for each document):

•   Copy of the proof of name change (if applicable) and the authorized translation into English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.
•   Copy of the certificate proving the passing of the baccalaureate, Bachelor or Master exam, as the case may be, for graduates who do not hold yet the diploma and the authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.
•   Copy of the certificate proving that the person in the final year of studies is to take the graduation exam at the end of the school/university year and the authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.
•   Copy of the transcript attesting the academic record of the person in the final year of studies, until the moment of submitting the application file, and the authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.
•   Copy of the certificate of completion of the Romanian language preparatory year or the certificate of linguistic competence, if applicable.
•   Copy of the notarized declaration of parental consent in the case of candidates who have not reached the age of 18 by the date of commencement of the courses and the authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.

16. Can I still apply if I do not have a valid passport?

Yes, you can apply if you have a valid national identity document and, if applicable, a valid residence permit. However, you will be required to have a valid passport when applying for your study visa, in case you are selected.

17. I applied last year and I want to apply again. Will my last result affect my chances this year?

No, applications are considered by the selection committee each year, therefore results from previous years will not be taken into account.

18. I am currently completing a high school/Bachelor/Master program and I do not have a diploma yet. Do I need proof of studies?

Yes, you need a certificate proving that you are attending the final year of studies and its authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable. You will also need the transcript attesting your academic record of the current final year of studies, until the moment of submitting the application file, and the authorized translation in English, French, Spanish or Romanian, if applicable.

19. Is there an age limit for the scholarship?

No, there is no age limit to be able to apply for the scholarship.

20. Can I bring my family to Romania while studying?

If you wish to bring your family members with you, please check the conditions for travelling to Romania http://igi.mai.gov.ro/en.

Frequently asked questions