The Lithuanian State Scholarship for Master's Studies is a fully funded government award for international students who want to complete a full Master's degree in Lithuania. It is coordinated by the Education Exchanges Support Foundation, which works under Lithuania's Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The package combines a tuition fee grant with a monthly stipend, so a winner does not have to find tuition money on top of living costs.
The catch is simple and it decides everything for a Pakistani applicant: the scholarship is not open to every country. Each year the foundation publishes a list of eligible partner countries, and only citizens of those countries can apply. Before you spend a single evening on a motivation letter, check that year's list. You can read the full scholarship details on our site, but the list itself lives on the official portal.
The short version of this award
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding | Fully funded: tuition fee grant plus a monthly stipend |
| Study level | Full-time, full-degree Master's |
| Deadline | Approximately 20 April each year, for studies beginning that autumn |
| Country | Lithuania |
| Provider | Education Exchanges Support Foundation / Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of Lithuania |
| Official site | Study in Lithuania scholarships |
Why the eligible-country list comes before everything else
Most scholarship guides start with grades and documents. This one has to start with your passport. The eligible-country list rotates every year and is not universal. It typically favours a mix of Eastern European, Central Asian and East/Southeast Asian partner countries, with occasional additions elsewhere. Pakistan is not named as a regular member of that list in the information available to us, so do not assume you qualify. Check the current year's roster published by the Education Exchanges Support Foundation and Study in Lithuania, and if it is unclear, contact them directly about eligibility for your nationality.
Even when a country is on the list, places are limited. Recent cycles have allocated up to around ten grants per country, and a portion of those is reserved for applicants of Lithuanian heritage from outside the EU/EFTA. So you are not competing against the whole world. You are competing against other applicants from your own country for a handful of slots, and that can be just as tough.
My honest view: if your country is on the list and you already like a Lithuanian programme, this is a strong option worth a serious application. If your country is not on the list, move on to other awards rather than hoping for an exception. Our scholarships guide for Pakistani students is a better use of your time in that case.
What the tuition grant and the Basic Social Amount stipend cover
The financial side has two parts. First, a tuition fee grant covering the cost of studies at your Lithuanian host institution. Second, a monthly stipend calculated as a multiple of Lithuania's Basic Social Amount. At recent rates that works out to approximately EUR 592 per month. Because it is tied to the Basic Social Amount, the figure adjusts each year, so treat EUR 592 as a guide rather than a promise for your intake.
The rest of the package, as described:
- Full tuition fee grant for your studies at the host institution
- Monthly stipend linked to the Basic Social Amount
- No fee charged for the scholarship application itself
- Access to Lithuanian public healthcare during the scholarship period
Is EUR 592 enough? Lithuania's cost of living is among the lower ones in the EU, and the stipend is expected to cover a large share of your expenses. A large share is not all of them. Plan for a small cushion of your own savings for arrival costs, deposits and the first weeks before payments settle into a routine. That cushion will also matter at the visa stage, so read up on proof of funds for study abroad before you get there.
Where you can study and what you can study
The scholarship funds full-time Master's study at Lithuanian public and private higher education institutions. Its purpose is to bring talented international students into Lithuania's growing range of English-taught Master's programmes. These span engineering, business, IT and the sciences, and the award is listed as open to all fields. Universities named in the scholarship information include Vilnius University, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and Vytautas Magnus University (VMU).
Vilnius and Kaunas are compact, safe university cities with active international student communities. The degree you earn is an EU-recognised Master's, which you can use for further study or employment across the European Union. For a student who wants a European degree without Western European prices, that combination is the real appeal.
One thing to keep straight: this track funds Master's study only. There is a separate short-term studies track, and short-term study and research tracks have their own rules and country lists. If you want a Bachelor's or a PhD, this is not your scholarship.
The eligibility conditions in plain terms
There are five conditions, and none of them is complicated:
- You hold citizenship of a country on the current year's published eligible-country list.
- You have completed a Bachelor's degree relevant to the Master's programme you want.
- You meet the admission requirements of the specific Lithuanian institution and programme.
- You are not already enrolled at a Lithuanian higher education institution on another status.
- You fall within the country quota for that year (typically up to around 10 scholarships per country).
Notice what is missing. No fixed GPA cut-off or language score is set by the scholarship itself. Those come from the university's admission requirements, which differ by programme. So the real academic bar is whatever your chosen Master's programme asks for, and you need to read that programme's page carefully.
Paperwork for the foundation's online application
The document list is short:
- Completed online application through the Education Exchanges Support Foundation portal
- Copy of your passport
- Bachelor's degree certificate and transcript, translated and notarised as required
- Motivation letter
- CV
- Proof of admission, or of your admission application, to the chosen Lithuanian institution and programme
The transcript is the item that trips people up. Certified translations and any notarisation take time, and Pakistani degree documents often need attestation before they are accepted abroad. Start early. Our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide explains that part of the process.
The motivation letter carries a lot of weight because the document set is otherwise thin. Explain why this programme, why Lithuania, and what your Bachelor's prepared you for. Generic letters that could be sent to any country read badly when the selection is happening inside a small country quota.
Running the university and scholarship applications side by side
This is the part applicants most often get wrong. The scholarship asks for proof of admission or an admission application, which means you cannot wait to hear about funding before applying to a programme. Both have to move together.
- Confirm your country is on the current year's eligible-country list for the Master's track.
- Pick a Master's programme at a Lithuanian institution (Vilnius University, KTU, VMU and others) and apply for admission.
- Submit the scholarship application through the Education Exchanges Support Foundation's online system before the April deadline.
- Applications are reviewed against the country quota and academic merit.
- Successful applicants receive an award confirmation and complete university enrolment.
- Apply for a Lithuanian (Schengen) student visa or residence permit using the scholarship award letter.
How the April deadline shapes your year
The cycle runs roughly like this. The call opens in winter. The application deadline is approximately 20 April. Selection results come out in late spring or early summer, and studies begin in September or October.
The word "approximately" matters. The exact date can shift from year to year, so confirm the exact deadline on the official portal for your intake rather than relying on 20 April. Because country quotas are small, often around 10 places, apply as early in the cycle as you can rather than in the final week. Realistically, your transcript translations and programme application should be in motion by the time the call opens in winter.
After results, the visa stage follows quickly before a September/October start. If you want to avoid the usual problems there, read about common student visa rejection reasons well before your appointment.
Mistakes that cost applicants a place
- Assuming last year's country list still applies. It changes annually.
- Treating the scholarship and admission as one step. They are separate applications, and admission proof is required.
- Leaving certified translations of transcripts until April.
- Applying for a Bachelor's or PhD through the Master's track.
- Budgeting as if the stipend figure is fixed. It adjusts each year with the Basic Social Amount.
If anything about your country's status is uncertain, write to Study in Lithuania or the Education Exchanges Support Foundation directly. A clear answer from them beats any guess.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani students apply for the Lithuanian State Scholarship?
Only if Pakistan appears on that year's published eligible-country list. The list rotates annually and is not universal, so check the current call on the official portal or ask the Education Exchanges Support Foundation about your nationality.
How much is the monthly stipend?
Roughly EUR 592 per month at recent Basic Social Amount rates, plus a full tuition fee grant. The amount is adjusted annually.
Does the scholarship fund Bachelor's or PhD study?
No. The main state scholarship track funds full-time Master's degree study. Short-term study and research tracks exist but have separate rules.
Do I need university admission before I apply?
You need proof of admission or proof that you have applied for admission to a Lithuanian Master's programme. Apply to the programme in parallel with the scholarship.
How many scholarships are given per country?
The number is limited each year. Recent cycles allocated up to around ten grants per country, with a portion reserved for applicants of Lithuanian heritage from outside the EU/EFTA.
For the current eligible-country list and exact dates, go to the official Study in Lithuania scholarships page, and keep our Lithuanian State Scholarship page handy for a quick summary.