LIST: International scholarships, free courses to check out this 2026

International scholarships

United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) Scholarships

If you’re a Pinoy studying in the US and focusing on geospatial sciences, you'd be glad to know that the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) will open its scholarship applications on Jan. 18.

USGIF offers general scholarships to graduating high school seniors as well as undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students pursuing degrees in geospatial intelligence, geospatial sciences, and related fields. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be eligible. There are no restrictions on enrollment status, majors, or minors. Students from community colleges, technical colleges, four-year universities, and other postsecondary institutions are encouraged to apply.

While US citizenship is not required for the general scholarship fund or other sponsored scholarships, applicants must be enrolled in a US-based institution or an approved international partner institution.

Requirements include recommendation letters, a transcript of records, 250-word short answers, and a resume or CV in certain categories. Learn more about the application process here.

Australia Awards

Dreaming of studying in Australia? The country's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has Australia Awards for students from developing countries, including the Philippines.

It provides scholarships to students who have completed an academic program specified by an Australian higher education institution. After completing the scholarship, recipients must leave Australia for at least two years. Failure to do so will result in a debt equal to the total cost of the scholarship incurred.

The scholarship opportunity covers full tuition fees, round-trip airfare, establishment allowance, basic living expense allowance, and overseas student health coverage, among others.

The application period will be from Feb. 1, 6 a.m., to April 30, 12 noon. Learn more about it here.

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship

The government of New Zealand is also offering scholarships to international students, including Filipinos, under their Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship. It aims to "help build prosperity, security, and sustainable growth in partner countries and fosters a lifetime connection to Aotearoa New Zealand and the leaders of tomorrow."

The program is available for those who are pursuing short-term cohort training, tertiary education, or vocational courses. 

The requirements include a copy of the passport bio page, certified copies of your International English proficiency test results, such as International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or equivalent, from within the last 18-months.

The application begins on March 1 and will be open until March 31, 7 a.m. (Philippine Time).

MEXT scholarship

Dreaming of studying in Japan? Apply for the MEXT scholarship funded by the Japanese government.

Japanese proficiency is not required for most scholarship categories, though beginners are encouraged to start learning.

In general, applicants qualify for the program if they are still within the age limit: for Undergraduate, College of Technology, or Specialized Training College programs, applicants must have been born on or after April 2, 2001; for Research and Teacher Training programs, applicants must have been born on or after April 2, 1991; and for Japanese Studies programs, applicants must have been born between April 2, 1996, and April 1, 2008.

The Embassy of Japan will only process applications for Filipino citizens. The application is free and will likely start around April or May for 2027 admissions.

Know more about the scholarship opportunity via this link. 

German Academic Exchange Service

The German government is offering scholarships for international students, including undergraduates, graduates, doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty.

Field options include engineering, art, music, and sport; human medicine; law, economics, languages and cultural studies; and veterinary medicine, among others.

Check out the eligible programs, as well as the needed requirements and qualifications, via this link.

Excellence Eiffel Scholarship Program

If you want to study in France, there's the Excellence Eiffel Scholarship, which helps French higher education institutions attract top international students to master’s and Ph.D. programs. It targets future foreign leaders in key fields, prioritizing applicants from developing countries aged up to 25 for master’s and 30 for those pursuing Ph.D.

Applications are processed by the chosen French institutions, which then refer candidates to the Ministry. Direct applications from students or foreign institutions are not eligible.

Successful applicants can enjoy a monthly stipend of 1,200 Euros (~P82,800) for master's level, or 2,100 Euros (~P144,900) for doctorate level, international and local transportation fees, as well as assistance in seeking accommodation, among others.

Eligible programs include biology and health, ecological transition, mathematics and digitalization, engineering sciences, humanities and Social Sciences, political science, history, and economics.

The application period for 2027 may start around October. See the guidelines here.

Free courses

Harvard University

There are plenty of free courses that are being offered by Harvard University—from humanities, health and medicine, science, data science, to social sciences, art and design, math, and more.

These courses are self-paced and have different difficulty levels. Some courses offer a free certificate, while others require a payment of $149 (~P8,800) or $249 (~P14,800) for a verified certificate after course completion.

Check the available courses here.

Goethe-Institut Philippinen

Do you want to learn or hone your German language skills? Goethe-Institut Philippinen will offer a free trial course for beginners.

The class will be held via Zoom on Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. The 45-minute session includes the lesson as well as a question-and-answer session.

Secure your slot via this link.

Department of Information and Communications Technology

If you need to strengthen your ICT skills, DICT - Nueva Ecija is offering free online courses about tailoring a resume using artificial intelligence, basic network troubleshooting, and data analytics, among others.

The courses are now open, and you can finish them at your own pace until March 8. You will receive a certificate upon completion.

Register via this link.

UPOU - Massive Open Distance eLearning (MODeL)

The University of the Philippines Open University is offering free courses this year.

Currently, there are only three courses available: Hazard and Risk Assessment Fundamentals, Basics of Resilience, and Introduction to Distance Education. However, UPOU usually releases more courses in the latter part of January.

Check it out here.

TESDA Online Program

Hone your skills in technical and vocational education, IT, bookkeeping, and even content creation with the help of free online courses being offered by TESDA. 

New courses include Halal awareness, personal financial awareness, Microsoft artificial intelligence, social media content creation level III, and Bookkeeping NC III.

There's also a blended learning program, where you can learn via face-to-face lessons or hands-on sessions at select TESDA Technology Institutions across regions.

Several courses are available in different categories. To enroll, simply create an account to browse and select the course you're interested in.

Learn more about it here.