Scholarships for Indonesian Students: The Complete List Worth Applying For

Indonesian students have real scholarship options abroad — but most only ever hear about the same one or two. This guide widens the list: government-funded full scholarships, university merit awards, and the ASEAN-specific advantages Indonesians often don't know they have.

Fully funded government scholarships

The biggest awards are funded by destination governments, and all of them accept Indonesian applicants:

• MEXT Scholarship (Japan) — tuition, examination fees, round-trip airfare and a monthly stipend of roughly ¥117,000, plus a one-year Japanese language course before the degree. Indonesian applicants apply through the Japanese embassy in Jakarta.
• Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) — Undergraduate — full tuition, a monthly allowance of roughly ₩1,000,000–1,500,000, round-trip airfare, one year of Korean language training, a settlement allowance and medical insurance. Indonesia has one of the largest GKS embassy quotas in Southeast Asia.
• KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (Korea) — 100% tuition plus roughly ₩1,000,000/month for four semesters, for top applicants with strong maths and science results
• Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) — a fully funded postgraduate award (tuition, monthly allowance, accommodation) for international students at Malaysian public universities, prioritising science, engineering and technology
• Thailand International Postgraduate Programme (TIPP) — Thai government full scholarship (tuition, allowance, accommodation, airfare, insurance) for students from developing countries in development-related fields

University merit awards that are easier to win

• Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) — tuition reduction of 30–100% based on entry results, awarded to roughly 80% of entering international students; APU is also one of the most Indonesia-friendly campuses in Japan
• SUSTech Undergraduate Scholarship (China) — a full-ride award for top applicants with very strong maths and science results
• Wenzhou-Kean University International Scholarship — tuition awards at an English-medium, US-style campus in China
• Ewha Global Partnership Program (EGPP, Korea) — a fully funded bachelor's award for women from partner developing countries

What committees look for in Indonesian applicants

• Translate your results clearly — report SMA/senior grades on a 0–100 scale and add your class rank; international assessors understand percentages better than local categories
• Prove your English — an IELTS/TOEFL score or strong English-medium schooling history removes the biggest doubt in overseas applications
• Use what's around you — OSN (science olympiad) results, Paskibraka, scouting, mosque/church community leadership — anything with scale and evidence counts
• Start language prep early — MEXT and GKS both include a full year of language training, which means you can apply without speaking Japanese or Korean today

A realistic timeline

1. SMA year 10–11: build your co-curricular record; start IELTS prep
2. SMA year 12 (before graduation): embassy-track windows for MEXT and GKS typically open once a year — prepare documents (transcripts, birth certificate, passport, recommendation letters) in advance
3. After graduation: submit applications with certified transcripts and references; follow up with university-track awards (KAIST, APU) which admit on their own calendars

Your next step

• Filter ScholarPath by country and degree level, and save the awards that fit — deadline reminders will tell you before each window closes
• Take our free assessment — send your grades and target countries, and we'll tell you which scholarships you realistically qualify for

Fully funded scholarships for Indonesian students exist in the hundreds — the winners are simply the ones who applied.