The Best Fully Funded Scholarships to Apply for in August and September 2026

Not every scholarship deadline is worth clearing your calendar for. Some pay for airfare and health insurance and a stipend; others cover a fraction of tuition and nothing else. If you only have time to chase a handful of applications this August and September, these are the ones we'd point you toward first: all fully funded, all currently open, and each a genuinely strong outcome if you win.

1. Rhodes Scholarship for Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine (SJLP)

The Rhodes Scholarship needs no introduction, and this regional track brings the full Oxford package, tuition, living stipend, and more, to applicants from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. It closes August 27, so if you're eligible, this is the single highest-prestige opportunity on this list and worth prioritizing above everything else here.

2. Institut Courtois Postdoctoral Fellowship (Canada)

A fully funded postdoctoral position in Canada, closing September 28. Postdoc fellowships tend to draw a smaller, more specialized applicant pool than degree scholarships, which can work in your favor if your research background lines up.

3. National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) International Student Scholarship (Taiwan)

Fully funded, no application fee, and no IELTS or TOEFL score required to apply. It spans engineering, science, life sciences, humanities, and technology management at bachelor's, master's, and PhD level. Deadline: September 30.

4. ARES International Training Scholarship (Belgium)

A fully funded scholarship from ARES, Belgium's academic cooperation body, closing September 18. Belgium doesn't come up as often in scholarship searches as the UK or US, which can mean less competition for a genuinely well-funded program.

5. Intra-Africa PERI-ACE Scholarship (South Africa)

Fully funded and specifically built for intra-Africa mobility, meaning African students studying at an African host institution. Closes September 17. If you're looking to stay on the continent while still accessing full funding, this is one of the stronger options currently open.

6. Erasmus Mundus MARIHE Joint Master's Scholarship (Multi-Country)

An Erasmus Mundus joint master's, meaning you'll study across multiple countries (Austria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, China, or India, depending on your track) as part of one fully funded program. Deadline: September 21. Erasmus Mundus scholarships are consistently among the best funded joint-degree options available to international students.

7. University of Montana PhD Graduate Research Assistantship (Wildlife Ecology)

A fully funded PhD research assistantship in wildlife ecology, closing August 31. Research assistantships like this one often fly under the radar because they're posted through a specific lab or department rather than a university-wide scholarship office, so they tend to draw fewer applicants relative to their funding quality.

How to Prioritize If You Can Only Apply to a Few

Start with fit before prestige. The Rhodes name carries weight, but if your background doesn't match its regional eligibility or its emphasis on leadership and service, you're better off putting your strongest effort into NTHU, ARES, or the Montana assistantship, where the match with your profile matters more than name recognition. Postdoc and research assistantship listings (Institut Courtois, Montana) reward a tight fit with the host lab's existing research, so a quick email to the supervisor before applying can tell you in five minutes whether it's worth the effort.

August and September always bring a wave of deadlines, but not all of them are equal. Pick two or three from this list that genuinely match your field and background, and put your full effort into those rather than spreading yourself across every deadline you see this month.