Scholarships and Part-Time Work for Students in Austria

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Austria has very few scholarships for international bachelor's students, and the OeAD, the national agency for international study, says so openly. The real saving is the fee system: public universities are free for EU students within the standard length of the degree and charge non-EU students a legal fee of €726.72 per semester. Plan to pay your living costs yourself, and treat any scholarship or job as a bonus.

State scholarships: almost none for bachelor's students

Study in Austria, the OeAD's portal, states that the OeAD does not offer scholarships for a whole degree programme in Austria, bachelor's, master's or PhD. It adds that there are only a few full-degree scholarships from any source.

What exists is listed in grants.at, the Austrian database for scholarships and research grants. It is run by the OeAD, but most of the scholarships in it are administered by other bodies. Filter by your country and by bachelor's level: many grants are for exchange students, researchers or specific countries. Your home country's government may be a better source of a full-degree grant.

Lower fees instead of a scholarship

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens pay no tuition at public universities within the standard length of the degree plus two semesters.
Nationals of the least-developed countries listed in the fee regulation are exempt from the non-EU fee at public universities.
Fachhochschulen set their own fees. Some charge non-EU students far more than public universities; one, FHV in Vorarlberg, currently charges no tuition at all.

See how much it costs to study in Austria for the fee tables.

The state study grant: for residents

The Studienbeihilfe is Austria's means-tested study grant. EU and EEA citizens can receive it only under certain conditions, for example if they or their parents work in Austria or they have the right of permanent residence. Third-country nationals qualify only in specific cases, mainly after long lawful residence in Austria; recognised refugees qualify too. Studies must normally start before your 33rd birthday. In practice, a non-EU student who comes to Austria only to study does not qualify.

Public universities also award merit scholarships (Leistungsstipendien) to students with very good results. The University of Vienna's calls are open to Austrian citizens and to foreigners placed on an equal footing under the same rules as the Studienbeihilfe, so EU citizens can usually apply, while most non-EU students cannot. Amounts are modest and there is no legal right to an award.

University scholarships: examples

Awards for new bachelor's students exist mainly at private universities, as discounts on their own fees:

Modul University Vienna, Supporting Futures Scholarship. For bachelor's applicants, a partial tuition reduction based on school grades or SAT score and on the admission interview. It cannot be combined with most other grants.
Central European University (Vienna), Partial Tuition Awards. A small number of merit-based awards for undergraduate applicants, covering up to 50% of the tuition fee and at most €4,000 per academic year. You indicate your interest in the application form.

At public universities, ask the international office about country-specific grants listed in grants.at.

Working while you study

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can work without a permit.
Non-EU students need a work permit (Beschäftigungsbewilligung) for every job, even a marginal one. The employer requests it from the employment service (AMS). Students can get it for up to 20 hours a week without a labour market test. See student visa for Austria.

Pay

Austria has no statutory minimum wage. Minimum pay is set by collective agreements (Kollektivverträge) for each sector, and paying below the agreement is prohibited. You can look up the agreement for your job at kollektivvertrag.at or ask the Chamber of Labour.

Tax and insurance

A job paying no more than €551.10 a month in 2026 counts as marginal employment (geringfügige Beschäftigung). No social insurance contributions or wage tax are deducted, so gross pay equals net pay. Above that limit, the usual social insurance contributions are deducted. Your health insurance for the residence permit is a separate matter; see health insurance for students in Europe.

Finding a job

University career centres. The University of Vienna runs Uniport, its career centre, with a job board and advice, and WU has the ZBP Career Center. Other universities and Fachhochschulen have similar services.
The AMS job portal lists vacancies across Austria.
German. Without German, most part-time jobs in shops, cafés and offices are hard to get. Ask your university's career centre about English-speaking jobs and student assistant posts.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.