Associate Degree Scholarships in Korea for International Students
Associate degree programmes are a separate two- to three-year higher-education route, not a bachelor’s degree. This collection compares verified university scholarships attached to associate-degree study. Entrance awards, later-semester merit awards and family-enrollment support remain separate programmes with their own conditions. GKS associate-degree funding is not repeated here; consult the current GKS call for that government route.
8 programmes from the published database. Application status as of 2026-11-01 (KST); source review dates are recorded individually. Past calls remain labeled by their year and deadline. A policy without dates is not treated as an open call.
Applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals at the application deadline; dual nationals cannot apply. Complete high school or equivalent by March 1, 2027. This record covers the two-year associate freshman route in Busan, not the bachelor-extension courses. Admission accepts TOPIK 2, KIIP level 3 or assessment 61, King Sejong Intermediate 1, or specified English qualifications for Mechanical Engineering and Semiconductor Electronics Industry only. Online application through kstudy.dit.ac.kr/application.
Associate
30% tuition
Language requirement: Scholarship has no separate score threshold; the official admission language requirements remain separate.
Applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals at the application deadline; dual nationals cannot apply. Complete high school or equivalent by March 1, 2027. This record covers the two-year associate freshman route in Busan, not the bachelor-extension courses. Admission accepts TOPIK 2, KIIP level 3 or assessment 61, King Sejong Intermediate 1, or specified English qualifications for Mechanical Engineering and Semiconductor Electronics Industry only. Online application through kstudy.dit.ac.kr/application. 30% tuition reduction for the first-year first semester only. The guide separately lists 20% tuition from first-year second semester to second-year second semester; the 30% entrance rate does not renew. Attendance and TOPIK awards are separate benefits with their own conditions.
Associate freshman route
Both parents must have non-Korean nationality
Closed Spring 2027 · Admission application · International Associate Freshman Admission / Round 1 deadline: 2026-10-12 KST
Upcoming Spring 2027 · Admission application · International Associate Freshman Admission / Round 2 deadline: 2026-11-09 KST
Upcoming Spring 2027 · Admission application · International Associate Freshman Admission / Round 3 deadline: 2026-12-07 KST
Upcoming Spring 2027 · Admission application · International Associate Freshman Admission / Round 4 deadline: 2027-01-04 KST
30% tuition reduction for the first-year first semester only. The guide separately lists 20% tuition from first-year second semester to second-year second semester; the 30% entrance rate does not renew. Attendance and TOPIK awards are separate benefits with their own conditions.
The applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals; dual nationals are excluded. Foreign nationality must be acquired before high-school entry. Complete high school or equivalent under the guide. This listing covers the six two-year associate programmes on PDF p.7: Beauty Care, Hotel Cooking and Baking, Global Human Care, Future Automotive, Global Mechatronics and Global Convergence Business. TOPIK 3 is the standard admission qualification; lower-score and alternative-language routes require the university assessment and conditions on PDF p.5. A TOPIK 2 scholarship threshold alone does not establish admission eligibility.
Associate
50% tuition
Language requirement: TOPIK 2 or higher for this scholarship. Admission requirements remain separate.
TOPIK 2 or higher at entry. Admission is not ordinary TOPIK-only eligibility: the standard is TOPIK 3, and a lower score requires the university assessment and conditions in PDF p.5. Entrance semester only. No double international-student scholarships in the same semester.
International freshman route
Both parents must have non-Korean nationality
Open Spring 2027 · Admission application · International Associate Freshman Admission deadline: 2026-11-30 KST
50% tuition applies to the entrance semester for students who enter with TOPIK 2 or higher. It does not automatically renew. The separate 20% merit award requires an international-student dedicated department, previous-semester GPA 3.0 or grade B and at least 15 earned credits.
University scholarshipAdditional eligibility conditions
Gimhae University · Gimhae
Gimhae University International Student Merit Scholarship
The applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals; dual nationals are excluded. Foreign nationality must be acquired before high-school entry. Complete high school or equivalent under the guide. This listing covers the six two-year associate programmes on PDF p.7: Beauty Care, Hotel Cooking and Baking, Global Human Care, Future Automotive, Global Mechatronics and Global Convergence Business. TOPIK 3 is the standard admission qualification; lower-score and alternative-language routes require the university assessment and conditions on PDF p.5. A TOPIK 2 scholarship threshold alone does not establish admission eligibility.
Enrollment in a department dedicated to international students is required.
Associate
20% tuition
Language requirement: No separate language-score threshold is stated for this merit award; admission language requirements remain separate.
Enrolled in an international-student dedicated department. Previous-semester grade B (GPA 3.0) or higher and at least 15 earned credits are required. Assessed every semester; no automatic continuation. No double international-student scholarships in the same semester.
International-student dedicated department
Both parents must have non-Korean nationality
Minimum GPA: 3
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
Official source ↗· International-student and family scholarship rows
Source checked:
Later semesters and re-application
20% tuition is assessed each semester only in international-student dedicated departments. Earn at least 15 credits and a previous-semester grade B (GPA 3.0) or higher. International-student category awards cannot be combined in the same semester.
University scholarshipAdditional eligibility conditions
Gimhae University · Gimhae
Gimhae University Family Scholarship
The applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals; dual nationals are excluded. Foreign nationality must be acquired before high-school entry. Complete high school or equivalent under the guide. This listing covers the six two-year associate programmes on PDF p.7: Beauty Care, Hotel Cooking and Baking, Global Human Care, Future Automotive, Global Mechatronics and Global Convergence Business. TOPIK 3 is the standard admission qualification; lower-score and alternative-language routes require the university assessment and conditions on PDF p.5. A TOPIK 2 scholarship threshold alone does not establish admission eligibility.
Two or more siblings or direct family members must be enrolled at Gimhae University in the same semester. Only one receives the award.
Associate
30% tuition
Language requirement: No separate language-score threshold is stated for this family award; admission requirements remain separate.
Two or more siblings or direct family members must be enrolled at the same university in the same semester. Only one family member receives 30% tuition for that semester; separate family and enrollment evidence is required.
Qualifying enrolled family
Both parents must have non-Korean nationality
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
30% tuition for one recipient in a semester when two or more siblings or direct family members are concurrently enrolled. Continued eligibility depends on the same-semester family enrollment condition; the benefit is not paid to every family member.
Jeju Tourism University Korean Proficiency Entrance Scholarship
International degree students. The linked 2025 admission guide requires the applicant and both parents to be foreign nationals and high-school completion or equivalent. That guide excludes Nursing and has separate Korean/English tracks; its department list and dates describe 2025 only. A scholarship language threshold is not by itself admission eligibility.
Associate; Undergraduate
30% tuition
Official standing scholarship policy; exact current intake dates are not listed.
Language requirement: TOPIK 3 pathway
TOPIK 3 pathway. The official policy also accepts KIIP level 3, pre-assessment 61+, or Sejong Intermediate 1 for this tier. Admission requirements are separate.
International degree students
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
Official standing scholarship policy; exact current intake dates are not listed.
Language requirement: TOPIK 4 pathway
TOPIK 4 pathway. The official policy also accepts KIIP level 4, pre-assessment 81+, or Sejong Intermediate 2 for this tier. Admission requirements are separate.
International degree students
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
Entrance scholarship: tuition reduction at registration. The entrance award does not establish an automatic multi-semester entitlement. The university lists separate merit and Korean-proficiency awards for enrolled students.
Jeju Tourism University English Track Entrance Scholarship
International degree students. The linked 2025 admission guide requires the applicant and both parents to be foreign nationals and high-school completion or equivalent. That guide excludes Nursing and has separate Korean/English tracks; its department list and dates describe 2025 only. A scholarship language threshold is not by itself admission eligibility.
Associate; Undergraduate
30% tuition
Official standing scholarship policy; exact current intake dates are not listed.
Language requirement: IELTS 5.5 or higher for an English-track programme
Admission to an English-track degree programme and IELTS 5.5 or higher.
International degree students
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
Entrance scholarship: tuition reduction at registration. The entrance award does not establish an automatic multi-semester entitlement. The university lists separate merit and Korean-proficiency awards for enrolled students.
Jeju Tourism University Continuing Korean Proficiency Scholarship
Enrolled international degree students who attain the listed Korean-language qualification. TOPIK 3/4 also have KIIP alternatives in the official policy.
Associate; Undergraduate
30% tuition
Official standing scholarship policy; exact current intake dates are not listed.
Language requirement: TOPIK 3 pathway
Enrolled student; qualifying Korean-language attainment; paid the following semester. KIIP level 3 or pre-assessment 61+ is an alternative.
International degree students
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
For enrolled international degree students, the Korean-proficiency award is paid in the semester after attainment: TOPIK 3 gives 30%, TOPIK 4 gives 40%, TOPIK 5 gives 50%, and TOPIK 6 gives 60% tuition. KIIP level 3/4 or pre-assessment 61/81 are alternatives for the 30%/40% tiers. This is not a promise of automatic payment every subsequent semester.
Kyungbok International Student Enrolled Merit Scholarship (2025 Spring)
Enrolled student admitted through foreign-student admission; previous-semester grade 85/100 or above; historical Spring 2025 call only. Previous-semester grade 80–84/100; historical Spring 2025 foreign-admission student call only. Previous-semester grade 75–79/100; historical Spring 2025 foreign-admission student call only. Previous-semester grade 70–74/100; historical Spring 2025 foreign-admission student call only.
Associate
Tuition 40%
Applies to the cited historical intake or call only.
Enrolled student admitted through foreign-student admission; previous-semester grade 85/100 or above; historical Spring 2025 call only.
Associate-level foreign-admission students
Minimum GPA: 85 / 100
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
Official source ↗· 2025 Spring scholarship application notice, foreign-admission student rows
Source checked:
Associate
Tuition 35%
Applies to the cited historical intake or call only.
Previous-semester grade 80–84/100; historical Spring 2025 foreign-admission student call only.
Associate-level foreign-admission students
Minimum GPA: 80 / 100
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
Official source ↗· 2025 Spring scholarship application notice, foreign-admission student rows
Source checked:
Associate
Tuition 30%
Applies to the cited historical intake or call only.
Previous-semester grade 75–79/100; historical Spring 2025 foreign-admission student call only.
Associate-level foreign-admission students
Minimum GPA: 75 / 100
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
Official source ↗· 2025 Spring scholarship application notice, foreign-admission student rows
Source checked:
Associate
Tuition 25%
Applies to the cited historical intake or call only.
Previous-semester grade 70–74/100; historical Spring 2025 foreign-admission student call only.
Associate-level foreign-admission students
Minimum GPA: 70 / 100
Application dates are not listed for this policy. Check the official announcement for a new call.
Official source ↗· 2025 Spring scholarship application notice, foreign-admission student rows
Source checked:
Later semesters and re-application
Historical Spring 2025 selection only, closed February 28, 2025. Prior-semester grades determine the recorded 25–40% tuition rates; these rates are not presented as a verified 2026 or 2027 award. Kyungbok is a junior college; an associate programme is not a four-year bachelor programme.
Is an associate degree the same as a bachelor’s degree?
No. Korea’s associate programmes are generally two to three years. Confirm the exact programme length, department and degree type in the current admission guide.
Does TOPIK 2 automatically qualify me for admission?
No. A scholarship threshold and an admission requirement are different. For example, the reviewed Gimhae scholarship starts at TOPIK 2, while its admission route records separate language conditions.
Will an entrance scholarship continue throughout the programme?
Not automatically. Entrance awards and enrolled-student awards are shown separately; later support may require credits, GPA, language attainment, an eligible department or family enrollment.