Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for Indian Students in 2026

Want to Study in South Korea for Free? then you should know about GKS Scholarship for Indian students. Under this scholarship, meritorious students get financial aid to cover the expenses of air ticket, tuition fees, monthly expenses, and health insurance during their higher studies.

The Global Korea Scholarship program was launched by the Education Ministry of Korea in 2010. The objective of the GKS Scholarship 2026 is to invite international students to study in South Korea. Currently, scholars from 150+ countries around the world are availing the benefits of the GKS scholarship program. This is a golden opportunity for those Indian students who want to study in South Korea but are facing financial issues.

Top-ranked education systems and reputed universities are the major reasons to choose South Korea for higher studies. To be eligible for the GKS Scholarship 2026, students need to be enrolled in the universities listed with the Global Korea Scholarship program. Apart from this, they must have good academic records and fall under the set age limit bracket. In this article, we will help you to understand how the GKS scholarship program is helpful for Indian students.

Related Read: Scholarships to Study in South Korea

What is GKS Scholarship?

GKS Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship. This scholarship was started to offer financial help to meritorious students. The aim was to attract talented students to study at higher educational institutions in Korea. It also enhances international education exchange and strengthens ties between Korea and the participating countries, including India. The central government of Korea offer this scholarship through the National Institute for International Education (NIIED).

Students enrolled in undergraduate or post-graduate, or doctoral degree courses offered by Korean universities are eligible to apply for the Global Korea Scholarship. Under this scholarship, there is a fixed number of scholarship quotas allocated for each country. For India, the reserved quota in the GKS Scholarship 2026 is 78, which includes 50 University Track and 28 Embassy Track.

Duration of GKS Scholarship for Indian Students

Related Read: Top Fully-Funded Scholarship to Study Abroad

Benefits of GKS Scholarship for Indian Students

As a benefit of the GKS Scholarship 2026, students will get economy class airfare, a per-month allowance, Korean proficiency grants, etc. In short, if you are exploring a fully funded scholarship to study abroad, then the Global Korea Scholarship program is for you.

Below, we have mentioned the benefits of the Global Korea Scholarship program in detail:

• Economy class round-trip flight ticket (actual expense)
• Tuition Fee up to 5 Million KRW (INR 3.05 Lakhs)
• Monthly Allowance
• Research Allowance
• Korean Proficiency Grants-
• TOPIK Application Fee
• Degree Completion Grants
• Medical Insurance
• Publication Printing Fee
• Academic Incentives up to 630,000 KRW per month (INR 38,493).

There are some other benefits that you can check in the image below.

Related Blog: Cost of Living in South Korea

Eligibility for GKS Scholarship 2026

Likewise, in other scholarship programs, there are certain eligibility for the Global Korea Scholarship 2025. We have mentioned the requirements for Indian students that you need to fulfil to get shortlisted for the GKS scholarship 2026.

• Citizenship: Must be a citizen of India
• Parents' Citizenship: The parents of the applicant should not be Korean citizens.
• 12th or UG Certificate: A valid degree from a recognisable school/university.
• Age Limit: Age should not be more than 40 years.
• Medically Fit: The applicant should be fit mentally and physically to study in Korea.

Apart from this, the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of the entire curriculum from the previous degree program* must meet one of the conditions below:

1. The score should be 80% or above on a 100-point scale.
2. Else, the score should be in the top 20% of one’s class.
3. CGPA must be equal to or above 2.64/4.0, 2.80/4.3, 2.91/4.5 or 3.23/5.0

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Types of GKS Scholarship Program

There are two types of GKS scholarship programs for Indian students.

1. Embassy Track
2. University Track

Embassy Track GKS Scholarship

To apply through Embassy Track, you need to download the application form from the official website of Korean Embassy in New Delhi. You need to submit the application form along with the required documents. You'll get selected for the interview conducted by the embassy. Shortlisted candidates will be recommended to the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) in South Korea.

University Track GKS Scholarship

Under this type of scholarship, you apply directly to participating Korean universities that offer GKS scholarships. You have to be eligible to apply for admission to the university. Universities recommend selected candidates to the NIIED. Note that you can apply for 1 university at a time.

How to Apply for GKS Scholarship 2026?

Now, you have understood the eligibility, benefits and type of scholarships. It’s time to understand the process of applying for the Global Korea Scholarship program. A student can apply for this scholarship in two ways

• University Track- Application directly to a participating Korean university.
• Embassy Track- Application through the Korean Embassy in India

In both cases, the application process is different from each other. 

The application process for the GKS scholarship 2026 will start in the month of February 2026. 

Required Documents to Apply for GKS Scholarship

• Proof of Indian citizenship
• Academic certificates
• Academic Transcripts
• A score of English language proficiency test or the Korean Proficiency Test
• Copy of Passport

These are the list of documents which are common for every application. Below, we have mentioned a detailed list. Do check it out.

Selection Process

The GKS Scholarship is merit based scholarship. It meaning a strong academic record is essential for a competitive application. The selection committee carefully evaluates applications, and shortlisted candidates demonstrate exceptional academic merit. Here we have mentioned information that will help you to understand this well.

Universities Under GKS Scholarship

Here is the list of universities in South Korea under the GKS scholarship that you should aware about.

This is all about the GKS scholarship for Indian students. As mentioned earlier, this scholarship is a perfect financial aid to all those students who either want to apply for a fully funded scholarship for their higher studies in abroad. This covers the expenses of travel, tuition fees, health insurance, and other essential things.
We have mentioned some common queries related to this scholarship below. If you still have a query in your mind, feel free to drop it in the comment section below or connect with Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors.