Scholarships and grants
Aarhus University offers a limited number of scholarships to the most talented applicants from outside Europe.
Scholarships can only be awarded to applicants who are liable to pay tuition fees.
Find out more about Aarhus University’s Danish state scholarships, external scholarships and loan programmes and some of the frequently asked questions about funding.
Danish state scholarships for non-EU/EEA students
Aarhus University offers a limited number of Danish state scholarships for non-EU students. Our scholarships are financed by the Danish state. Aarhus University does not have its own scholarship funds, but rely solely on funding from the Danish state for this purpose.
Payment of Scholarships
What does a scholarship include?
The content of a scholarship varies. In some cases, the scholarship is a full or partly tuition waiver. In other cases, the tuition waiver includes a monthly grant towards living expenses, typically but not always for the duration of your Master’s degree programme.
Some faculties only offer tuition waivers. In this case, the faculty may be able to offer other relevant services to its tuition waiver recipients, e.g. assistance in searching for a relevant student job.
Please note that if you are offered a tuition waiver only, it is a requirement for obtaining a student residence permit that you have sufficient funds to be able to support yourself financially during your stay in Denmark. Read more at the website of the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and integration.
See our typical types of scholarships offered below.
Type of scholarship
- Faculty of Arts: Tuition fee waiver + monthly grant towards living expenses
- Aarhus BSS: Tuition fee waiver + monthly grant towards living expenses
- Faculty of Natural Sciences: Tuition fee waiver
- Faculty of Technical Sciences: Tuition fee waiver
How to apply for a Danish state scholarship
When you apply for admission, your application will automatically be assessed with a view to a possible scholarship along with our academic assessment of your qualifications. You should not upload any additional documentation to your application for admission..
The scholarship is connected very specifically to your Master’s degree programme and cannot be transferred to another degree programme at AU.
Selection process
In selecting scholarship recipients among the academically qualified applicants, priority will be given to applicants with excellent academic qualifications.
Due to the limited number of scholarships available, we are not able to able to offer a scholarship to all highly qualified applicants, unfortunately.
Typically, only one or two scholarships are offered on each of our Master’s degree programmes. At some faculties, strategic focus may be placed on selected degree programmes or applicants from specific countries.
If you are selected for a scholarship, you will receive a scholarship offer along with your letter of admission in the application system. If you are not selected for a scholarship, you will receive a tuition fee notification instead.
EU/EEA/Swiss students cannot apply for scholarships at AU.
You may be eligible for The Danish State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU).
External scholarships and loan programmes
A range of external scholarships and loan programmes are available for students liable to pay tuition fees at Aarhus University. Aarhus University is usually not involved in the administration of these programmes.
Global Education Programme – new scholarship scheme for Russian applicants
Russian applicants who are admitted to Aarhus University as Master’s students within selected subject areas may have the possibility of applying for a scholarship with the Russian federal “Global Education Programme” (GEP). More information is available on the GEP website.
Canada student loans and grants
Aarhus University is registered with the Canadian tax authorities and we accept students with Canadian loan schemes accordingly.
Find more information here. Click on International and search for Aarhus University.
US loans for American students
Aarhus University participates in the Direct Loan Program. American students enrolled in a degree-granting programme at Aarhus University are eligible to apply for US Federal loans through the Direct Loan Program. Find more information.
Loan-tuition fee agreement for Mexican students
Mexican applicants admitted to Aarhus University as Master’s students within selected subject areas within the field of humanities may obtain a reduced tuition fee rate at Aarhus University and apply for student loan with the Mexican “Fund for Human Resource Development” (FIDERH). Read more about the loan-tuition fee agreement. Further information is available on the FIDERH website.
Beasiswa Reguler LPDP (Indonesian scholarship scheme)
Indonesian students admitted to Aarhus University as Master’s students in all subject areas can apply to LPDP Regular Scholarship (Beasiswa Reguler LPDP), which covers tuition fees, living costs and supports fees.
If you consider applying LPDP Scholarship to do a PhD at Aarhus University, please contact the individual Graduate School in charge of the programme(s) you are interested in applying to. Your possibilities to secure enough money to finance the PhD you wish to apply for can vary at the different Graduate Schools at Aarhus University (and at Danish Universities in general).
For further information: https://lpdp.kemenkeu.go.id/en/beasiswa/pendaftaran-beasiswa/
Online application portal: https://beasiswalpdp.kemenkeu.go.id
Updated 7 October 2022
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about funding, scholarships, grants and loans when studying at Aarhus University.
Do Aarhus University offer student loans?
Aarhus University does not offer any student loan service.
How do I apply for a scholarship at AU?
When you apply for a Master’s degree programme at Aarhus University, you also apply for a scholarship. No additional documents are required.
Can I be exempted from paying tax in Denmark?
Students from so-called developing countries (as defined by the Danish Tax Council) can be exempted from paying tax in Denmark.
Questions and contacts
Admission to Master’s degree programmes: ma.admission@au.dk
Payment of monthly grants
A Danish state scholarship is usually a combination of a full or partly tuition waiver and a monthly scholarship towards living expenses.
Please be aware that the scholarship may not cover all your living expenses in Denmark, and that you may have to supplement your monthly scholarship with your own savings, a students loan from your home country or a student job. Especially at the beginning of you stay in Denmark, you should expect additional settling-in-costs in terms of paying a deposit for your room, buying some furniture, a bicycle or bus card, etc.
Aarhus University is not able to grant you any further financial assistance.
To receive your monthly scholarship payment, please follow the below instructions after your arrival in Denmark:
Payment to your Easy Account
In order to receive your monthly scholarship on your bank account you must have a so-called Digital Payslip (E-Boks) and a Danish NemKonto account (“Easy Account”). You can learn more about these facilities at the following websites:
Ask your mentor or our International Centre for assistance with regard to applying for a permanent Danish CPR number (social security number).
When you have received your CPR number – which may take a couple of weeks – you must set up an Easy Account with a Danish bank, which may take an additional 2-3 weeks. Please inform AU Salaries Office (lonAA.hr@au.dk) of your Danish CPR number and that you have now set up an Easy Account. Aarhus University is then automatically informed of your Easy Account.
Your Danish tax card
Until you have a Danish tax card, 55 % of your scholarship is automatically deducted as tax, but regulated later when you have received your tax card.
To get a tax card, please contact the Danish Tax Authorities after your arrival in Denmark. Remember to bring your scholarship letter. The tax card is digital and information about your tax rate in Denmark will be transferred to Aarhus University electronically and connected to your CPR number and Easy Account.
Primary and secondary tax card
Residents in Denmark may earn a certain amount of money each year before having to pay tax. As a scholarship recipient, you earn more than what your tax exemption card allows you to, and you will therefore get a primary tax card and a secondary tax card. You must inform Aarhus University Salaries Office whether to use your primary or secondary tax card for the payment of your monthly scholarship. We urge you to read about the difference between primary and secondary tax card here.
If you do not actively inform Aarhus University about your preferred tax card, your monthly scholarship will automatically be connected to your secondary tax card. Please be aware that if you do not have a second income (e.g. a part-time job), this may not be the best solution for you.
Your first monthly payout
We do not expect you have set up a Danish Easy Account before your first scholarship payment is due. Instead, your first scholarship payment will be paid to your international bank account. Aarhus University will contact you well in advance of your first monthly payment and ask you for the banking information needed to make a bank transfer to your specific country.
The first payment cannot be made until the last work day before the first day of your official scholarship period. All other monthly payments will also be made in advance.
You are expected to set up a Danish Easy Account as soon as possible after your arrival in Denmark, and after that, your monthly payment will be transferred to your Easy Account.
Income tax in Denmark
As a rule, all scholarship holders must pay regular Danish income tax. Read about taxation in Denmark.
Scholarship holders from so-called developing countries may be exempted from paying income tax from their scholarship.
The income tax will be deducted before the monthly payout. If you do not have a tax card in Denmark, you must contact a tax centre to obtain one. As long as you do not have a tax card, 55 % per cent of your monthly grant will be withheld as tax, but regulated later when you have received your tax card.
Too much deducted tax will be reimbursed by Aarhus University and transferred to your Easy bank account.
You must renew your tax card for the following year at the end of each year to avoid a 55 % taxation of your scholarship from January the year after.
Read more about taxation when Coming to Denmark to study.
Apply for your tax card and possible tax exemption at your local Tax Centre.
Tax Centres – Contact information
Tax Centre Aarhus (Skattecenter Aarhus)
Lyseng Alle 1, DK – 8270 Højbjerg
For other cities with tax centres in Denmark see this page.
| Office hours (may be subject to change) | |
| Monday | 10:00 – 16:00 |
| Tuesday – Friday | 10:00 – 14:00 |
| Telephone hours (may be subject to change) | |
| Monday | 9.00 – 17.00 |
| Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday | 9.00 – 16.00 |
| Friday | 9.00 – 14.00 |
Tel: (+45) 7222 1818 (press 8 for information in English) – www.skat.dk
You can also contact the Danish tax authorities by email using this contact form.
Notify your salary administrator
Please notify your salary administrator when all the formalities regarding your permanent CPR number, Easy Account and tax card are completed, allowing your salary administrator to acquire your tax information electronically from the tax authorities and transfer your future payments to your Easy Account.
Your monthly scholarship will subsequently be regulated in accordance with your tax card and paid to your Easy account every month in advance.
Find your salary administrator here.
Questions and contact
Please always contact your salary administrator directly by email or telephone with any questions or problems regarding the payment of your scholarship.
Only questions regarding the conditions of your scholarship should be sent to Administrator, Annette Larsen (Ms), Admissions Office, ala@au.dk