How to Apply for the SI Scholarship 2027/28

The Two-Process Overview

Getting the SI scholarship requires completing two entirely separate applications with two different systems. Many applicants don't realise this until it's too late.

Step 1: Apply for Master's Programmes

16 October 2026 – 15 January 2027, universityadmissions.se. This is where you choose which Swedish master's programmes you want to study and formally apply for admission.

1. 1
   Create an account on universityadmissions.se

   You'll need this account throughout the process. Use an email address you check regularly.

2. 2
   Check SI's eligible programmes list

   You can only receive the SI scholarship for a programme on SI's approved list, published at si.se each November (expected mid-November 2026). Applying to programmes not on the list means your scholarship application will be ineligible.

3. 3
   Apply to up to 4 programmes and rank them

   Rank them 1 to 4, with your top choice as number 1. 15 January 2027 is also the last day to rank. Changing your ranking after submission may affect your admission results.

4. 4
   1 February 2027

   Pay the application fee (SEK 900)

   One fee per semester, no matter how many programmes you apply to. Paying late makes your application late — and late applications won't be considered by SI. There is no refund if you're not admitted.

5. 5
   1 February 2027

   Upload your academic documents

   universityadmissions.se has its own document requirements (transcripts, degree certificates, English test scores). Upload these to the University Admissions portal — they are separate from your SI documents.

Between the Deadlines (January–February)

After submitting your university application and before the SI portal opens, you have roughly 3–4 weeks. Use them.

• Download SI's document templates. They're released each November at si.se, so the current year's templates should already be available.
• Contact your referees immediately. Give them the template, explain the stamp requirement, and set a hard deadline for yourself of at least one week before the SI portal closes.
• Prepare your work experience and leadership forms. Get them signed and stamped. Combine them into a single PDF in the required order.
• Draft your motivation statement. Write your answers in a plain text editor and count characters carefully (reported limits of 1,000 and 800 characters are unconfirmed; check the 2027 portal).
• Confirm your passport is valid. If it expires soon, renew it before the SI portal opens.

Step 2: Apply for the SI Scholarship

About two weeks in February 2027 (expected), closing at 14:59 CET. In 2026 the portal ran 9–25 February. The link appears on the SI programme page when the window opens. Do not wait until the final day — SI warns that the portal is under heavy pressure at the end.

1. 1
   Open the SI application portal

   Start as soon as it opens — don't try to do everything for the first time on the last day.

2. 2
   Enter your University Admissions application number

   The seven- or eight-digit number you received after applying to universityadmissions.se. Double-check it — SI disqualifies applications with the wrong number.

3. 3
   Upload all required documents

   CV, combined work experience and leadership forms, both reference letters as one PDF, and passport copy. See the Documents Required guide for every rule.

4. 4
   Complete the motivation in the portal

   Paste your pre-written plain text answers. Do not try to write them from scratch in the browser. You may also be randomly selected to record a short video.

5. 5
   14:59 CET on the closing day

   Submit

   SI accepts no applications after the deadline, so technical problems will not buy you more time. Treat submission as final and review everything before you click submit.

After You Submit (February–April)

1. 1
   Late Feb – late Mar (2026: 25 Feb – 25 Mar)

   Screening and first evaluation

   SI screens all applications for formal eligibility. Applications with disqualifying errors (wrong templates, missing stamps, expired passport) are filtered out, and eligible ones are evaluated.

2. 2
   1 April 2027

   University admission decisions

   University Admissions publishes master's results. If you're not admitted (or conditionally admitted) to an eligible programme, your SI application ends here — even if your documents were perfect. Don't change your admission results (for example, by declining an offer).

3. 3
   April 2027

   Final evaluation

   SI makes its final evaluation of applicants who are still eligible, meaning admitted to an eligible programme. It builds a shortlist and weighs gender balance, country spread and budget.

4. Late April 2027 (expected; 2026: 23 April)

   Results

   SI publishes the recipient list on si.se, and recipients get an official offer by email within days. Only those offered a scholarship are notified. You don't need to tell SI which programme you were admitted to — it gets that information from University Admissions.

If You're on the Reserve List

Some applicants are placed on a reserve list. This means you were not selected in the first round, but you may be offered a scholarship if a selected candidate declines.

• Offers come by email in May and June as recipients decline — there's no portal or ranking list you can check
• Keep your email active and check it daily, including spam, through the end of June
• SI does not publish how many people are on the reserve list or where you rank within it
• You may still need to arrange alternative funding while waiting — don't assume you'll receive a reserve offer

If You Don't Get It

SI invites applicants who are not selected to re-apply in the next round. A rejected application isn't the end of the process — it's information.

The next university application window opens in mid-October. Use the gap year to build your profile: take on additional leadership roles, deepen field experience, and sharpen the story you're telling about your work and goals.

Common Application Errors

Most of these are avoidable with proper preparation. Most of them also can't be fixed after the submission deadline.

• Uploading wrong-year SI templates. Always download fresh templates from si.se. Even one-year-old templates are rejected.
• Uploading work experience forms as separate files. All work experience and leadership forms must be merged into one PDF before uploading.
• Submitting reference letters without stamps. Referees often don't realise a stamp is required. Confirm this with them explicitly.
• Entering the wrong University Admissions application number. Find your number in your universityadmissions.se account before opening the SI portal, and enter it exactly.
• Motivation statement exceeding character limits. Count characters in a plain text editor before pasting, and stay inside whatever limits the portal shows.
• Applying to programmes not on SI's eligible list. Check the list at si.se before submitting your university application.
• Missing or expired passport copy. Check your passport's expiry date well in advance. A scan of an expired document is not accepted.