SI Scholarship Benefits & Funding – What You Actually Get

When SI says "fully funded," here's exactly what that means — and what it doesn't.

The scholarship is genuinely comprehensive for the recipient. But it does not extend to family members, and a few costs that people assume are covered are actually yours. Read the full breakdown before you make any plans.

The Full Package

Tuition Fees

100% covered

Paid directly by SI to your university. You never see this money — it goes straight from SI to your institution. There is nothing to manage on your end.

Swedish master's tuition fees typically run SEK 80,000–200,000 per year for non-EU students. This is the most financially significant part of the scholarship.

Monthly Stipend

SEK 12,000/month

Transferred to your Swedish bank account each month. This is your living money — rent, food, transport, everything. It's enough for a modest student life in most Swedish cities.

Stockholm requires careful budgeting. Gothenburg and Malmö are more comfortable. Uppsala and Lund can work well if you get university housing early. See the Life in Sweden guide for a detailed cost breakdown by city.

Travel Grant

SEK 15,000 or SEK 10,000

A one-time payment made when you arrive in Sweden. This is meant to cover your flights. If your country is Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine, the travel grant is SEK 10,000 instead of SEK 15,000. Keep your receipts — SI may ask for them.

The grant is a fixed amount regardless of where you're flying from. A flight from Lagos will eat more of it than one from Kyiv. Factor that into your arrival budget.

Insurance via Kammarkollegiet

Emergency only

This covers emergency medical care, emergency dental treatment, and property (theft and damage). It does not cover routine GP visits, ongoing prescriptions, pre-existing conditions, or mental health treatment.

For everyday health coverage, check with your university when you arrive. Many Swedish universities have student health plans available through the student union. Do not assume the Kammarkollegiet policy covers everything — it doesn't.

Visa Application Fee Waiver

Covered

SI covers the cost of your Swedish residence permit application. The Swedish Migration Agency fee for a student permit is currently around SEK 1,000. It's a small saving, but it's one less thing to think about.

Kick-off & Diploma Ceremonies

Included

All new SI scholars are invited to a kick-off ceremony in Stockholm at the start of the academic year. This is where you meet your cohort in person and connect with SI staff and returning scholars.

The diploma ceremony at the end of your studies is held at Stockholm City Hall — the same venue used for the Nobel Prize banquet. If you're going to attend one ceremony, make it this one.

The SI Network for Global Professionals (NFGP)

The NFGP is the active professional community you become part of during your studies. It is not a mailing list — it includes funded programming, mentorship, and structured access to people working across development, policy, public health, and innovation globally.

Leadership workshops & seminars

Funded. You do not pay to attend. Focused on leadership, development impact, and professional skills. Not optional extras — these are core to what the scholarship delivers beyond money.

Mentorship programs

Pairing with experienced professionals from previous SI scholar cohorts and Swedish industry. Useful for both your studies and your post-graduation plans.

Study visits

Organized visits to Swedish organizations, institutions, and government bodies. These give you professional exposure beyond your own program and department.

Networking events

Access to alumni and Swedish professionals. A typical SI cohort year includes scholars from around 50 nationalities. If you use the network actively, it stays useful long after graduation.

SI Alumni Network (Lifetime)

When you finish your studies, your scholarship ends but your network access does not. The SI Alumni Network is a lifetime membership — not a courtesy subscription that quietly expires after a year.

15,000+

active alumni members

140+

countries represented

Lifetime

network access

The network gets used for professional connections, job referrals, collaborative projects, and support when you're returning to your home country and building something there. Many SI scholars who graduated five or ten years ago still count the network as one of the most useful professional resources they have.

Worth saying plainly: Some scholarship alumni say the network outlasted the degree in practical value. That is not universally true — it depends how actively you use it. But the infrastructure is there, and it is more substantive than most scholarship alumni networks.

What the Scholarship Does NOT Cover

This is where people get surprised. The scholarship is comprehensive for you personally. It does not extend to anyone who comes with you, and a few costs that seem like they should be covered are not.

Family members are not covered

If you bring a spouse or children to Sweden, all their costs are entirely yours. The Swedish Migration Agency requires you to show sufficient funds for dependents: roughly SEK 3,622.50 per month per spouse and SEK 2,173.50 per month per child, on top of your own living costs.

With a SEK 12,000 stipend and a spouse, you need to cover both of you on an amount that many scholars describe as tight even for one person. Plan this carefully before you apply.

University Admissions application fee

You pay this yourself when applying for master's programs through universityadmissions.se. It is separate from the SI scholarship application.

Routine health care and ongoing prescriptions

The Kammarkollegiet insurance is for emergencies. Day-to-day health care is your responsibility. Check your university's student health services when you arrive.

Housing deposits and advance rent

Your first stipend payment arrives after you've already moved in. Most Swedish landlords require a deposit of 1-3 months' rent upfront. You'll need savings to cover this gap.

Moving costs for belongings from home

If you want to bring significant belongings to Sweden, that's on you. Most scholars advise traveling light and buying what you need in Sweden.

Language courses (Swedish)

Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) is free for people who are registered residents in Sweden — but you have to arrange it yourself. The scholarship does not organize this for you.

Health insurance for family members

If dependents travel with you, they need their own health coverage. This is entirely separate from your Kammarkollegiet insurance.

Is SEK 12,000/Month Enough?

Honestly, it depends on where you study and how you live. Here's what the numbers actually look like across different Swedish cities. These are realistic estimates for a single student with no dependents.

Stockholm

Tight budget

Student room rentSEK 5,000–7,000

FoodSEK 2,700

Public transportSEK 875

Phone & internetSEK 300

MiscellaneousSEK 1,500

Estimated total SEK 10,375–12,375

You are at the edge of your stipend — or over it — depending on rent. Stockholm is doable but it leaves little margin. Many Stockholm scholars supplement through part-time work.

Gothenburg / Malmö

Manageable

Rent for a student room typically runs SEK 3,500–5,500. Daily costs are similar to Stockholm, but the lower housing costs give you an extra SEK 1,000–1,500 of breathing room each month. More comfortable, though not easy.

Uppsala / Lund

Good if you get housing

Student housing here is among the most affordable in Sweden — if you can get a spot. Waitlists in both cities are long, sometimes over a year. Many incoming students end up in more expensive private accommodation while waiting. Apply for student housing the moment you have your admission offer.

Smaller cities

More comfortable

Cheaper housing and lower overall costs make SEK 12,000 more comfortable outside major cities. The trade-off is that some programs are only available in Stockholm or larger university cities, so your choices may be limited by your field of study.

Bottom line: The stipend works, but you won't be saving money or traveling much during your studies. Plan for that reality before you arrive. Many SI scholars describe their year financially as tight but manageable — not comfortable, but not a crisis.

How SI Compares to Other Major Scholarships

This is a rough comparison to give you perspective. Conditions change, and your own eligibility varies by program. Check each scholarship's current official terms before drawing conclusions.

Scholarship	Monthly stipend	Tuition	Countries	Level
SI (Sweden)	SEK 12,000 (~EUR 1,080)	Full	34 developing countries	Master's only
DAAD (Germany)	EUR 850–1,200	Full	Various (broader)	Multiple levels
Chevening (UK)	~GBP 1,400 (~EUR 1,660)	Full	Selected countries	Master's only
Erasmus Mundus	~EUR 1,000–1,400	Full	Pan-European	Master's / PhD

SI is competitive on tuition coverage — Sweden's master's fees for non-EU students can be SEK 80,000–200,000 per year, so the tuition element is substantial. But the monthly stipend is modest compared to Chevening or some DAAD awards. The network component is arguably where SI differentiates itself most clearly from the others.

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