Medical Scholarships 2027: Funding Options for International Students in Medicine

Medicine is the hardest degree to fund abroad. Undergraduate MBBS/MD tuition for international students runs €20,000–60,000/year in most countries, and genuinely fully funded medical degrees are rare. But the picture is not hopeless: a growing number of universities offer partial scholarships worth €18,000–70,000 total, and one full-ride option in Indonesia is open right now.

Here’s the verified 2027 landscape — including one deadline in 52 days you should act on immediately.

—

Quick Overview

Feature	Details
Full name	Medical Scholarships 2027: funding guide for international students
Funded by	Imperial College London, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), University of Auckland, Humanitas University
Coverage	Partial (€18,000–£15,000/yr) to full (tuition + living)
Levels	Undergraduate medicine (MBBS/MD), graduate-entry, medical PhD
Urgent deadline	UNS Indonesia: September 30, 2026
Best for	Non-EU/non-domestic students targeting UK, Indonesia, NZ, Italy

—

What Does It Cover? (benefits table)

Benefit	Details
Tuition fees	£15,000/yr (Imperial Inspires); IDR full waiver (UNS); up to NZ$70,000 over 5 years (Auckland)
Living allowance	IDR 1.5–2.25 million/month (UNS, degree-level dependent)
Health insurance	Covered (UNS full scholarship)
Language course	Free Indonesian Language Course (UNS)
Renewability	Humanitas: renewable to graduation with 27/30 average; Imperial: per year of course

—

The Top Medical Scholarships for 2027 Entry

1. Imperial Inspires Scholarships — Imperial College London (UK) 🟢 OPEN

• Coverage: £15,000 per year for each year of your course — at least 300 scholarships for autumn 2027 entry across Engineering, Natural Sciences, Medicine, and Imperial Business School

• Deadline: Part of your UCAS application for 2027 entry (apply by the standard UCAS deadline, typically mid-January 2027)

• Eligibility: International students paying the Overseas rate of tuition; full-time undergraduate or selected postgraduate taught courses in eligible faculties

• Official source: imperial.ac.uk

2. UNS Scholarship — Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia 🟡 OPEN NOW

• Coverage: Full scholarship — tuition + institutional fee waiver, free Indonesian language course, health insurance, settlement allowance (IDR 1,000,000), and monthly living allowance: IDR 1,500,000 (Bachelor’s), 1,750,000 (Master’s), 2,250,000 (Doctoral)

• Deadline: Registration 1 July – 30 September 2026 for the August 2027 intake; computer test 14–15 October; final results 12 November 2026

• Eligibility: Non-Indonesian citizens; all study programs, but quotas for the Faculty of Medicine are limited; airfare and visa costs are borne by the student

• Official source: spmb.uns.ac.id

3. University of Auckland MBChB Graduate Entry Scholarship (New Zealand)

• Coverage: Up to NZ$70,000 tuition credit over five years for international graduate-entry MBChB students; up to four awards per year

• Deadline: No application required — awarded by faculty nomination

• Eligibility: International students enrolling in the graduate-entry Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences

• Official source: auckland.ac.nz

4. Humanitas University Scholarships (Italy) — for the 2027/28 cycle

• Coverage: 3 partial scholarships of €18,000/year for non-EU students in the six-year single-cycle Medicine and Surgery (English, LM-41); renewable until graduation with a weighted average ≥27/30 and required credits

• Timeline: For 2026/27, the non-EU entrance exam was held February–March 2026 with scholarships awarded by ranking. For 2027/28, expect the exam window February–March 2027 — check the official page

• Note: Humanitas tuition for non-EU students is ~€23,206/year; the €18,000 scholarship leaves ~€5,206/year uncovered

• Official source: hunimed.eu

5. OWSD PhD Fellowships (Women in STEM) — 🔴 closes Aug 31, 2026

• Coverage: Fully funded PhD in science for women from developing countries — medicine-adjacent sciences eligible

• Deadline: August 31, 2026

• See the Women in STEM guide →

—

Comparison Table

Scholarship	Value	Covers	Deadline	Best for
Imperial Inspires (UK)	£15,000/yr	Tuition support	UCAS Jan 2027	Overseas-fee undergrads, Faculty of Medicine
UNS (Indonesia)	Full + IDR 1.5–2.25M/mo	Tuition + living	Sep 30, 2026	Non-Indonesian students, all levels
Auckland MBChB (NZ)	NZ$70,000 total	Tuition credit	By nomination	Graduate-entry MBChB
Humanitas (Italy)	€18,000/yr ×6	Partial tuition	Exam Feb–Mar 2027	Non-EU medicine applicants, top 10 exam rank
OWSD PhD	Fully funded	Tuition + stipend	Aug 31, 2026	Women in science from developing countries

—

Eligibility (✅/❌ checklist)

✅ You Must:

• Be an international/overseas-fee student (all awards above target non-domestic applicants)

• Meet medical admissions requirements: strong high-school science grades (Imperial, UNS), IMAT/entrance exam (Humanitas), or a prior degree (Auckland graduate entry)

• Meet English requirements (IELTS/TOEFL for UK, NZ; check UNS and Humanitas specifics)

• Apply to the medical program itself — scholarships are tied to admission

❌ Not Eligible If:

• You’re a UK/home-fee student for Imperial Inspires (Overseas rate only)

• You’re an Indonesian citizen for UNS

• You’re an EU citizen for Humanitas non-EU quota (EU quota applies separately)

• You’re outside the top exam ranks for Humanitas (top 10 positions considered)

—

How to Apply: Step by Step

Step 1: Act on the open deadline — UNS Indonesia (by Sep 30, 2026)

Register via UNS’s international admission portal. Administrative screening (Oct 1–7), computer-based test (Oct 14–15), interview (Oct 21–23), results (Nov 12). Medical faculty quota is limited — apply early.

Step 2: Apply to Imperial via UCAS (autumn 2026)

Imperial Inspires is automatic for eligible applicants — no separate scholarship form. Your UCAS application must name Imperial and meet the Faculty of Medicine entry requirements by the January 2027 UCAS deadline.

Step 3: Prepare for Italian entrance exams (winter 2026–27)

For Humanitas and other Italian medical schools, register for the IMAT or the university’s own exam. Humanitas’s non-EU test for 2027/28 should open for registration ~December 2026 with exams February–March 2027.

Step 4: Leverage graduate-entry routes

If you already hold a degree, target graduate-entry MBChB programs (Auckland) and medical PhD tracks — funded PhD positions in medical sciences are far more common than funded MDs.

Step 5: Apply for women-in-science funding

OWSD (closes Aug 31, 2026) funds PhDs in science for women from developing countries. Medical-adjacent research (epidemiology, biomedical sciences) qualifies. More in the Women in STEM guide →

—

Insider Tips

1. Set expectations: full funding for MD is rare

Only UNS in this list is fully funded for an undergraduate medical degree. Everywhere else, plan for partial funding + loans — and let a scholarship dramatically shrink the loan, not eliminate it.

2. The graduate-entry + PhD route is the funding shortcut

Funded medical PhD positions (salary/stipend + tuition) are plentiful at top universities. If your goal is research medicine, skip the MD-scholarship hunt and apply to PhD programs in medical sciences.

3. Imperial Inspires is automatic — but only if you’re eligible

No essay, no separate form. The filter is Overseas fee status + admission to an eligible course. Make sure your UCAS application is complete early; Imperial’s medicine applications are among the most competitive in the UK.

4. Humanitas: rank, not application, decides

The €18,000 scholarships go to candidates ranked in the top 10 of the non-EU entrance exam ranking. Your entire strategy is exam preparation (biology, chemistry, physics, logic) — start 6 months early.

5. Check renewal conditions before committing

Humanitas requires a 27/30 average and minimum credits to renew; Imperial pays per year while you’re enrolled. Budget for the possibility of losing renewal if grades slip.

6. Compare total cost, not just the award

€18,000 off €23,206 tuition still leaves €5,206/year + living costs. NZ$70,000 over 5 years is NZ$14,000/year against international MBChB fees. Run the full cost table before choosing.

—

Frequently Asked Questions

Can international students study medicine for free anywhere?

Rarely. Fully funded undergraduate medicine for internationals is essentially limited to a few country-specific bilateral programs. The realistic strategy is partial funding + PhD-level funding.

Is the UNS Indonesia scholarship fully funded?

Yes — tuition, institutional fees, language course, health insurance, settlement allowance and monthly living allowance. But you pay airfare and visa costs, and medicine has a limited quota.

Do I need to take the IMAT for Humanitas?

Humanitas runs its own admission test for the non-EU quota (also valid for other Italian medical schools). Check the official call for 2027/28 — registration typically opens in December.

Can women get extra medical scholarship support?

Yes. OWSD (closes Aug 31, 2026) funds PhD-level science for women from developing countries, and British Council Women in STEM covers Master’s-level STEM including medical-adjacent fields. See the guide →

When should I start applying for 2027 entry medicine?

Now. UNS closes September 30, 2026; UCAS/Imperial deadlines land January 2027; Italian entrance exams February–March 2027. Preparation should have started months ago — start today.

—

Timeline Table

Date	Action
Aug 31, 2026	OWSD PhD deadline (women in science)
Sep 30, 2026	UNS Indonesia registration closes
Oct–Nov 2026	UNS screening, computer test, interviews
Nov 12, 2026	UNS final results
Dec 2026	Italian medical exam registration opens (Humanitas)
Jan 2027	UCAS deadline (Imperial Inspires 2027 entry)
Feb–Mar 2027	Humanitas non-EU entrance exam
Aug 2027	Courses begin (UNS: Indonesian language course Feb–Jul 2027)

—

Your Action Plan (numbered checklist)

1. ☐ This week: register for UNS Indonesia (closes Sep 30, 2026)

2. ☐ If eligible for OWSD (women, PhD, developing country): submit by Aug 31, 2026

3. ☐ Prepare UCAS application naming Imperial College London (Medicine)

4. ☐ Book IELTS/TOEFL — most medical programs require 6.5–7.5

5. ☐ Start entrance-exam prep if targeting Italian medical schools

6. ☐ Research funded PhD positions in medical sciences as the reliable full-funding route

7. ☐ Build your cost table: tuition − scholarship = what you actually pay, per year

—

Share this with someone dreaming of studying medicine abroad — the UNS deadline is September 30 and full funding waits for no one.