Host Country: Slovakia
Opportunity Type: Scholarship Programme
Programme Name: National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic
Funding Source: State budget of the Slovak Republic
Applicant Groups: Students, PhD students, teachers, researchers, and artists
Application Deadlines: 30 April and 31 October at 16:00 CET
The National Scholarship Programme Slovakia offers mobility support for international students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers, and artists. It helps them complete study, research, teaching, or artistic stays in Slovakia. In addition, the programme supports stays at Slovak higher education institutions and research organisations.
About National Scholarship Programme Slovakia
The Government of the Slovak Republic approved this programme in 2005. Since then, it has supported international mobility in Slovakia. As a result, applicants can use it for study, research, artistic, and teaching stays.
The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic finances the programme. Applicants from any country may apply. However, Slovak citizens are not eligible.
Applicant Categories
The programme accepts applicants from three main categories.
• Students enrolled at universities outside Slovakia
• PhD students whose education or scientific training takes place outside Slovakia
• University teachers, researchers, and artists invited by an eligible Slovak institution
Students must be second-level higher education students. Alternatively, they must have completed at least 2.5 years of university study in the same or a similar programme by the deadline. They also need acceptance from a public, private, or state higher education institution in Slovakia for academic mobility.
PhD students need acceptance from a Slovak higher education institution or an eligible research institution. Likewise, university teachers, researchers, and artists must receive an invitation from an eligible institution with its seat in Slovakia.
Length of Stay
The stay length depends on the category.
• Students: 1–2 full semesters or 1–3 full trimesters
• PhD students: 1–10 months
• University teachers, researchers, and artists: 1–10 months
Moreover, if the stay must last at least one month, it should cover one full calendar month.
Scholarship Coverage
The scholarship covers living costs in Slovakia. These include accommodation, food, and similar expenses.
✓ University students of the second level of higher education: 620 EUR per month
✓ PhD students: 1,025.50 EUR per month
✓ University teachers, researchers, and artists without a PhD degree and with less than 4 years of experience: 1,025.50 EUR per month
✓ University teachers, researchers, and artists with a PhD degree and less than 10 years of experience: 1,370 EUR per month
✓ University teachers, researchers, and artists with a PhD degree and more than 10 years of experience: 1,470 EUR per month
Travel Allowance
Students and PhD students may request a travel grant. However, they must request it in the scholarship application.
The amount depends on the direct distance between the applicant’s residence or home institution and the host institution in Slovakia. The official scale begins at 0 EUR for distances up to 200 km and rises to 1,500 EUR for distances over 7,000 km. Finally, the programme pays the travel grant at the end of the stay together with the final scholarship payment.
Ineligible Applicants
Some applicants cannot receive support from this programme.
• International students and PhD students accepted for full-degree study in Slovakia
• Students already studying full-degree higher education in Slovakia who want NSP support for those studies
• Applicants who spent 15 or more months in Slovakia during the 36 months before the deadline
• Applicants who already received acceptance for a scholarship stay in Slovakia under another publicly funded scholarship programme
• Certain university teachers, researchers, and artists without a PhD degree and with more than 4 years of experience, except in the stated special cases
Documents to Prepare
The required documents depend on the category. Still, the source clearly lists the main materials.
Students must submit:
• Curriculum vitae
• Motivation letter
• Detailed study programme
• Two recommendation letters from university teachers
• Confirmation from the home higher education institution
• Bachelor’s diploma, diploma supplement, and state examination certificate, if applicable
• Acceptance or invitation letter from the host higher education institution in Slovakia
PhD students must submit a CV, motivation letter, detailed study, research, or artistic programme, recommendation from the dissertation supervisor, confirmation of PhD status, Master’s diploma, a list of publications or artistic activities, and an acceptance or invitation letter.
University teachers, researchers, and artists must submit a CV, detailed teaching, research, or artistic programme, diploma of the highest academic degree achieved, a list of publications or artistic activities, and an acceptance or invitation letter.
How to Apply
Applicants must apply online through the programme website. The online application system opens at least six weeks before the deadline.
Applications and attachments may be submitted only in Slovak or English. If documents are in another language, applicants must submit the original document and an official translation into Slovak or English. However, Czech-language documents are accepted without translation.
To complete the application, applicants must fill in all required fields, upload all required attachments, and click the “SEND” button before the deadline. In addition, the original acceptance or invitation letter must reach SAIA in Bratislava no later than the third working day after the deadline by 12:00 p.m.
Review and Selection
SAIA, n. o. manages the selection process. First, it checks whether the application meets the formal programme conditions.
Then, eligible applications move to the Selection Committee. The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic appoints this committee. The committee reviews the reason for the stay, the programme plan, the applicant’s qualities and achievements, the benefit for the host institution, and the overall quality of the application.
Important Dates
• 30 April at 16:00 CET for stays during the next academic year
• 31 October at 16:00 CET for stays during the summer semester of the current academic year
• Only one application is allowed per application call
• SAIA usually informs applicants of the result within 8 weeks after the deadline
