Scholarships

Fully Funded Scholarships in Malaysia

Malaysia hosts 7 fully funded scholarships for international students — a full ride, full tuition, or a complete tuition waiver. 4 pay for everything and 3 waive tuition entirely, spanning PhD (6), Master's (4), and Bachelor's (2). Among the listed awards: Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) 2026, PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme 2026, and IsDB Scholarship Programme. Most deadlines fall in March, and 6 run on a rolling or annual basis with no single fixed date.

Scholarships listed
7
Full-ride awards
4
Degree levels covered
3
Next deadlines
March

What full funding is worth in Malaysia

Median listed international tuition by degree — this is the bill a fully funded award in Malaysia is covering.

Bachelor's
US$13,360/yr
Master's
US$15,534/yr
PhD
US$12,752/yr

Source: Global Admissions programme catalogue, 2026-09-01.

At a glance

AwardCoversDegreesFunder typeNext deadlineDestination
Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) 2026Full RideMaster's, PhDGovernmentMarchMalaysia
PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme 2026Full RideMaster's, PhDGovernmentRollingMalaysia
PETRONAS Education Sponsorship Programme (PESP)Full RideBachelor'sPrivateRollingMalaysia
IsDB Scholarship ProgrammeFull Ridediploma, bachelor, master, phdGovernmentRollingMalaysia
USM Graduate ScholarshipTuition waiverPhDUniversityRollingMalaysia
UKM Zamalah Research SchemeTuition waiverMaster's, PhDUniversityRollingMalaysia
UTM International Doctoral Fellowship (IDF)Tuition waiverPhDUniversityRollingMalaysia
Malaysia·Government

Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) 2026

Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Government of Malaysia

Full Ride

Master'sPhD
Open·Next: Applications open annually, typically in March, through the MOHE MIS portal; the window is short and dates change yearly.
Malaysia·Government

PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme 2026

Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)

Full Ride

Master'sPhD
Open·Next: The application deadline is set annually, roughly six weeks after the scholarship call is published; confirm exact dates on the official PTDF Scholarship Portal.
Malaysia·Private

PETRONAS Education Sponsorship Programme (PESP)

PETRONAS

Full Ride

Bachelor's
Open·Next: Annual after SPM results; windows vary by year
Malaysia·Government

IsDB Scholarship Programme

Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Full Ride

diplomabachelormaster+1
Open·Next: One call per year for each of the four programmes; dates are published on isdb.org and circulated by IsDB Governor offices and national NGO partners.
Malaysia·University

USM Graduate Scholarship

Universiti Sains Malaysia

Tuition waiver

PhD
Open·Next: Rolling; tied to research intake, apply through IPS
Malaysia·University

UKM Zamalah Research Scheme

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Tuition waiver

Master'sPhD
Open·Next: Per-semester windows, aligned with each intake.
Malaysia·University

UTM International Doctoral Fellowship (IDF)

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Tuition waiver

PhD
Open·Next: Rolling; tied to postgraduate intake, apply via SPS

Deadlines coming up

March

Rolling / annual windows

See every application deadline calendar.

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Frequently asked questions

How many fully funded scholarships does Malaysia offer international students?▾

7 scholarships in Malaysia cover the full ride, full tuition, or a complete tuition waiver, including Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) 2026.

What do these scholarships cover?▾

4 cover a full ride (tuition, living costs, and often travel), 0 cover tuition in full, and 3 waive tuition entirely. A typical award: Full Ride.

When are the deadlines?▾

Most deadlines fall in March, and 6 run on a rolling or annual basis with no single fixed date.