The Ministry of Education has awarded a total of 445 state scholarships to the best students for the 2025/26 academic year, of which 121 were approved for studies outside Montenegro. The monthly scholarship installment is 300 euros, and students who go abroad most often study in the region, mainly in Serbia, but also at prestigious universities, such as MIT, Cambridge and Bocconi.
The largest number of scholarships was awarded to students in the field of social sciences (86), followed by shortage professions (83), while 60 scholarships each went to students in the fields of technical and technological sciences and medical sciences. 66 scholarships were awarded in the field of natural sciences, while the humanities were represented by 50.
A smaller number of scholarships were awarded for agricultural sciences (20) and to students from the category of people with disabilities (19).
When it comes to studying abroad, Montenegrin students most often choose the region, so by far the most scholarship holders are in Serbia, followed by Italy, the United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia.
A significant number of students are also educated in Hungary, Slovenia, Austria and Germany, while some scholarship holders study at prestigious universities such as MIT, Cambridge, UCL and Bocconi.
At least two types of state support
In Montenegro, there are currently at least two main types of state support for students.
For scholarships for the best students, the amount of the installment is 300 euros per month in the 2025/26 school/study year. This is stated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation in the announcements on the payment of scholarships and loans for January, February and March 2026.
There is no single fixed amount per student for the Excellence in Higher Education Scholarship for students at foreign universities at the top of the Shanghai Ranking. The scholarship is paid once, and its amount is determined according to the cost of tuition and living expenses. The total budget of the Excellence Fund for 2025/26 is 500.000 euros.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation has awarded scholarships to undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students enrolled in higher education institutions abroad that are ranked within the 200th place in the latest published international university ranking list by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.
The right to apply for the Competition for Excellence in Higher Education Scholarships was granted to students who studied at a higher education institution abroad that was ranked up to 200th in the latest published Shanghai Ranking of World Universities, who were enrolling for the first semester of the corresponding academic year and had not changed their study program, had not lost a single year during their studies. Among the criteria, it was stated that the previous year had been completed with an average grade of at least 8,50 and that they were not a beneficiary of another type of scholarship awarded from the state budget.
The scholarship can be awarded once for a specific year of study and level of education.
The total budget of the Fund for Excellence in Higher Education for the academic year 2025/2026 is 500.000 euros. The amount of the scholarship is determined in relation to the cost of tuition and living expenses. Living expenses, as a rule, include: accommodation, food, health insurance and local public transport.
For a doctoral student, tuition costs, as a rule, include costs related to research, small equipment, publishing scientific papers, purchasing literature, and participation in scientific conferences.
Most in Serbia, followed by Italy
Montenegrin students who have received state scholarships for studies abroad most often study in the countries of the region, but also at numerous reputable European and American universities. The largest number of scholarship holders study in Serbia, where there are 100 of them, and among the institutions, the University of Belgrade with several faculties stands out, followed by the University of Novi Sad, the University of Novi Pazar, the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, as well as private higher education institutions such as Singidunum University, FEFA and the Belgrade Banking Academy.
In second place is Italy, where 28 Montenegrin scholarship holders are studying at universities such as the University of Padua, Bocconi University, LUISS, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, IULM, The American University of Rome, Universita di Pavia and the University of Siena.
There are 16 scholarship holders studying in the United States, including students at some of the world's most famous universities, such as Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rice University, but also at Haverford College, University of Richmond, University of Illinois Chicago, Lamar University and other institutions.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 15 scholarship holders from Montenegro are studying, mostly at the University of East Sarajevo, including the Academy of Music, the Faculty of Medicine and the Academy of Fine Arts, as well as at the University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, the Faculty of Islamic Sciences and the University of Bijeljina. In Croatia, 14 scholarship holders are studying, mostly at RIT Croatia, the University of Zagreb and the University of Split.
Among the countries where Montenegrin scholarship holders are also studying are Hungary with eight students, represented by Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Central European University and others, then Slovenia with six scholarship holders at the universities of Ljubljana and Maribor, as well as Russia and Germany with five scholarship holders each. In Russia, these include, among others, NUST MISIS and ITMO University, while in Germany, the universities include RWTH Aachen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, the University of Bonn and the University of Cologne.
Four scholarship holders are studying in Austria, at institutions such as TU Wien, Mozarteum Salzburg, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt and Webster University in Vienna.
Financing in the region
The Western Balkan countries finance the studies of their best students abroad in various ways - from direct state scholarships to bilateral programs and international funds.
The most developed system is in Serbia, which, through the Young Talent Fund, awards up to 300 scholarships each year for studies at leading world universities. Although the amount of the scholarship is not publicly fixed in the competition, the program includes funding for education at the most prestigious institutions.
North Macedonia goes a step further when it comes to the level of support - the state finances studies abroad by covering tuition fees of up to $40.000 per year, along with additional costs such as airfare and a monthly stipend, making this model one of the most generous in the region.
In Kosovo, the system is combined. For master's studies, the state awards scholarships worth 7.000 euros, while doctoral students can receive around 8.500 euros per year. In one year alone, 69 students received support, and additional scholarships are provided through international programs, such as cooperation with Hungary.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is no single state scheme with clearly defined amounts and quotas, but students have access to international programs. The most concrete example is the cooperation with Hungary, through which up to 50 scholarships are provided annually for students from BiH.
A similar model is applied by Croatia and Albania, where the state mainly mediates and publishes competitions for foreign scholarships and bilateral programs, without a single national scheme with fixed amounts and number of scholarships for studies abroad.
The data shows that there is no single approach in the region. Some countries directly invest significant resources in the education of students abroad, others rely more on international cooperation and foreign funds, while Montenegro seeks to balance investment in the domestic system with support for students abroad.
Data shows that the state continues to invest in the domestic education system, but also supports the best students going to prestigious global universities, especially in areas of strategic importance.
Repaying the "debt" to the state - with work or money
One of the important issues regarding scholarships for studying abroad is the eventual return to the home country. There are two models in the region. The first, “binding”, is applied by Serbia, North Macedonia and Slovenia, where the scholarship practically also implies subsequent work in the home country. The second, “more open”, is present in Montenegro and most of the region, where public calls for proposals place more emphasis on supporting education than on a formal obligation to return.
In Serbia, the model is very precise: the contract of the Fund for Young Talents for Studies Abroad states that the scholarship holder, upon completion of his studies, must, within 18 months, establish an employment relationship in Serbia for a period equal to the duration of the scholarship, or invest the same amount in Serbia through a startup program in science and technology parks. Otherwise, the contract provides for termination and refund of the entire scholarship amount.
North Macedonia has an even stricter model: the selected candidate is contractually obligated to work in the country for two years for each year spent studying abroad. If, upon completion of their studies, they decide not to return and fail to fulfill this obligation, they must repay all funds paid, no later than two years after graduation. There are exceptions, such as if the scholarship holder immediately continues their doctoral studies or is employed by a Fortune 500 company, but even then the obligation to return is only postponed, not lifted.
In Slovenia, the rule is also clear: the Ad futura program requires that the scholarship holder completes his studies and then takes up employment with an employer based in Slovenia for a period equal to the time during which he received the scholarship. This means that the Slovenian model does not formally insist on a physical “return” immediately after graduation, but practically binds the scholarship holder to work in the Slovenian labor system.
For Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo, the picture is less clear. Montenegrin public competitions for scholarships for the best students and for co-financing tuition fees in the country and abroad state the conditions, amounts and procedure, and in the case of the scholarship for excellence it is mentioned that the rights and obligations will be regulated by contract, but the publicly available text of the call does not explicitly state the obligation that the scholarship holder must return and work in Montenegro upon completion of his studies.
It is similar in Croatia, where the ministry mainly announces scholarships and stays abroad through bilateral programs, without a single publicly stated state clause on mandatory return. In BiH, support is mainly provided through international and interstate programs, while Albania mainly announces competitions from foreign countries and universities on its official website. In Kosovo, amounts and decisions for support for master's and doctoral studies abroad are publicly announced, but in the available announcements I did not find a general, clearly prescribed clause that the scholarship holder must return and work a certain number of years in the country.
Shanghai list
Among the universities where Montenegrin scholarship holders study, the best ranked universities in the 2025 Shanghai Ranking are MIT in third place, LMU Munich in 42nd and the University of Bonn in 68th position, while Brown and Rice are in the group from 101st to 150th place, and the University of Padua and the University of Cologne between 151st and 200th place.
Three million euros for studies abroad in Slovenia
A special example in the region is Slovenia, which has a more developed and precisely regulated system of state support for studies abroad.
Through the Ad Futura program, three million euros have been allocated for the 2025/26 academic year, and scholarships can amount to up to 1.250 euros per month for living expenses and up to 15.000 euros per year for tuition fees.
Unlike most Western Balkan countries, which rely mainly on bilateral programs and foreign funds, Slovenia has a distinct state model with a clearly defined budget, priority areas, and allocation rules.
USA scholarships for research projects only
The US offers students from the Western Balkan countries scholarships to study at American universities, primarily through the Fulbright program and competitions announced by US embassies in each country, but generally not through a single regional quota.
There is a specific program for Montenegro. The US Embassy in Podgorica states that the Fulbright Foreign Student Program is available only for non-degree scholarships, i.e. research and similar stays, and not for full master's programs, as in some other countries.
Kosovo is a special case, as the Fulbright program there is jointly funded by the US State Department and the Government of Kosovo through the United States-Kosovo Educational Exchange Board. For the 2026–2027 competition, the US Embassy in Pristina explicitly states that it is a jointly funded program and that the selection of candidates depends on the available funds.
In addition to Fulbright, the US also offers broader access to study funding through the Education USA network, which helps students find US scholarships, grants, and other forms of aid for study in the US. However, this is not the same as a government scholarship from the home country's government, but rather a combination of US public programs and university financial aid.
Turkey and the Western Balkans
According to the latest available data from Open Doors 2025, Turkey is far ahead of the Western Balkan countries in terms of the number of students in the US. In the 2024/25 academic year, 9.413 students from Turkey studied in the US. For comparison, there were 940 from Serbia, 517 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 190 from Kosovo, 169 from Montenegro, and 205 from North Macedonia.
This practically means that Turkey alone has about ten times more students in the US than Serbia, which is by far the largest “sender” in the Western Balkans region. In relation to Montenegro, the difference is even more pronounced: Turkey has more than 55 times more students in the US.
In other words, Turkey is more present in American higher education not only than any individual Western Balkan country, but also surpasses the entire region many times over when looking at the largest individual senders.
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