Scholarships and exchanges

The Swiss government offers scholarships to foreign students from a large number of countries, including the United States, Australia and India.

Through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), External linkthe Swiss government helps foreigners continue their education in the country. More information here.External link

Various Swiss universities offer their own scholarships, including merit scholarships.

For a list of countries that qualify and more information on the scholarship programme, visit the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.External link

All Swiss universities have student exchange programmes with US universitiesExternal link to allow Swiss and American students to experience each other’s higher education systems.

The prestigious Fulbright – Swiss Scholarship ProgramExternal link, based on a bilateral agreement, provides talented American and Swiss students with scholarships to study in Switzerland or in the US. Find more information on this pageExternal link from the US Embassy in Bern.

The national Movetia External linkagency supports, promotes and facilitates exchange and mobility in the field of formal, non-formal and informal education. 

A word of warning: the FCS does not advertise scholarships by email. As a rule, scholarships are directly managed by the Swiss representation in the country concerned. The Swiss authorities recommend not responding to such emails and, above all, not transferring any money.

Erasmus

Switzerland participated in the first Erasmus scheme, which was set up in the 1980s to facilitate the exchange of university students between European countries. 

But following an anti-immigration referendum in 2014, the European Union suspended Switzerland’s membership of Erasmus+ (scheme for 2014-2020). Under pressure, the EU and the Swiss government found a temporary solution for Erasmus+ wherein Switzerland assumed its own costs and organisation for participating in the programme. 

In April 2017, the government announced that it would extend its interim solution for two years after it expires at the end of 2017. But it has not ruled out an eventual readmission to Erasmus+ (or its successor programme) from 2021.

Erasmus+External link includes exchanges for students enrolled in university and in apprenticeship programmes, as well as opportunities for adults, secondary school students and youth exchanges outside of school.