Indonesia sends more students abroad on government scholarships than most people realize. LPDP — the Indonesian government’s own scholarship fund — is one of the largest national scholarship programs in the world by budget, funding thousands of Indonesians to study at top international universities each year. Add to that the external scholarships available through DAAD, Australia Awards, ADB, Erasmus Mundus, and Chevening, and the range of options for Indonesian students is genuinely broad.
The challenge is knowing which programs are accessible, which accept Indonesian academic credentials, and how to position an Indonesian academic background in a way that connects to what international scholarship committees are evaluating.
What Works in Favor of Indonesian Applicants
Indonesia is on the eligible country list for a significant number of major scholarship programs. Australia Awards has a dedicated Indonesia program — one of the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. ADB-Japan Scholarship Program specifically lists Indonesia. DAAD, GKS, MEXT, and CSC are all open to Indonesian citizens.
Indonesian universities increasingly deliver postgraduate programs in English, and graduates from Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Gadjah Mada, and other major institutions often qualify for MOI Certificate in place of IELTS for programs that accept it.
Indonesia’s development context is well-aligned with the mission statements of most development-oriented scholarship programs. The country’s challenges in infrastructure, public health, environmental management, agriculture, and governance are documented and recognized internationally — which makes it straightforward for Indonesian applicants to write development impact statements that connect their proposed degree to a real and recognized national challenge.
Top Scholarships for Indonesian Students 2026
1. LPDP Scholarship — Indonesia Government
LPDP (Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan) is the Indonesian government’s scholarship program, administered by the Ministry of Finance. It is the single most important scholarship program for Indonesian students — funding Master’s and PhD programs at top international universities globally, as well as leading Indonesian institutions.
What it covers: Full tuition at the target university, monthly living allowance, research allowance, travel, health insurance, and family allowance in some cases. The total package is competitive with government scholarships from Germany and Korea.
Eligibility: Indonesian citizens, Bachelor’s degree for Master’s applicants, Master’s degree for PhD applicants, maximum age 35 for Master’s and 40 for PhD. GPA requirements vary by program tier.
How it works: LPDP has a competitive selection process including administrative screening, written exams, and interviews. Indonesia’s best students compete for LPDP seats to study at UK, US, Australian, European, and Asian universities.
How to apply: Go to lpdp.kemenkeu.go.id for the current application cycle. LPDP typically opens applications in two waves per year.
Deadline: Multiple cycles per year — check lpdp.kemenkeu.go.id for current dates.
2. Australia Awards — Indonesia
The Australia Awards Indonesia program is one of the largest bilateral scholarship programs Australia runs globally. Indonesia and Australia have a specific scholarship relationship, and the Indonesia program has one of the largest annual intakes of any single-country Australia Awards program.
What it covers: Full tuition at an Australian university, approximately 26,000 AUD per year living allowance, return airfare, health insurance, pre-course English training if needed.
Eligibility: Indonesian citizens, Bachelor’s degree with strong academic record, minimum 2 years relevant work experience, IELTS 6.5 minimum (no individual band below 6.0), must return to Indonesia for at least 2 years after the scholarship.
Priority sectors: Education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, governance, economic policy, and environment — fields directly aligned with Indonesia’s development priorities under the bilateral partnership with Australia.
How to apply: Through the Australia Awards Indonesia portal at australiaawardsindonesia.org. The program has its own dedicated website and application process separate from Australia Awards in other countries.
Deadline: Typically April–May 2027.
3. DAAD Scholarship — Germany
DAAD funds Indonesian students for Master’s and PhD programs at German universities. Germany and Indonesia have an active academic partnership, and DAAD’s development mission aligns well with Indonesia’s documented challenges in infrastructure, renewable energy, environmental management, and public health.
Indonesian applicants in engineering, environmental science, public health, agriculture, and computer science are competitive for DAAD. The motivation letter needs to connect the proposed study to a specific German research group and a specific Indonesian challenge — not the development of Indonesia in general, but a specific problem with specific data behind it.
MOI Certificate is accepted in place of IELTS for English-medium programs. German public universities charge zero tuition. Monthly stipend 850 euros for Master’s, 1,200 for PhD.
Deadline: November 15, 2026.
4. ADB–Japan Scholarship Program
The Asian Development Bank–Japan Scholarship Program specifically lists Indonesia as an eligible country and funds postgraduate study at ADB-designated institutions across Asia and the Pacific, including several Indonesian universities and Japanese universities.
What it covers: Full tuition, living allowance, travel, health insurance, and a book allowance.
Eligibility: Indonesian citizens, Bachelor’s degree, minimum 2 years professional experience, under 35 years old, must return to Indonesia after the scholarship.
Fields: Economics, management, science, technology, agriculture, and social development — with particular emphasis on programs relevant to regional development.
How to apply: Through ADB-designated partner institutions. The list of eligible institutions and application instructions is at adb.org/site/careers/japan-scholarship-program.
Deadline: February–March 2027 (varies by partner university).
5. Erasmus Mundus
Erasmus Mundus is open to Indonesian students and several consortiums actively recruit from Indonesia — particularly in environmental science, sustainability, development studies, and water management, where Indonesia’s geographic and ecological context makes applicants naturally compelling.
Full tuition at two or three European universities, 1,400 euros per month living allowance, travel costs, health insurance.
No work experience required. IELTS 6.5 for most programs.
Deadline: January–March 2026 (varies by consortium).
6. GKS — South Korea
GKS is open to Indonesian citizens, and Indonesia consistently sends students on GKS each year. The Korean Embassy in Jakarta handles the Embassy Track applications.
Minimum GPA 2.64/4.0. No IELTS — MOI Certificate accepted. No GRE. Full tuition, approximately 700 USD per month, free Korean language training.
Deadline: February–March 2027.
7. Chevening — UK
Indonesia is an eligible Chevening country. The UK government allocates Chevening scholarships to Indonesia each year.
Two years of work experience required. IELTS 6.5. Full tuition at any UK university, monthly stipend, return airfare.
Indonesian applicants in public policy, law, governance, international relations, economics, and development studies are well positioned for Chevening — these are the fields most aligned with what Chevening is funding.
Deadline: November 5, 2026.
8. Swedish Institute Scholarship
Sweden has Indonesia on its SISGP eligible countries list. Indonesian professionals working in sustainability, democracy, human rights, and governance fields are the target applicants.
Monthly living grant approximately 1,050 USD, travel grant, health insurance. Three years of work experience required.
Deadline: February 2027.
LPDP vs External Scholarships — Which Should Indonesian Students Target?
This is the most common question among Indonesian scholarship applicants, and the answer depends on your goals.
LPDP gives you choice over your target university — you can apply to specific programs at specific institutions. The selection process is in Indonesian and managed by an Indonesian institution. The scholarship is funded by Indonesia and has return obligations tied specifically to contributing to Indonesia.
External scholarships like DAAD, Australia Awards, and Chevening involve selection by foreign scholarship bodies and are typically more competitive internationally. They also carry their own prestige — a Chevening or DAAD scholarship is recognized as a competitive international award in a way that is different from LPDP, which is understood primarily within Indonesia.
For most Indonesian students, the practical advice is: apply for LPDP and one or two external scholarships in the same cycle. The document requirements overlap significantly — the SOP, motivation letter, and CV for LPDP can be adapted for DAAD or Australia Awards with targeted adjustments.
MOI Certificate for Indonesian Students
Indonesian graduates from universities that deliver programs in English qualify for MOI Certificate in place of IELTS for DAAD, GKS, MEXT, and CSC. Major Indonesian universities including UI, ITB, and UGM deliver graduate programs in English.
Generate your MOI Certificate text using our Free MOI Certificate Generator and take it to your university registrar’s office for signing and stamping.
Free Tools
- Free SOP Generator
- Free Motivation Letter Generator
- Free CV Builder
- Free MOI Certificate Generator
- Free Reference Letter Generator
- Free IELTS and TOEFL Practice
- Free Research Proposal Generator
FAQ
What is LPDP scholarship?
LPDP is the Indonesian government’s scholarship fund, administered by the Ministry of Finance. It funds Indonesian students for Master’s and PhD programs at top international and Indonesian universities. It is the primary scholarship program for Indonesian students and one of the largest national scholarship programs in the world by budget.
Can Indonesian students apply for DAAD?
Yes. Indonesia is an eligible country for DAAD and MOI Certificate from Indonesian universities is accepted in place of IELTS for English-medium programs.
Can Indonesian students apply for Australia Awards?
Yes — Australia Awards has a dedicated Indonesia program with one of the largest annual intakes in the Asia-Pacific region. Apply through australiaawardsindonesia.org.
Do Indonesian universities qualify for MOI Certificate?
Yes — major Indonesian universities including UI, ITB, UGM, and many others deliver graduate programs in English and qualify for MOI Certificate.