Scholarships in King Carl XVI Gustaf’s name strengthen opportunities for international students
Uppsala University extends and changes the focus of the King Carl Gustaf Scholarship in connection with the King’s 80th birthday Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt, Uppsala University.
In connection with King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrating his 80th birthday in 2026, Uppsala University is celebrating a long-standing tradition of supporting international students through a development of the King Carl Gustaf Scholarship.
Uppsala University has decided to award the King Carl Gustaf Scholarship to up to 50 fee-paying students over a five-year period from the 2027 autumn semester. The initiative targets specifically qualified students, with preference given to students from countries marred by political unrest or natural disasters.
Through the Scholarship, the University aims to give more students the opportunity to complete their higher education despite difficult circumstances in their home countries.
Building on a well-established initiative
The Scholarship originated with an initiative in 2016 in connection with the King’s 70th birthday. During the first ten-year period, scholarships were offered to 40 students, although not all of these students were able to accept them – often due to difficulties in obtaining a residence permit or financing their living expenses while studying.
Experience also shows that financial support can be crucial for students to be able to complete their studies. The Scholarship will therefore target qualified students who are already in place and studying at the University but who – due to conflict, natural disaster or some other serious problem in their home country – find it diffcult to continue their studies.
Similar programmes with partial scholarships at the University have been successful with a large proportion of the student recipients being awarded a degree.
Financial support that makes a difference
Each Scholarship amounts to SEK 40,000 per student and academic year, and covers part of the tuition fee for the study programme the student is admitted to. The scholarships will be financed with funds from the Gustavian Foundation.
Scholarship recipients will be selected by a special assessment team with representatives from the University’s international activities and the Student Affairs and Academic Registry Division, as well as researchers with knowledge about conflicts or natural disasters.
Anders Berndt