How to Apply for the Danish Government Scholarship 2027/28

The core principle — no central portal

There is no central Danish Government Scholarship application portal. You don't go to a government website and apply for the scholarship separately. Each scholarship is managed by each university, tied to its admission process.

In practice: you apply for admission to a Danish university. The scholarship consideration happens as part of that process — automatically at most universities, with additional documents required at CBS and DTU.

The application, step by step

1. 1
   September–November 2026

   Research and select your universities

   Identify which universities offer scholarship-eligible programmes in your field; check whether each has an automatic or manual process; verify the programme is accredited (not an artistic institution); compare what each scholarship covers (tuition only vs tuition + stipend); and check whether your department offers awards (varies at UCPH).

2. 2
   October–December 2026

   Prepare your core documents

   Certified bachelor's transcripts; degree certificate or proof of expected completion; English test scores (IELTS 6.5+ or TOEFL 83+ iBT, or proof of English-medium education); passport copy; CV; an admission-focused motivation letter; and any programme-specific requirements (a research proposal for some programmes, a portfolio for design programmes). CBS and DTU also need a separate scholarship statement.

3. 3
   By 15 January 2027 (most)

   Apply through each university's portal

   Each university has its own portal and deadline — details below.

4. 4
   February–April 2027

   Wait, and be ready to respond quickly

   Interviews (SDU, possibly CBS) and decisions arrive; some acceptance windows are only days long.

5. Spring–summer 2027

   Accept, then permit, housing and CPR

   Move fast after the offer: residence permit, housing, insurance and CPR registration.

Apply through each university's portal

DTU — Technical University of Denmark

Apply at apply.dtu.dk by 15 January 2027. Upload your scholarship personal statement as a separate document in the “additional documents” section. Without this statement, you are not considered for the waiver.

UCPH — University of Copenhagen

Apply at ku.dk via the online application portal (it opens 15 November 2026; the non-EU deadline is 15 January 2027, 23:59 CET). No separate scholarship action is needed: faculty scholarship committees consider all admitted non-EU/EEA students automatically.

AU — Aarhus University

Apply at au.dk through its online system by 15 January 2027. No separate scholarship action is needed; consideration is included with admission.

CBS — Copenhagen Business School

Apply at cbs.dk/en. In the application portal, check the box indicating scholarship interest and upload your scholarship personal statement (max 2 pages) as a separate file. Non-EU applicants must also pay the application fee by the deadline. The deadline is 15 January 2027 at 23:59 CET. The 15 October 2026 round was CBS’s last winter intake, so there is no second round in 2027.

SDU — University of Southern Denmark

Apply at sdu.dk — by 1 February 2027 for the Sønderborg MSc programmes, or 15 March 2027 for the Vejle BSc programmes. The scholarship interview is part of the admission process: SDU contacts shortlisted applicants for an online interview after reviewing applications.

Aalborg, IT University, Roskilde

Apply through each university's portal. Consideration is automatic with admission. Aalborg’s deadline for non-EU master’s applicants is 15 January 2027 (23:59 CET); check ITU’s and Roskilde’s pages for their current deadlines.

If you're applying to CBS, your scholarship personal statement is what differentiates you. It should be at most 2 pages. CBS explicitly states it must be “personal and specific” — not a generic statement. What this means:

• Address your specific academic achievements: GPA, honours, awards, publications.
• Describe work or life experiences that relate to your intended programme.
• Explain specifically why you chose this CBS programme — the curriculum, the professors, the school's approach.
• State your post-graduation plans — what you want to do, and what role the degree plays.
• Be personal: avoid corporate language and templates.

The worst CBS statements could have been written by anyone applying anywhere. The best ones make the reader feel they know who you are and why you specifically should be selected.

The DTU scholarship statement

DTU's scholarship statement is different in purpose from CBS's. At DTU:

• It's primarily about achievements, not aspirations.
• Focus on GPA, class rank, research outputs, publications, competition results and international experience.
• It is evaluated alongside the rest of your application to determine whether you rank among the very top admitted candidates.
• A typical successful DTU applicant has a high GPA from a well-regarded institution, some research or publication track record, and clear evidence of academic excellence.

Keep it focused. This is not a letter about your future — it's a record of what you've already done.

Wait, and be ready to respond quickly

After receiving a scholarship offer

Once you have a scholarship offer, move on these in sequence:

1. 1
   Accept officially

   Through the university's system, by the stated deadline.

2. 2
   Apply for your Danish student residence permit immediately

   At nyidanmark.dk. Processing takes about 2 months, up to 3 if more documents are needed. Don't delay.

3. 3
   Start your housing search immediately

   Copenhagen and Aarhus have long waits for student housing.

4. 4
   Arrange private travel/health insurance for your first weeks

   Public health coverage doesn't start until CPR registration.

5. 5
   Register for a CPR number

   Online up to 1 month before arriving, if the option is available for your municipality.

Applying to multiple universities

Apply to 2–3 universities at the same time where possible. Each pool is separate, and more options significantly increase your scholarship chances. There's no penalty for applying to several institutions.

If you receive multiple offers, you can only accept one scholarship. Choose based on:

• Programme quality: does the programme match your specific field and research interests?
• City and living costs: Copenhagen is more expensive than Aarhus or Odense. Factor in whether you'll need to supplement.
• Scholarship coverage: a tuition-only waiver and tuition + monthly stipend are meaningfully different offers.
• Career fit: where do graduates end up, and which institution is better known in the industry you're targeting?

Next: the selection process, or go back to the deadlines.