Austrian Scholarships: OeAD, Ernst Mach Grants and University Funding Explained

How scholarships for Austria are organised

Austria channels much of its public scholarship support through the OeAD, the country's agency for education and internationalisation. The OeAD administers a range of grants funded by the Austrian government and other bodies, alongside scholarships offered directly by individual universities.

For international students, the practical picture is two main layers: OeAD-administered government and partner grants, and university-specific awards. The official search tool Grants.at brings many of these together, so you can shortlist what you may qualify for before applying.

• OeAD-administered grants funded by the Austrian government and partners
• Ernst Mach Grant — for incoming international students and researchers
• Franz Werfel Grant — for university teachers of German/Austrian literature from abroad
• University-specific scholarships and fee support

The Ernst Mach Grant

The Ernst Mach Grant is an OeAD-administered scholarship for international students and researchers coming to Austria, with several variants targeted at different groups (for example, specific programmes for applicants from particular countries or for students at Austrian universities of applied sciences).

Each variant has its own eligible countries, level of study, fields and application window. Because these conditions change between calls, check the current Ernst Mach details on the official OeAD / Grants.at pages and apply to the variant that matches your situation.

The Franz Werfel Grant and other OeAD programmes

The Franz Werfel Grant supports university teachers of German and Austrian literature from abroad, and is one of several specialised OeAD-administered programmes. The OeAD also administers bilateral, mobility and research grants funded by the government and partner organisations.

These programmes are narrower and field- or role-specific, so eligibility matters. Use the official OeAD pages and the Grants.at database to see which current programmes fit your level, field and country, rather than assuming a single scheme covers everyone.

University scholarships and fee support

Individual Austrian universities offer their own scholarships, performance awards and, in some cases, fee reductions or exemptions for eligible students. These vary widely by institution and faculty, and are separate from the OeAD-administered grants.

Check the official scholarships, tuition or international-office pages of each university you apply to. As with most European systems, university scholarship deadlines are often tied to, or earlier than, the admission deadline, so apply early.

How to search and apply via Grants.at and OeAD

Grants.at is the official scholarship and grant database for Austria, and the OeAD's own portal handles many applications and provides guidance for incoming students. Start by searching Grants.at to identify awards you may qualify for, then follow each programme's official application route.

Commonly requested documents include academic transcripts and degree certificates, proof of admission or application, a motivation letter or research plan, references, and language evidence (German or English depending on the programme). Requirements, amounts and deadlines vary per programme and change between cycles — verify each on the official source.

• Search the official Grants.at database to shortlist eligible scholarships
• Check the right Ernst Mach variant for your country and level on OeAD pages
• Confirm any field- or role-specific programmes such as the Franz Werfel Grant
• Check each university's own scholarship and tuition pages and note early deadlines