GKS Scholarship 2027: Complete Guide for Indian Students

If you're planning a 2027 start in Korea, the single most useful thing to understand first is that "GKS 2027" isn't one deadline — it's two, running months apart, for two different levels of study. Most guides blur this together. This one keeps them separate, and is explicit about which 2027 facts are confirmed versus projected from the most recent cycle, so you're not planning around a date nobody has actually announced yet.

What Is the Global Korea Scholarship?

GKS is funded by the South Korean government and administered by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED), under Korea's Ministry of Education. It was formerly known as the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) — same scholarship, older name. Selected scholars are placed at one of Korea's designated GKS universities, with tuition fully waived and a monthly stipend paid for the full duration of the programme, including the language-training year.

GKS-U vs GKS-G — Two Scholarships, Two Calendars

Is GKS 2027 Officially Open Yet?

No — not as of August 2026. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India's most recent GKS notices are still for the 2026 cycle. Based on the pattern from the last several years, the 2027 GKS-U call is expected on the Study in Korea portal (studyinkorea.go.kr) and the Embassy's own notice page in early-to-mid September 2026, with the 2027 GKS-G call following around February 2027. Treat any specific 2027 date you see elsewhere — including in this article before NIIED's own announcement — as a planning estimate, not a confirmed deadline. Check studyinkorea.go.kr or the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India's notice page directly once the window is expected to open.

Embassy Track vs University Track — Which Should You Choose?

• Embassy Track: You apply through the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, New Delhi, listing up to three preferred universities. The embassy screens applications first, then forwards shortlisted candidates to NIIED, which makes the final placement decision. This is the route most first-time Indian applicants use, since it gives multiple university options rather than betting on one.
• University Track: You apply directly to a single GKS-designated Korean university, which conducts its own screening before forwarding its nominees to NIIED. This suits applicants who already have a strong reason to target one specific university or programme — for example an existing research contact or a very specific lab.
• You can only use one track per application cycle — choose based on whether you want optionality (Embassy Track) or you're confident about one specific university (University Track).

Eligibility for GKS-U (Undergraduate) — India Specifics

• Completed, or on track to complete, all 12 years of school education by the programme start.
• Age 25 or under at the time of application (2026 cycle used a cutoff of born after 1 March 2001 — expect a similarly shifted cutoff for 2027, not yet confirmed).
• Academic record: cumulative 80%+ on a 100-point scale, or an equivalent CGPA (around 2.64/4.0, 2.80/4.3, 2.91/4.5, or 3.23/5.0), or an official transcript notation placing you in the top 20% of your class even if the raw percentage is below 80%.
• Both the applicant and both parents must hold non-Korean citizenship.
• Applicants who already hold a bachelor's degree or higher are not eligible for GKS-U.

Eligibility for GKS-G (Graduate: Master's/PhD) — India Specifics

• Holds, or is completing, a Bachelor's degree (for Master's applicants) or a Master's degree (for PhD applicants).
• Age 40 or under at the time of application.
• Both the applicant and both parents must hold non-Korean citizenship.
• A research proposal is required for PhD applicants; Master's applicants typically submit a study plan.
• Applicants who have previously received a GKS award are not eligible to apply again.

What GKS Actually Pays

• Full tuition fee waiver for the entire programme, funded by NIIED.
• Monthly living stipend — the most recently confirmed figures (2026 cycle) are ₩900,000/month for undergraduates and ₩1,000,000/month for graduate students. 2027 figures haven't been published yet.
• Round-trip economy airfare between India and South Korea.
• A one-time settlement allowance of ₩200,000 on arrival.
• A fully funded, mandatory one-year Korean language course before the degree begins, unless you already hold TOPIK Level 3 or above, in which case the language year can be waived.
• Medical insurance for the full scholarship duration.
• A research allowance of roughly ₩210,000–240,000/month for graduate students in research-based programmes.
• No application fee — NIIED does not charge to apply through either track.

Realistic 2027 Timeline — What's Confirmed vs Projected

Documents to Start Preparing Now

• Completed GKS application form (downloaded from the Study in Korea portal or your target university's site once the cycle opens).
• Personal statement or study plan explaining your academic goals and why Korea.
• Two recommendation letters from teachers, professors, or supervisors, on official letterhead.
• Official academic transcripts and degree certificates, translated into English or Korean where required.
• Valid Indian passport, with validity well beyond your intended programme start date.
• English proficiency certificate (IELTS/TOEFL) if applying to an English-medium programme, or TOPIK certificate if you already hold one.
• Medical examination report on the official GKS health form.
• Research proposal, for PhD applicants.

Common Mistakes Indian Applicants Make

• Treating GKS-U and GKS-G as having the same deadline — they don't, and missing the earlier undergraduate window while waiting for a graduate-style February deadline is a real, avoidable mistake.
• Assuming an exact 2027 date before NIIED has announced it, then building an application timeline around a guess instead of the official notice.
• Applying to both Embassy Track and University Track in the same cycle, which isn't permitted — pick one.
• Submitting a personal statement that reads as generic "study abroad" motivation rather than explaining specifically why Korea and why your chosen field.
• Leaving recommendation letters until the last few weeks — professors and supervisors need real time to write something specific and strong.

Beyond GKS — Other South Korea Scholarships

GKS is the largest and most comprehensive government scholarship, but it isn't the only funded route into Korea. University-level awards at SNU, KAIST, Korea University, and Yonsei, plus the POSCO Asia Fellowship for research-focused students, can also cover full or partial tuition — some of these don't require a government-to-government allocation at all.

How IMA Faridabad Can Help

IMA doesn't run a Korean-language course, so we won't pretend otherwise here — but two parts of a GKS application are genuinely within what we help students with.

• IELTS preparation for the English-proficiency requirement on English-medium GKS programmes.
• Profile evaluation and study-plan / personal statement guidance, so your application reads as specific and credible rather than generic.
• Document checklist support and visa guidance once you're selected, so nothing gets missed on submission.

The 2027 GKS-U window is expected to open within weeks of this article, which doesn't leave much runway for recommendation letters and a strong study plan if you start from zero once it's live. If you're planning a 2027 start, the useful move right now is preparing the parts of the application that take time regardless of the exact deadline.