Study abroad

Financial Aid

Social Finaces Office's Exchange Scholarships

The social finances Office encourages student exchanges by providing scholarships for exchanges either abroad or in another canton of Switzerland, subject to specific conditions.

 More information about these scholarships can be found on the Social Finances website.

SEMP Scholarship (ex-Erasmus)

Students of the "Swiss-European Mobility programme" (ex-Erasmus) are automatically eligible for a scholarship.

 

SEMP students are eligible for exchange scholarships if they fulfill the following criteria:

  • Registration at the University of Geneva
  • Exchange abroad within the framework of a mobility agreement signed with the host university
  • Candidates must not have received SEMP (or Erasmus+) grant in the past 12 months for the same level of study (Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate).

Calculation of the scholarship:

The duration of classes (excluding exams and/or introductory events) is decisive for the calculation of the scholarship amount.

There are three different packages:

  • duration of classes 2-3 months, small package, CHF 1'330.-
  • duration of classes from 3 to 7 months, regular package, CHF 1'900.-
  • duration of classes more than 7 months, annual flat rate, CHF 3'800.-

Please note: the scholarship is paid once per semester, at the beginning of the stay, and only to a Swiss postal or bank account.

 

Green mobility :

You can receive the additional amount of CHF 100.- under the following conditions :

  • Travel with a means of transportation that causes less CO2 emissions than airplanes and ferries (train or carpooling) for outbound and return trips
  • Provide proof of purchase of transportation tickets

Exemption from registration fees

In order to promote exchanges, all exchange students are exempted from registration fees at UNIGE during their exchange, with the exception of the CHF 65 per-semester administrative fees.

Swiss Exchange Scholarship

Swiss exchange scholarships are granted for exchanges at a non French-speaking University.

 

 You can receive a scholarship from the UNIGE for an exchange to a non-French speaking institution in Switzerland (German-speaking Switzerland or Ticino) only if your mother tongue is not the same as that of the host institution.

The scholarship is CHF 1,000 per semester. You will need to provide the International Relations Office with your bank details.

UNIGE students on exchange at a Swiss university only pay the CHF 65 mandatory UNIGE administrative fee per semester.

Any other scholarships awarded by UNIGE or the Canton of Geneva continue to be paid during the exchange.

Other Scholarships

State scholarships managed by swissuniversities

On behalf of the Swiss Confederation, swissuniversities awards scholarships provided by about 40 countries, intended for students from Switzerland for study abroad.

The Academic Exchange Office does not handle applications for these scholarships. However, if you remain registered at UNIGE during your stay abroad, please contact us to qualify for exemption from UNIGE registration fees.

Application forms can be requested from swissuniversities or, in some cases, downloaded from their website. Applications must be submitted to swissuniversities, unless otherwise indicated. Applications are subject to a selection process.

In return, Switzerland offers National Scholarships to foreign students coming to Switzerland.

swissuniverities itself has no funds allowing it to grant subsidies or loans.

All information can be found on the swissuniversities website.

It is strongly recommended to begin the application process about a year in advance; please consult the application deadlines published by swissuniversities.

 

Some countries offer scholarships for Swiss students without passing through the swissuniversities programme. These offers are posted on the UNIGE events calendar or on our web page.

Heyning-Roelli Foundation

The Heyning-Roelli Foundation provides scholarships to talented but financially underprivileged students for travel and subsistence expenses.


Scholarships offered by the Canton of Geneva

Available only to students who are domiciled in the Canton of Geneva, or whose parents work in the Canton.


Note regarding National Scholarships offered by the Russian Federation

The Lomonosov Moscow State University does not accept applications for National Scholarships from the Russian Federation.

Interested persons are requested to apply for other Russian universities, or to inquire about the possibilities offered under the bilateral agreement between the Lomonosov Moscow State University and the University of Geneva.