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USTP St. Pölten Tuition Fee Refund Scholarship

St. Pölten's university of applied sciences (now USTP) charges third-country nationals EUR 1,500 per semester rather than the EUR 363.36 Austrian rate — a surcharge of roughly LKR 392,000 a semester for a Sri Lankan student. In six of its digital and creative programmes, the university refunds that surcharge entirely to the best 20% of students in each semester. In practice that means a strong performer pays close to Austrian domestic tuition, but only after proving themselves: this is a performance refund, not an entrance scholarship, so you must budget to pay the full EUR 1,500 upfront in your first semester and hope to earn it back. The six eligible programmes are Creative Computing, Creative Media Production, Cyber Security and Resilience, Digital Innovation and Research, Citizen-Centered Digital Health and Social Care, and Gamified Reality Applications (GRACE) — a genuinely modern, employable set of fields, and all taught with the applied, project-heavy approach Austrian Fachhochschulen are known for. Applications for the refund run 1 October to 30 November each year and refunds are processed per semester. If several students share the same grade average at the cut-off, the refund amount is split between them, so the exact sum is not guaranteed even if you make the top 20%. USTP also runs separate merit-based scholarships through individual programme departments; ask your programme administration about those once you are enrolled. Nothing here covers living costs, accommodation, insurance or your residence permit — St. Pölten is commutable to Vienna and cheaper than the capital, but you should still plan for around EUR 900-1,100 a month.

Refund applications open annually 1 October - 30 November, processed per semester. Programme admission for the autumn intake typically closes in spring — confirm on ustp.at

USTP - University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten

University-funded

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Value

EUR 1,500 per semester refunded

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Basis

Top 20% of cohort

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Programmes

6 digital & creative degrees

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

USTP - University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.

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What it covers

Full Refund of the EUR 1,500 Third-Country Tuition Surcharge. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.

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Where we come in

We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Third-Country Fee Payer

You must be liable for the increased third-country tuition of EUR 1,500 per semester, which applies to non-EU/EEA nationals including Sri Lankans. Students from Ukraine hold a separate fee waiver and are outside this scheme.

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One of Six Eligible Programmes

Creative Computing, Creative Media Production, Cyber Security and Resilience, Digital Innovation and Research, Citizen-Centered Digital Health and Social Care, or Gamified Reality Applications (GRACE). Students in other USTP programmes are not covered.

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Top 20% by Grade Average

The refund goes to the best 20% of students in each semester within the programme. Where students tie on grade average, the refund amount is distributed among them, so the sum you receive can be smaller than EUR 1,500.

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Paid First, Refunded Later

This is a refund, not a fee reduction. You must be able to pay EUR 1,500 per semester in advance from your own funds and treat any refund as a bonus, not as part of your funding plan.

account_tree Application Process

Apply for admission to an eligible programme

Apply directly to USTP for one of the six named programmes. Check the entry requirements for Sri Lankan A/Ls or a Sri Lankan bachelor's degree and the English language evidence accepted.

Budget for the full third-country fee

Plan to pay EUR 1,500 per semester plus the EUR 26.20 Austrian Students' Union fee. Show these funds for your residence permit application.

Perform in your first semester

The refund is decided on grade average against your cohort, so semester-one performance is what determines whether you qualify.

Apply for the refund between 1 October and 30 November

Submit the refund application in the annual window through your programme administration. Refunds are then processed on a per-semester basis.

Ask about programme-level merit awards

USTP also offers merit-based scholarships through individual study programmes for exceptional academic performance. Contact your programme administration directly for details and criteria.

Why USTP St. Pölten?

USTP is a mid-sized Austrian university of applied sciences about 40 minutes by train from Vienna, focused on digital media, IT security, health and social sciences. Its degrees are project-based and closely tied to Austrian employers, and St. Pölten's living costs are meaningfully lower than Vienna's.

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Eligible Programmes

20%

Cohort Share Refunded

40 min

By Train to Vienna

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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