List of 10 Scholarships Requiring a Study Plan for 2027 Admissions Worldwide
STUDY PLAN REQUIRED? HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS.
Use one study plan to prepare several scholarship applications.
A study plan written for one scholarship can be adapted for other scholarships that request a study plan or research proposal. You can reuse your academic background, relevant experience and genuine goals, then change the programme-specific content to meet each application’s requirements.
For example, if you are preparing a plan for a Chinese Government Scholarship, that work may also help with a suitable CAS-ANSO or GKS application. Research routes such as MEXT need additional research detail. The good news is that you do not necessarily have to begin every application from an empty page.
This guide lists ten scholarship schemes, identifies who actually needs the document and explains what to modify for each. Start with the routes you qualify for; then use the table to prepare the right version.
What this list confirms: document requirements for specified routes, not automatic eligibility or ten currently open calls. Some linked guides cover earlier cycles; confirm current calls before applying. Checked: 24 October 2026.
1. Can I use the same study plan for different scholarships?
Yes, as a starting document that you tailor for each application. Keep accurate details about your education, projects and interests. Rewrite your programme choices, proposed activities, timetable and reasons for choosing the university.
The amount of rewriting depends on the new degree. Two comparable coursework programmes may need similar learning goals. A doctoral research application needs a defined question, relevant literature, methods and a realistic investigation. That can require substantial new work.
My recommendation: save a master copy and create one working version per application. A university-name swap is an edit; explaining why its programme fits your goals is tailoring.
2. Which scholarships require a study plan or research proposal?
These ten schemes require one for the routes described below. Check the applicant category first: several requirements apply only to doctoral or research applicants. The adaptation advice helps you turn an existing draft into the requested document.
| Scholarship / route | How to adapt your study plan |
|---|---|
| CSC / CGS China |
Adapt: Keep your background; rewrite university fit, proposed studies/research and timeline for the selected programme. Rule: University-specific. Some postgraduate calls require 1,000 words and supervisor signature; no single minimum covers every route. |
| CAS-ANSO UCAS / USTC, China |
Adapt: Connect your interests to the host department and develop the proposed study or research there. Rule: USTC 2026: at least 1,000 words; prior supervisor acceptance not required there. UCAS instructions must be checked separately. |
| GKS Graduate South Korea |
Adapt: Move relevant material into Study Plan Form 3 and answer its prompts individually. Rule: 2026 graduate-degree checklist requires Form 3. Separate Research Proposal Form 4 is for research-programme applicants. |
| MEXT Research Students Japan |
Adapt: Link previous study to a focused research question, methods and a feasible project in Japan. Rule: 2027 embassy form: Field of Study and Research Plan, within two pages; attachments permitted. University routes may differ. |
| Swiss Government Excellence Research / doctoral routes |
Adapt: Build a research project with methods, milestones and a convincing connection to your Swiss host. Rule: 2027/28: official proposal, maximum five pages including lay summary; timeline and supervisor support required. |
| DAAD Research Grants Germany |
Adapt: Develop your research component with the German host and prepare the separate work schedule. Rule: Current Research Grants in Germany call: proposal maximum ten pages, schedule and host confirmation. |
| MAECI Italy, supervised research |
Adapt: Turn relevant goals into a concise project aligned with the Italian supervisor’s invitation. Rule: Research-project category: description maximum 1,000 words and invitation; not a general master’s requirement. |
| MOE Taiwan Scholarship Office-specific requirements |
Adapt: Explain your chosen Taiwanese degree, learning priorities and future use of the qualification. Rule: Some 2026 offices require motivation and a future study plan. Follow your responsible overseas office. |
| Stipendium Hungaricum Hungary, doctoral study |
Adapt: Develop your topic into a referenced research plan fitting the doctoral school. Rule: 2026/27 doctoral guidance: minimum two pages; check additional programme requirements. |
| Türkiye Scholarships PhD applicants |
Adapt: Prepare a research-topic proposal and choose a suitable example of your previous research writing. Rule: Proposal and written research sample required for PhD applications. |
For a taught master’s, focus on rows that include your degree. For research funding, check supervisor and project requirements early. You now have a shortlist based on document compatibility; eligibility and funding conditions still need separate checks.
3. How do I modify a study plan for another scholarship?
Keep your factual background, rewrite the academic fit and add whatever the new prompt requires. I would compare the draft with the official questions before changing individual sentences.
KEEP: your evidence
Retain relevant qualifications, projects, skills and genuine goals. Select the experiences that help answer this application’s questions.
CHANGE: the programme connection
Replace course choices, supervisor references, facilities and timelines with accurate details about the new programme. Explain how each choice supports your goals.
ADD: missing academic detail
Answer new form questions. For research, develop the question, literature, methods, feasibility and schedule instead of simply renaming a study plan.
For example, your original plan may describe your background, the skills you want to develop and your future goals. Keep that foundation, then explain how the new programme supports those goals. Update the courses, learning activities and timetable to match its requirements. If a research proposal is requested, develop a focused question, suitable methods and a feasible schedule. Your direction can remain consistent; the proposed work must fit the receiving institution.
For help structuring the original draft, use our China study-plan guide, then apply the receiving university’s instructions.
4. How do I apply after preparing the study plan?
Submit a tailored plan as part of each scholarship’s complete application. The plan does not replace transcripts, references, language evidence or other required documents. Work through these five checks:
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Choose an eligible scholarship and degree. Open the scholarship guide linked in the table, then locate the current provider notice. Confirm nationality, academic qualifications, subject and application dates before adapting your plan.
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Download the exact form or instructions. Record the questions, language, length, signature and file-format requirements. For research applications, our research-proposal guide explains how to develop the academic content.
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Arrange required supervisor support. Use our DAAD supervisor acceptance-letter guide to prepare your approach. Follow your chosen scholarship’s rules: where both a proposal and host letter are required, prepare both.
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Complete local and programme checks. Taiwan applicants can consult our MOE Taiwan document guide, then follow their responsible office’s checklist. For Türkiye and imAGEin, confirm the requirements of the selected degree or programme.
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Submit a complete application. Read your revised plan against every prompt, assemble the remaining documents and check any fee. Submit through the specified university, consortium, embassy or scholarship system, save confirmation and monitor later-document or interview requests.
5. Study-plan questions applicants ask
How many words should a scholarship study plan have?
Follow the exact call, not a universal template. USTC’s cited guide requires at least 1,000 words; other routes use page limits or prescribed forms. A minimum and a maximum mean different things.
Is a study plan the same as a motivation letter?
No. A study plan explains proposed learning and its sequence; a motivation letter explains your reasons and suitability. Content may overlap, but answer each document’s own prompt and provide both when requested.
Does Erasmus Mundus require a study plan?
There is no universal requirement; apply directly to each consortium. imAGEin’s indicative checklist lists a Personal Training Plan and a separate motivation letter. This Biology of Ageing master’s asks for educational, professional and mobility goals, including three ranked, justified routes.
Similarly, Chevening essays, DAAD EPOS motivation letters and country-specific Australia Awards documents can draw on your preparation, but should not be labelled universally as requiring study plans.
6. What are the application deadlines for 2027?
Each scholarship, university or application route sets its own deadline. Earlier document rules help with preparation; they do not confirm that a 2027 application window is open.
MEXT’s 2027 embassy research recruitment was scheduled in April–May 2026, with country-specific arrangements. Swiss 2027/28 deadlines vary by country. The announced imAGEin application period is 6 January–6 March 2027, closing at midnight Paris time.
Choose two or three eligible opportunities, confirm their current deadlines and adapt your plan using the table. One strong starting document can save repeated work while leaving room for the detail each application deserves.