The GRE is one of the most significant barriers between international students and US-based graduate programs. It costs over $200 to sit, requires months of dedicated preparation, and — outside the United States — carries very little weight in scholarship selection beyond a handful of American programs.
The good news: the majority of the world’s best fully funded scholarship programs do not require GRE.
DAAD does not require GRE. Erasmus Mundus does not require GRE. GKS Korea does not require GRE. CSC China does not require GRE. Chevening does not require GRE. Commonwealth does not require GRE. Turkiye Burslari does not require GRE. MEXT Japan does not require GRE.
This guide covers every major fully funded scholarship available to international students in 2026 that does not require a GRE score — with exact eligibility, deadlines, and application tips.
Which Scholarships Actually Require GRE?
Before covering the no-GRE scholarships, it is worth clarifying which programs do require GRE — so you know exactly what you are avoiding.
GRE Required:
- Most US university PhD programs (though many waived GRE during and after COVID — check current requirements)
- Fulbright (GRE may be required by the placed university — not by Fulbright itself)
- Some US-based private foundation scholarships
GRE Not Required: Every other major government scholarship program in this guide — DAAD, Chevening, Commonwealth, Erasmus Mundus, GKS, CSC, MEXT, Turkiye Burslari, Australia Awards, Gates Cambridge, Vanier CGS, and all European university programs.
Top Fully Funded Scholarships Without GRE in 2026
1. DAAD Scholarship — Germany 🇩🇪
The DAAD Scholarship funds Master’s and PhD programs at German universities — and does not require GRE at any level. German universities evaluate international applicants on academic transcripts, a motivation letter, and English or German language proficiency.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition (German public universities are tuition-free)
- Monthly stipend €850 (Master’s) / €1,200 (PhD)
- Health, accident, and liability insurance
- Round-trip travel allowance
Eligibility:
- Bachelor’s degree minimum GPA approximately 3.0/4.0
- IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 80 (or MOI Certificate for English-medium graduates) ✅
- Motivation letter naming a specific German professor
- No GRE required ✅
Deadline: November 15, 2026
👉 Free Motivation Letter Generator — DAAD-specific letter 👉 Free MOI Certificate Generator — Replace IELTS too 👉 Read our DAAD Scholarship 2026 Complete Guide
2. Erasmus Mundus — European Union 🇪🇺
Erasmus Mundus funds joint Master’s programs across 2–3 European universities — and requires no GRE whatsoever. Over 200 programs are available across all academic fields, and all evaluations are based on academic transcripts, a motivation letter, references, and language proficiency.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition at all partner universities
- Monthly living allowance €1,400
- Travel and installation allowance €1,000
- Health insurance and visa costs
Eligibility:
- Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field
- IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90 for most programs (some accept MOI Certificate) ✅
- No GRE required ✅
- Mobility requirement — must not have lived in the coordinating country for more than 12 months in the past 3 years
Deadline: January–March 2026 (varies by consortium)
👉 Free Motivation Letter Generator — Erasmus-specific letter 👉 Read our Erasmus Mundus Scholarships 2026 Guide
3. Chevening Scholarship — UK 🇬🇧
The UK government’s Chevening Scholarship funds one-year Master’s programs at any UK university — and does not require GRE. The UK university admission system is entirely independent of GRE, and Chevening’s selection criteria (leadership, networking, career plans, academic record) have no GRE component.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition at any UK university
- Monthly living stipend £1,236
- Return economy airfare
- Visa fee reimbursement
Eligibility:
- Bachelor’s degree equivalent to UK 2:1
- Minimum 2 years full-time work experience
- IELTS 6.5 minimum (not GRE)
- No GRE required ✅
Deadline: November 5, 2026
👉 Read our Chevening Scholarship 2026 Complete Guide
4. Commonwealth Scholarship — UK 🇬🇧
The Commonwealth Scholarship funds Master’s and PhD programs at UK universities for citizens of Commonwealth developing countries. No GRE is required — the application is evaluated on academic record, development impact statement, and references.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition at a UK university
- Monthly living allowance approximately £1,347
- Return airfare
- Study travel grant
Eligibility:
- Commonwealth country citizen
- Bachelor’s degree equivalent to UK 2:1
- No GRE required ✅
- Development impact plan required
Deadline: October–November 2026
👉 Read our Commonwealth Scholarship 2026 Complete Guide
5. GKS Korea — South Korea 🇰🇷
The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is one of the most GRE-friendly — and IELTS-friendly — fully funded scholarships available. South Korea’s scholarship selection is based entirely on academic transcripts, language proficiency documents, reference letters, and study plans. No GRE required.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition waiver
- Monthly stipend KRW 900,000–1,000,000 (approximately $680–$750 USD)
- Korean language training (1 year, free)
- Round-trip airfare
Eligibility:
- Bachelor’s degree with minimum GPA 2.64/4.0
- No IELTS required — MOI Certificate accepted ✅
- No GRE required ✅
- Under 40 years old
Deadline: February–March 2027 (Embassy Track)
👉 Free MOI Certificate Generator — For GKS without IELTS 👉 Read our GKS Korea Scholarship 2026 Guide
6. CSC China Scholarship 🇨🇳
The Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) covers over 300 Chinese universities and funds Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programs — with no GRE requirement at any level.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition
- Free on-campus accommodation (or accommodation allowance)
- Monthly stipend CNY 3,000 (approximately $415 USD)
- Medical insurance
Eligibility:
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant field
- No universal minimum GPA
- No IELTS required for English programs — MOI Certificate accepted ✅
- No GRE required ✅
- Under 35 years old (Master’s)
Deadline: February–May 2027 (varies by university)
👉 Free SOP Generator — CSC study plan 👉 Read our CSC China Scholarship 2026 Guide
7. Turkiye Burslari — Turkey 🇹🇷
Turkiye Burslari requires no GRE and no IELTS — making it one of the most accessible fully funded scholarships for students from South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition
- Monthly stipend (approximately $350–$500 USD)
- Free dormitory accommodation
- Turkish language course (1 year, free)
- Health insurance
- Round-trip annual airfare
Eligibility:
- Minimum 75% in undergraduate degree
- Under 30 years old for Master’s
- No GRE required ✅
- No IELTS required ✅ — language assessed at interview
Deadline: January–February 2027
👉 Free Motivation Letter Generator — Turkey-specific letter 👉 Read our Turkiye Burslari 2026 Complete Guide
8. MEXT Scholarship — Japan 🇯🇵
MEXT Japan requires neither GRE nor IELTS. The Embassy Track assessment consists of written examinations administered at the Japanese Embassy in your home country — entirely independent of GRE.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition waiver
- Monthly stipend ¥143,000 (approximately $950 USD)
- Round-trip airfare
- Japanese language training (where needed)
Eligibility:
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant field
- Under 35 years old
- No IELTS required ✅ — Embassy exam instead
- No GRE required ✅
Deadline: May–June 2027 (Embassy Track)
👉 Free Research Proposal Generator — MEXT research plan 👉 Read our MEXT Japan Scholarship 2026 Guide
9. Australia Awards 🇦🇺
Australia Awards does not require GRE. Australian universities use IELTS scores and academic transcripts as the primary language and academic screening tools — GRE has no role in Australian university admissions.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition at an Australian university
- Living allowance approximately AUD $26,000/year
- Return airfare
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
Eligibility:
- Citizens of eligible Indo-Pacific and African countries
- 2–3 years relevant work experience
- IELTS 6.5 minimum (MOI Certificate accepted by some programs) ✅
- No GRE required ✅
Deadline: April–May 2027
👉 Read our Australia Awards Scholarship 2026 Guide
10. Gates Cambridge — UK 🇬🇧
Gates Cambridge does not require GRE — but it does require the highest IELTS score (7.5) of any scholarship on this list, and Cambridge’s own admission requirements do not include GRE.
What’s Covered:
- Full Cambridge tuition
- Living allowance £21,756 per year
- Return airfare
- Academic development funding
Eligibility:
- Non-UK citizen applying for Cambridge PhD, MPhil, or one-year postgraduate degree
- Outstanding academic record — top 5–10% of graduating class
- IELTS 7.5 minimum (not GRE)
- No GRE required ✅
Deadline: December 4, 2026 (Round 2)
👉 Read our Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2026 Guide
11. Stipendium Hungaricum — Hungary 🇭🇺
Stipendium Hungaricum is one of Europe’s most accessible fully funded scholarships — with a low minimum IELTS requirement (5.5), no GRE, and a broad range of programs at Hungarian universities.
What’s Covered:
- Full tuition
- Monthly stipend HUF 43,700 (approximately $120 USD) — lower than other programs but tuition-free
- Student accommodation provided
Eligibility:
- Citizens of eligible partner countries (check stipendiumhungaricum.hu)
- IELTS 5.5 for English-taught programs (or MOI Certificate) ✅
- No GRE required ✅
- Under 35 years old for Master’s
Deadline: January–February 2027 (varies by country)
Quick Comparison — All No-GRE Scholarships
| Scholarship | Country | GRE? | IELTS? | MOI OK? | Min GPA | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAAD | Germany | ❌ No | 6.0 | ✅ Yes | ~3.0 | Nov 15, 2026 |
| Erasmus Mundus | EU | ❌ No | 6.5 | Some ✅ | ~3.0 | Jan–Mar 2026 |
| Chevening | UK | ❌ No | 6.5 | ❌ No | ~3.2 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Commonwealth | UK | ❌ No | 6.5 | ❌ No | ~3.0 | Oct–Nov 2026 |
| GKS Korea | South Korea | ❌ No | No | ✅ Yes | 2.64 | Feb–Mar 2027 |
| CSC China | China | ❌ No | No | ✅ Yes | ~3.0 | Feb–May 2027 |
| Turkiye Burslari | Turkey | ❌ No | No | ✅ N/A | 75% | Jan–Feb 2027 |
| MEXT Japan | Japan | ❌ No | No | ✅ Yes | ~2.8 | May–Jun 2027 |
| Australia Awards | Australia | ❌ No | 6.5 | Some ✅ | ~3.0 | Apr–May 2027 |
| Gates Cambridge | UK | ❌ No | 7.5 | ❌ No | Top 5% | Dec 4, 2026 |
| Stipendium Hungaricum | Hungary | ❌ No | 5.5 | ✅ Yes | — | Jan–Feb 2027 |
Do Any Top Scholarships Require GRE?
The short answer is: very few — and the ones that do are primarily US-based.
Fulbright: Fulbright itself does not require GRE. However, the US universities where Fulbright scholars are placed may require GRE as part of their graduate admissions process. This varies by field and university.
US university PhD programs: Many US universities have made GRE optional since 2020. Check the specific program’s current requirements — do not assume GRE is required.
If you are specifically targeting US programs, check whether GRE is still required by your target department. Many have dropped the requirement permanently.
Tips for No-GRE Scholarship Applications
Focus your energy on your motivation letter and SOP. Without GRE to differentiate applicants, scholarship committees rely more heavily on your written documents. A specific, well-researched motivation letter that names a professor, connects your background to the program, and articulates a concrete return plan is the most important document in most no-GRE applications.
Use MOI Certificate to also skip IELTS (where possible). For DAAD, GKS, MEXT, CSC, and Stipendium Hungaricum — you can avoid both GRE and IELTS if your previous degree was English-medium.
📋 Use our Free MOI Certificate Generator to prepare yours today.
Apply to multiple no-GRE programs simultaneously. The same core application package — SOP, CV, references, transcripts, motivation letter — can be adapted for DAAD, Erasmus, GKS, and Turkiye Burslari with relatively small modifications to each motivation letter. The efficiency of applying to multiple no-GRE programs simultaneously is significant.
Free Tools for Your No-GRE Scholarship Application
- 📄 Free SOP Generator — For any scholarship
- 💌 Free Motivation Letter Generator — DAAD, Erasmus, Turkiye Burslari
- 📑 Free CV Builder — Academic CV
- 📋 Free MOI Certificate Generator — Skip both GRE and IELTS where possible
- 📜 Free Reference Letter Generator — Academic references
- 📖 Free IELTS & TOEFL Practice — For scholarships requiring English tests
- 🔬 Free Research Proposal Generator — For PhD applications
FAQ — Scholarships Without GRE 2026
Q: Which is the best fully funded scholarship without GRE?
For most international students: DAAD (Germany) for research-focused applicants, Erasmus Mundus (EU) for multi-country exposure, GKS (Korea) for accessible GPA requirements, and Turkiye Burslari for students who also want to avoid IELTS.
Q: Do UK scholarships require GRE?
No — Chevening, Commonwealth, and Gates Cambridge all do not require GRE. UK university admissions are based on academic transcripts, personal statements, and references — not standardized tests like GRE or GMAT.
Q: Does Germany require GRE?
No German university or scholarship program requires GRE. German universities evaluate international applicants on academic transcripts and language proficiency only.
Q: Can I get a US scholarship without GRE?
Fulbright itself does not require GRE — but the placed US university may. Many US programs dropped GRE requirements from 2020 onwards. Check your specific target department.
Q: Which scholarship requires neither GRE nor IELTS?
GKS Korea (MOI Certificate accepted), MEXT Japan (Embassy exam instead), Turkiye Burslari (no language test required), and CSC China (MOI Certificate accepted) all require neither GRE nor IELTS.
Q: Is the GRE still worth sitting for international scholarships?
For scholarship applications outside the US, no — GRE carries no weight and is not required. If you are targeting US graduate programs alongside international scholarships, check whether GRE is currently required by your specific US departments before sitting it.
Also Read
- Scholarships Without IELTS 2026 — Full list of IELTS-free options
- IELTS Score Requirements for Scholarships — Exact scores for every major program
- Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships 2026
- DAAD Scholarship 2026
- Browse All Scholarships