The LGT University Scholarship is a small, very specific award. It is funded by LGT Private Banking, part of the LGT group owned by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein, and it goes to students who have just been admitted to the first year of the Master of Science in Innovative Finance at the University of Liechtenstein. Only two students receive it each academic year. You can read the full scholarship details on our scholarship page, but this guide is about whether it is worth your time and how to apply properly.
Let me be direct about what this is. It is not a scholarship that will get you to Europe. It is a top-up for someone who has already won a place on one particular finance master's programme. If you are a Pakistani student with a finance, banking or economics background and you are seriously considering this degree, it is worth the effort. If you are hunting for full funding, this is not the award to build your plans around.
The award in one table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding type | Partial funding (merit and need-based) |
| Amount | CHF 1,900 per recipient, awarded once per academic year |
| Number of awards | Two per academic year |
| Level | Master's (first year of the MSc in Innovative Finance) |
| Provider | LGT Private Banking, in cooperation with the University of Liechtenstein |
| Deadline | End of July each year, for the upcoming autumn intake |
| Country | Liechtenstein |
| Official site | University of Liechtenstein scholarships page |
What CHF 1,900 actually does for you
The scholarship is a one-time CHF 1,900 payment per recipient for the academic year. It is not a living stipend and it is not a tuition waiver. Think of it as an offset against your costs.
For context, tuition at the University of Liechtenstein is described as modest by European standards, at around CHF 950-1,250 per semester. So the award can make a real dent in fees. It will not cover rent, food, insurance or travel in a country sitting between Switzerland and Austria, and you should plan your budget as if the scholarship did not exist. If you win it, treat it as a bonus.
The more interesting part is the name attached to it. The award comes as direct sponsorship from LGT, a leading Liechtenstein private bank, and there is potential for networking and visibility within LGT's private banking and finance network. LGT has sponsored master's in finance students at the university for close to a decade. For someone aiming at private banking, wealth management or fintech, a line on your CV saying a private bank chose to sponsor you can matter more than the money. Just do not assume it comes with a job offer. Nothing in the available information says it does.
For a wider view of fees and other funding routes, the university's study costs and funding page is the place to start.
Admission to the MSc in Innovative Finance comes first
This is the part applicants most often get backwards. You cannot apply for the LGT scholarship and then decide on the programme. You must first apply for, and be accepted into, the first year of the MSc in Innovative Finance through the University of Liechtenstein's standard admissions process. Only after that does the scholarship application become relevant.
The programme application deadline varies, so check the uni.li admissions calendar for the current cycle. The practical advice is simple: apply to the programme early. If your admission decision comes late, you leave yourself almost no time before the end-of-July scholarship deadline.
Is a Pakistani student eligible?
Yes. The scholarship is open to applicants of any nationality, with no citizenship or residency restriction stated. It is not limited to Liechtenstein or EU/EEA nationals. Pakistani students admitted to the programme can apply on the same footing as anyone else.
What LGT and the university look for
Selection is not a pure grades contest. The university and LGT jointly weigh academic performance alongside softer factors. Financial need may also count. The stated requirements are:
- Acceptance into the first year of the MSc in Innovative Finance at the University of Liechtenstein
- Excellent academic results in your completed bachelor's degree
- Volunteer work for social or ecological causes, which is viewed favourably
- Strong command of both English and German
- A reliable, high-integrity personal profile with clear motivation for the programme
The German requirement is the one that will trip up most Pakistani applicants. Even where a programme is taught mainly in English, this scholarship lists strong English and German as a criterion. If you have any German at all, document it with a certificate. If you have none, be honest with yourself: you may be at a disadvantage against applicants who do, though the requirement is one factor among several, not the only one.
Volunteering is the other criterion people underplay. Many Pakistani students have done real community work (flood relief, tree plantation drives, teaching in underserved areas, campus welfare societies) and then leave it off because it feels unrelated to finance. Here it is a named evaluation criterion. Put it in, with dates and what you actually did.
The six documents in the scholarship file
The scholarship application itself is short. You will need:
- A scholarship application cover letter
- A letter of recommendation
- A curriculum vitae (CV)
- A passport-style photo
- Proof of your bachelor's degree (transcript or diploma)
- Language certificates and any other relevant training certificates
Most of this will already exist from your programme application, so the real work is the cover letter. Use it to connect your academic record, your volunteering, your language skills and your reasons for studying innovative finance in Liechtenstein. If financial need is part of your situation, say so plainly. Need can influence the final decision, and staying quiet about it helps no one.
Pakistani degrees and transcripts often need attestation before European universities accept them. Our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide covers that process, and it is worth sorting out during your programme application rather than in July.
How the summer timeline runs
The whole scholarship process runs on a compact summer window:
- Apply for and secure admission to the first year of the MSc in Innovative Finance. Timing varies, so check the uni.li admissions calendar.
- Once admitted, send your scholarship application documents by contacting master.finance@uni.li. The deadline is the end of July.
- The University of Liechtenstein carries out an initial screening at the beginning of August.
- LGT makes the final selection and confirms the two recipients by mid-August, ahead of the autumn semester.
Because the window between deadline and decision is only a few weeks, exact dates can shift from year to year. Email master.finance@uni.li early in the admissions cycle to confirm the current year's deadlines rather than relying on "end of July" as a fixed date.
Who should bother, and what to avoid
This award suits a fairly narrow profile: a strong finance or banking graduate who already wants this particular programme, has some volunteering record, and ideally some German. For that person, the competition is small, since only admitted students in one programme are eligible, even though there are only two awards. The application effort is light compared with big national scholarships.
It does not suit someone who needs full funding to travel at all. Your visa and finances will be judged on your own resources, not on a CHF 1,900 award you may or may not win in August. Read our guide on proof of funds for Pakistani students before you assume this scholarship changes your financial picture.
Common mistakes I would warn you about:
- Waiting for the scholarship result before accepting or planning around your admission offer. The decision comes in mid-August, close to semester start.
- Sending a generic cover letter that only talks about grades, when volunteering, integrity, motivation and languages are all assessed.
- Leaving out language certificates, especially any German certificate, however basic.
- Missing the end-of-July deadline because programme admission was delayed.
- Treating the award as full funding in your budget.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the LGT scholarship before I get admission?
No. You must first be accepted into the first year of the MSc in Innovative Finance. The scholarship application comes after admission.
How much is the scholarship worth?
Each of the two recipients receives CHF 1,900, awarded once per academic year. It is partial funding, not a full scholarship.
Is the scholarship open to Pakistani students?
Yes. It is open to admitted students of any nationality, with no citizenship or residency restriction stated.
Do I need to speak German?
Strong command of both English and German is listed as a criterion. It is one factor alongside academic results, volunteering, integrity, motivation and possibly financial need, so weaker German does not automatically rule you out, but it can count against you.
When will I know if I have won?
The university screens applications at the beginning of August, and LGT confirms the two recipients by mid-August, ahead of the autumn semester. Confirm the current year's dates with master.finance@uni.li.
Does the University of Liechtenstein offer other scholarships?
Its International Office mainly lists Erasmus+ mobility grants for currently enrolled students going abroad, plus this LGT award. Otherwise it points prospective students to external scholarship databases in Switzerland, Austria and Germany and to student loan options.
Before you apply, check the official University of Liechtenstein scholarships page for the current cycle, and keep the full LGT University Scholarship details handy as you prepare.