Road and red-brick university buildings on the University of Manchester campus.

Austria The call for applications is issued each autumn to enrolled third-country students. FH JOANNEUM does not publish a standing public deadline — enrolled students receive it by email; prospective applicants should ask International Relations for the current year's call

FH JOANNEUM Merit-Based Scholarship for Third-Country Students

FH JOANNEUM is Styria's university of applied sciences, spread across campuses in Graz, Kapfenberg and Bad Gleichenberg, with close to 70 degree programmes in engineering, health sciences, media and design, building and construction, and management. Its scholarship for international students is narrow and specific, so it is worth stating exactly: FH JOANNEUM runs a merit-based scholarship reserved for third-country students — that is, citizens of countries outside the EU and EEA, which includes Sri Lanka — who are paying the study cost contribution and are not already fully or partially exempt from it. The call goes out every autumn to enrolled students, and you may apply once during your bachelor's degree and once during your master's. Two honest caveats. First, the award value is set in each year's call rather than published as a standing figure, so nobody can tell you in advance what it is worth; ask the International Relations office for the previous year's amounts before you factor it into a budget. Second, like most Austrian institutional awards it is a contribution towards costs, not a free degree. The larger financial story at an Austrian Fachhochschule is the fee level itself — third-country students pay in the region of EUR 727 per semester at public-funded FH programmes, roughly EUR 1,450 a year or about LKR 500,000, though FH JOANNEUM's contribution varies by programme and you should confirm the figure for your specific degree in writing. Graz is also Austria's second city and considerably cheaper to live in than Vienna.

FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Graz

University-funded

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Basis

Academic merit, third-country students only

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Call Opens

Every autumn, to enrolled students

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Frequency

Once per degree level (BA and MA)

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Third-Country Citizenship Required

The scholarship exists specifically for students who are citizens of countries outside the EU and EEA. Sri Lankan citizens qualify on nationality. EU and EEA students are not eligible for this particular award.

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You Must Be Paying the Cost Contribution

Applicants must not already be fully or partially exempt from the study cost contribution. The award is designed to offset what you actually pay, so anyone already holding an exemption is excluded.

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One Shot Per Degree Level

You may apply once during your bachelor's studies and once during your master's studies. It is not an annually renewable award, so choose the year in which your academic record is strongest.

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Merit-Assessed

Selection is on academic performance at FH JOANNEUM, which means you need a semester or more of Austrian grades behind you. A strong Sri Lankan transcript helps you get admitted but is not what wins this award.

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Value Is Published Per Call, Not Standing

FH JOANNEUM does not publish a fixed amount. Email the International Relations office and ask what previous rounds paid before you count on it. Treat any third-party site quoting a precise figure with suspicion.

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Apply for admission to an FH JOANNEUM programme

Apply through the university's online application system. Many bachelor's programmes are taught in German; the English-taught intake is concentrated at master's level and in selected international bachelor's degrees, so check the language of instruction on your programme page first.

Confirm your programme's cost contribution in writing

Fees differ by programme at FH JOANNEUM. Ask admissions for the exact per-semester third-country contribution and the ÖH student union fee for your degree, and budget on that figure rather than on a general Austrian average.

Secure your Austrian student residence permit

Sri Lankan applicants apply through the Austrian representation accredited to Sri Lanka, currently handled from the embassy in New Delhi. You will need proof of sufficient means, accommodation and health insurance. Start at least three months ahead — Austrian permit processing is slow.

Enrol, then apply when the autumn call arrives

Once you are a registered student, watch your FH JOANNEUM email in the autumn for the merit scholarship call and submit within the stated window. Confirm with International Relations that you are recorded as a fee-paying third-country student.

Why FH JOANNEUM?

Austrian universities of applied sciences are built around practice — mandatory internships, project-based teaching and small cohorts with fixed places, which is a different model from a large research university. FH JOANNEUM covers engineering, health, media and design, construction and management across three Styrian campuses, with Graz as the main base. Graz is a UNESCO-listed university city of around 300,000 people where student living costs run well below Vienna's. Austria also allows graduates of Austrian degree programmes to apply for a job-seeker residence permit after finishing, which matters if you intend to work in Europe afterwards.