Scholarships and student loans in Switzerland

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    Easy answers about life in Switzerland
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    Grants and student loans

    Scholarships

    Under certain conditions, students and vocational trainees in Switzerland receive a government scholarship. Foundations and funds also support people getting an education or training.

    Note

    In addition to Swiss nationals, cantonal scholarships are also awarded to refugees and foreign nationals living in Switzerland, as well as Swiss nationals residing abroad (the Swiss abroad).

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    Requirements for cantonal scholarships

    Are you in training or studying at a university or university of applied sciences and do not have much money? Then you can apply to the cantonal scholarship offices (web page available in German, French and Italian) for a scholarship and get more information.

    Under certain conditions, you can receive a scholarship for adults or young people. One prerequisite is that you or your parents earn little and have few assets. In detail, the requirements differ from canton to canton. For example, some cantons also provide financial support for a second education or continuing education.

    Types of cantonal financial aid

    You can receive scholarships once or several times. In principle, you do not have to pay them back. However, some cantons expect you to pay back a scholarship if you are in a good financial position later on.

    Student loans need to be paid back. Sometimes you also have to pay interest on student loans.

    The federal government, the communes or universities can also provide financial aid in certain cases. In addition, there are numerous private foundations and funds that provide financial aid. The cantonal scholarship offices have addresses of foundations and private funds that provide financial aid. The Confederation provides a search engine for foundations and private funds that provide financial aid (web page available in German, French and Italian).

    If you are a researcher abroad with a Master's degree or PhD, or a foreign artist with a Bachelor's degree, and you would like to come to Switzerland, you can apply for a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship. You can submit your application to the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.

    • Cost of getting an education (web page available in German, French and Italian)

    • Cantonal scholarship offices (web page available in German, French and Italian)

    • Search engine for foundations and private funds that provide financial aid (web page available in German, French and Italian)

    • Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for foreign scholars and artists

    • What are Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (video)

    • Scholarships for Swiss students living abroad

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