Studying abroad is expensive, and Brazilian students researching scholarships online will run into a lot of outdated advice — including programs that stopped accepting applications years ago. This guide covers the scholarship options that are genuinely available to Brazilian students in 2026, what each one actually funds, and one large program you'll still see mentioned everywhere that is no longer active.
Quick Reference: What's Actually Open
| Scholarship | Destination | Status in 2026 | Funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulbright Brazil | USA | Open, annual cycle | Full or partial, depending on award |
| Chevening | UK | Open, annual cycle | Full — tuition, stipend, airfare |
| DAAD | Germany | Open, rolling by program | Full or partial, plus monthly stipend |
| Erasmus Mundus (Joint Master's) | EU | Open, annual cycle | Full — tuition, stipend, travel, insurance |
| Australia Awards | Australia | Generally not open to Brazil | — |
| Science Without Borders (Ciência sem Fronteiras) | Multiple | Ended (2011–2017); do not apply | N/A — historical only |
| University-specific scholarships | Varies | Open, check individually | Partial, most commonly |
Fulbright Commission Brazil
Fulbright is the most prominent US government-funded scholarship for Brazilian students and is administered locally by the Fulbright Commission in Brazil (fulbright.org.br).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Level | Graduate study/research, mid-career professional programs, and specialized awards |
| Eligibility | Completed a university degree requiring at least 4 years of full-time study; dual Brazilian/US citizens are not eligible |
| Some tracks require | 5+ years of professional experience for mid-career programs |
| Application | Online through fulbright.org.br |
| Deadline | Annual cycle, typically closing mid-year for programs starting the following academic year — confirm exact date on the Fulbright Brazil site each cycle |
Fulbright funds vary by award category but commonly cover tuition, a living stipend, health insurance, and travel. Because award categories and deadlines shift year to year, always check the current call for applications (Edital) on fulbright.org.br before assuming a deadline.
Chevening Scholarship (UK)
Chevening is the UK government's flagship global scholarship program, and Brazil is an eligible country.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Level | One-year master's degree only |
| Covers | Tuition, monthly living stipend, return airfare to the UK |
| Work experience required | Minimum 2 years (roughly 2,800 hours) after your undergraduate degree |
| English requirement | IELTS UKVI Academic 6.5 overall (no band below 5.5) is a commonly cited benchmark — confirm the current requirement each cycle |
| Return commitment | Must return to Brazil (or another home country) for at least 2 years after the award ends |
| Deadline | Typically opens mid-year and closes around November for the following year's intake |
Chevening has no upper age limit and places no restriction on your field of study, making it one of the most flexible fully funded awards available to Brazilians.
DAAD Scholarships (Germany)
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) maintains a dedicated office in São Paulo — the only DAAD office in South America — specifically to support Brazilian applicants.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Level | Master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs |
| Monthly stipend | Roughly €850–1,200/month depending on academic level (confirm current rate for your program) |
| Language | Many programs are taught in English; some require German proficiency |
| Application | Through daad.de, with in-person guidance available via the São Paulo office |
| Deadline | Varies by specific program — DAAD runs dozens of individual scholarship lines, each with its own cycle |
DAAD is one of the more accessible fully funded routes for Brazilian STEM and engineering students specifically, given Germany's strong technical university system and low or no tuition fees at public universities even outside the scholarship.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degrees (EU)
Erasmus Mundus funds Brazilian students to complete joint master's degrees taught across two or more European universities.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Level | Master's (joint degree across 2+ EU countries) |
| Covers | Full tuition, monthly living allowance, round-trip travel, insurance for the full program |
| Monthly allowance | Roughly €1,000–2,500/month depending on program length and mobility structure |
| Fields | Wide range, with historically strong representation in engineering, technology, and education |
| Application | Directly through each joint program's consortium website — not a single central portal |
| Deadline | Varies by program, typically Q4 or Q1 for the following academic year's intake |
Because Erasmus Mundus is really a collection of hundreds of individual joint-degree programs rather than one scholarship, your best approach is to shortlist 3–5 specific joint master's programs in your field and apply to each directly.
Australia Awards — Important Caveat
Australia Awards Scholarships are heavily promoted online, but they are targeted at students from the Indo-Pacific region, South and Southeast Asia, and parts of the Middle East and Africa — Brazil is not typically among the eligible countries for the main Australia Awards Scholarships program. The Australian Embassy in Brazil does periodically run smaller-scale alumni grants, fellowships, or short-course awards. If you're set on Australia, check directly with the Australian Embassy in Brasília or dfat.gov.au for what is currently open to Brazilian applicants, rather than assuming the flagship Awards apply to you.
Science Without Borders (Ciência sem Fronteiras) — Historical Program Only
You will see "Ciência sem Fronteiras" referenced constantly in older articles and forums about scholarships for Brazilian students. It is not currently active and has not accepted new applications since it wound down between 2015 and 2017.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Ran | Roughly 2011–2017 |
| Funded by | Brazilian federal government (CNPq and CAPES) |
| Scale | Nearly 100,000 scholarships awarded for study abroad at its peak |
| Current status | Ended. The program was effectively suspended in late 2015 and formally discontinued afterward due to budget constraints |
If you encounter a website, agent, or "consultant" claiming to help you apply for Ciência sem Fronteiras today, treat it as a red flag — it is not a currently operating scholarship program.
University-Specific Scholarships
Beyond national and EU-wide programs, individual universities in every major destination offer their own scholarships to international students, including Brazilians:
| Type | Typical Value | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| Merit-based entrance scholarships | 10–50% tuition reduction | University's international admissions page |
| Country/region-specific awards | Varies, sometimes full tuition | Search "[university name] + Brazil scholarship" |
| Graduate/teaching assistantships | Tuition waiver + stipend | Department pages, especially for master's/PhD in STEM |
| Need-based bursaries | Partial, varies | University financial aid office |
Because these are set independently by each institution, the most reliable approach is to check the international student or financial aid page of every university you're applying to — don't rely solely on third-party scholarship-listing sites, which are frequently out of date.
Building a Realistic Scholarship Strategy
- Apply to more than one program. Fully funded scholarships like Chevening and Fulbright are highly competitive; treat them as a bonus on top of, not a substitute for, a realistic funding plan.
- Check deadlines a full year ahead. Most of these scholarships require you to apply roughly 12 months before your intended start date.
- Strong English scores matter even for non-English-speaking destinations' English-taught programs. Chevening, DAAD's English-taught tracks, and most Erasmus Mundus programs require IELTS or TOEFL scores as part of the application.
- Verify every program's status before investing time. Government scholarship programs change year to year — always confirm current eligibility and deadlines on the official site rather than a blog post (including this one, over time).
Prepare for IELTS or TOEFL with Gabble — a strong English score is a prerequisite for nearly every scholarship on this list, from Chevening to Erasmus Mundus. Gabble's AI-powered practice gives Brazilian students detailed, instant feedback on Speaking and Writing so you can submit your scholarship application with a competitive score.