University for Peace (UPEACE) Scholarships

UPEACE runs several categories of scholarship support rather than a single blanket award. Automatic tuition waivers of 30% are available to citizens of countries that are signatories to the UN Agreement establishing the university or that have co-sponsored relevant UN resolutions, as well as to graduates of UPEACE's partner universities and Peace Corps veterans. A 50% automatic waiver applies to partner-university professors, Costa Rican citizens and residents, current UN staff or volunteers, and documented refugees or asylum seekers.

Beyond the automatic categories, UPEACE also offers a limited number of merit-based 30% or 50% tuition waivers to master's applicants who do not qualify under the automatic criteria but demonstrate exceptional academic or professional promise. In addition, the university periodically opens special-purpose scholarships aimed at specific groups, such as returned Peace Corps volunteers, LGBTQI+ activists, human rights defenders, and women pursuing leadership roles, reflecting UPEACE's broader social-justice orientation.

Admission to a UPEACE program is a prerequisite for any scholarship consideration; waivers are applied after acceptance rather than through a separate standalone scholarship application. Applicants should note that scholarships and waivers do not cover the university's fixed administrative fee (approximately USD 2,500), which remains payable regardless of any tuition discount received, and that only one scholarship category can be applied per student per admission cycle.