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GKS Scholarship for United States of America students.

Each year, United States of America is allocated 16 graduate Global Korea Scholarship places on the embassy track, for master's and PhD study. GKS is the Korean government's fully funded scholarship, and United States of America is a partner country.

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Undergraduate embassy places
16
Graduate embassy places
4
Graduate university places (0 general + 4 R-GKS)

Source: 2026 GKS-U Application Guidelines, 3. Program Quota, Embassy Track (p. 4) and 2026 GKS-G Application Guidelines, Program Quota (pp. 6 to 8), published by NIIED. Compare all countries and download the dataset.

How United States of America students apply

There are two tracks. On the embassy track, you apply through the Korean embassy in United States of America, which screens candidates against United States of America's quota above and recommends them to NIIED. On the university track, you apply directly to a single Korean university. Which one fits you, and the trade-offs, are in the embassy vs university track guide.

The eligibility rules (citizenship, age, and GPA), the document set, and the month-by-month timeline are the same for every country. Work through them here: eligibility, documents, and the application timeline.

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Frequently asked questions

How many GKS scholarships does United States of America get?
United States of America has no undergraduate embassy-track allocation in the 2026 guidelines, but the undergraduate UIC university-track program is open to applicants from any country. On the graduate embassy track, United States of America is allocated 16 places across master's and PhD study. The graduate university track adds 4 places for United States of America (General 0, R-GKS 4). These quotas are set per country in the official guidelines; a few strands, like the undergraduate UIC program and the graduate Research program, are open to all countries instead.
Can students from United States of America apply for the Global Korea Scholarship?
Yes. United States of America is a GKS partner country for the graduate scholarship (GKS-G), through the Korean embassy in United States of America or directly to a Korean university. At the undergraduate level, United States of America has no embassy-track quota in the 2026 guidelines, but the UIC university-track program accepts applicants from any country.
Do students from United States of America need to speak Korean to apply for GKS?
No. GKS includes a funded year of Korean language study before your degree begins, so you can apply with no Korean. You only need to reach TOPIK Level 3 during that year to move on to your degree, and holding TOPIK at application time adds points.
What does the GKS scholarship cover for United States of America students?
GKS is fully funded: it covers tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, a funded year of Korean, plus settlement and completion grants and health insurance. The exact amounts are set each year in the official guidelines.
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