Benefits & Coverage
The Danish Government Scholarship can be generous — or just a tuition waiver with nothing else. It depends entirely on which university and which programme. Here's what each option actually means.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
7 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The two components
The Danish Government Scholarship can contain one or both of the following. Which one you receive depends entirely on the university and faculty you're admitted to.
Your tuition is waived and paid directly to the university — you never see this money. This is the most common component; nearly all recipients get it.
A monthly payment to help cover living costs. Only some universities include this — and the amount varies. This is the part scholarship databases routinely get wrong.
Many scholarship databases label this as “fully funded.” That is only clearly accurate for AAU and CBS (and for some UCPH and Aarhus faculties). DTU scholarships, for example, cover tuition only. Always verify the specific package for your university and faculty.
University-by-university coverage
DTU — Technical University of Denmark: tuition only
- Full tuition waiver (for the two-year MSc)
- No monthly stipend
Your tuition is covered, but you fund living costs entirely from savings or part-time work. Copenhagen is expensive.
UCPH — University of Copenhagen: varies by faculty
- Social Sciences: tuition + monthly grant — very few awards (generally 2–3 a year), highly competitive.
- Science: tuition + living-cost grant for 22 months — even fewer awards, extremely competitive.
- Health & Medical Sciences: either tuition and living costs, or tuition only.
- Theology: partial tuition only.
Contact your UCPH faculty directly when you receive an offer — the package differs significantly between faculties.
Aarhus University (AU): varies by faculty
- Arts / Aarhus BSS: tuition + monthly living grant included.
- Natural / Technical Sciences: tuition only — no monthly stipend.
The stipend amount is not publicly stated on AU's main scholarship page. Ask admissions directly when you receive an offer.
AAU — Aalborg University: the highest published stipend
Aalborg University pairs a tuition fee waiver with a monthly stipend of DKK 11,225 (the 2026 rate for new students), paid for the four semesters of a master’s programme. It awards about 15 a year, for the September intake only, and considers every non-EU master’s applicant automatically. AAU notes that you might have to pay tax on it, and it stops after two years if your studies run longer.
CBS — Copenhagen Business School: DKK 8,000 a month
CBS awards about 25 a year. Funding starts on 1 September (the February 2027 start was CBS’s last winter intake). The DKK 8,000/month stipend still requires careful budgeting for Copenhagen living costs.
SDU — University of Southern Denmark: tuition waiver in Sønderborg and Vejle
SDU's scholarship is a full tuition fee waiver for two years (MSc in Sønderborg) or three years (BSc in Vejle), for specific engineering and computing programmes. The waiver covers 30 ECTS per semester. SDU’s current pages list no living grant, and the bachelor’s page says the waiver does not cover living costs. Sønderborg has significantly lower living costs than Copenhagen, but you fund them yourself.
The tax reality
The monthly stipend is taxable income in Denmark — and most scholarship guides skip that entirely.
The default withholding rate for people without a tax card. It is returned when you file taxes, but cash flow in your first weeks or months takes a significant hit.
Only the correct amount is withheld. Register for a CPR number immediately on arrival, then apply for your tax card at skat.dk right away.
| Approximate after-tax figures | Amount |
|---|---|
| Personal deduction (personfradrag) | DKK 51,600/year (2025 level; confirm the current figure at skat.dk) |
| CBS stipend gross (DKK 8,000 × 12) | DKK 96,000/year |
| CBS approx. take-home/month | DKK 6,500–7,000 |
| AAU stipend gross (DKK 11,225 × 12) | DKK 134,700/year |
| AAU approx. take-home/month (our estimate) | DKK 8,300–9,000 |
Students from certain developing countries may have tax exemption rights under Denmark's bilateral tax treaties (CBS notes its grant is taxed under the rules on grant income and tax exemption for developing countries). Check with SKAT directly if you come from a country with a tax treaty with Denmark.
What the scholarship does NOT cover
These costs are your responsibility regardless of which scholarship package you receive.
- Flights to Denmark — no travel allowance included.
- Visa and residence permit fees — DKK 3,060 for a higher-education student permit (2026).
- Private health insurance — needed for the first 2–6 weeks before CPR registration.
- Housing deposit — typically 1–3 months' rent upfront.
- First month's rent advance — often required before stipend payments begin.
- Textbooks and study materials — not included in the tuition waiver.
- Winter clothing — Danish winters are cold; budget for this if you're from a warm country.
- Family members — no dependant or family support.
Is the stipend enough?
Copenhagen (UCPH, CBS, ITU): tight at CBS, impossible without a stipend
| Rent (student room, shared apartment) | DKK 4,500–7,000/mo |
| Food (cooking at home, Netto/Rema 1000) | DKK 2,000–2,500/mo |
| Transport (student metro/bus card) | DKK 435/mo |
| Phone | DKK 100–200/mo |
| Miscellaneous | DKK 500–800/mo |
| Total estimated monthly | DKK 7,535–11,000+ |
Verdict: the CBS stipend (~DKK 6,500–7,000 after tax) covers basics in Copenhagen but leaves very little margin. A cheaper shared flat or university housing (if you get it) is essential. Most CBS scholarship holders work part-time.
Aarhus: more comfortable
A student room runs about DKK 3,500–5,500 a month, for an estimated total of DKK 6,500–9,000. A scholarship that includes the living grant covers basic living more realistically in Aarhus than in the capital.
Sønderborg (SDU engineering): genuinely affordable
A student room runs about DKK 2,000–3,500 a month, for an estimated total of DKK 4,500–7,000. SDU’s scholarship is tuition-only, so budget for the full amount yourself.
Healthcare — not part of the scholarship
Healthcare in Denmark is free — but it comes from the public system via CPR registration, not from the scholarship itself. This is a common point of confusion.
- After CPR registration: full public healthcare access — hospitals, GP, prescriptions at subsidised rates. This is standard for all Danish residents, not a scholarship benefit.
- Before CPR registration (first 2–6 weeks): only emergency care is free. Routine treatment requires payment. Budget for private travel/health insurance to cover the gap.
- No SI insurance: the Kammarkollegiet insurance that SI scholarship holders get applies to Sweden's SI scholarships, not the Danish Government Scholarship. These are different programmes entirely.
The residence permit financial requirement
You still need to prove DKK 7,426 a month (2026 level) in available funds when applying for your residence permit — up to a maximum of DKK 89,112 for programmes longer than a year.
A tuition waiver alone does not satisfy the permit requirement. You need savings, guaranteed income or a sponsorship letter to demonstrate self-sufficiency.
Plan for this well before you apply for your visa. If your scholarship includes a stipend, that stipend counts toward the requirement.
Part-time work rights
Non-EU/EEA students in state-approved programmes have the right to work in Denmark. This is a practical benefit that most scholarship holders rely on to cover Copenhagen living costs comfortably.
The Danish minimum wage level is one of the highest in the world — part-time student work generates meaningful income. Even CBS stipend holders commonly work part-time to supplement their monthly grant in Copenhagen.
After graduation — job-seeking rights
Scholarship holders who complete their degree can apply for a post-study job-seeking permit. This is a significant practical benefit for planning a career in Denmark.
Available for Bachelor's, Master's and PhD graduates of state-approved programmes; depending on your level and application date it can run 6 months, 1 year or 3 years. It gives you time to find employment and move to a work permit without leaving the country. It applies to all international students who complete state-approved degrees — not only scholarship holders.
Quick reference: what you actually get
| University | Tuition | Monthly stipend (gross) | Est. take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTU | Covered | None | — |
| UCPH (Social Sci.) | Covered | Varies by faculty | Ask faculty |
| UCPH (Theology) | Partial only | None | — |
| Aarhus (Arts/BSS) | Covered | Undisclosed — ask | Ask admissions |
| Aarhus (Nat/Tech Sci.) | Covered | None | — |
| CBS | Covered (22 mo.) | DKK 8,000 | ~DKK 6,500–7,000 |
| AAU | Covered | DKK 11,225 (2026) | ~DKK 8,300–9,000 |
| SDU (Sønderborg/Vejle) | Covered | None listed | — |
Now that you understand what the scholarship covers, check whether you qualify — nationality, enrolment status, academic requirements and what disqualifies you: Who Can Apply. Or go back to the Types of Scholarships.