Scholarships and Part-Time Work for Students in Lithuania

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Lithuania has few scholarships for international bachelor's students, and it is better to know that before you plan. The big help is the free state-funded place, which is open mainly to Lithuanian and EU citizens. Students from outside the EU rely on university discounts, their own savings and, to a limited extent, part-time work.

The main help: a state-funded place

Lithuanian, EU and EFTA citizens, holders of Lithuanian permanent residence and people of Lithuanian origin living abroad can compete for state-funded places through LAMA BPO, the national joint admission. These places carry no tuition fee. They go to the best-ranked applicants, so strong school results are worth real money. See how to get into a university in Lithuania.

Other non-EU students cannot get these places and always pay the fee the institution sets.

State scholarships for foreigners: not for bachelor's

The Lithuanian state scholarships for foreign students, run by the Education Exchanges Support Foundation and listed on Study in Lithuania, are for full-time master's studies, the last two years of integrated studies and short-term study. In 2026 the master's call offered 70 grants to citizens of a list of countries, with a monthly scholarship of €592 plus coverage of the study cost. There is no equivalent call for students starting a bachelor's degree.

The State Studies Foundation

The State Studies Foundation (Valstybinis studijų fondas) supports students with state-supported loans for tuition and living costs, social scholarships, targeted payments and refunds of the study price for the best students on paid places. Each form of support has its own conditions and deadlines, which change every year. Check on its website whether your citizenship and status qualify before you count on any of them.

University scholarships and discounts

Most help for international bachelor's students comes from the institutions. Three examples from their own pages:

VILNIUS TECH offers tuition-free scholarships and partial scholarships of 50% or 25% of the fee to international first-year bachelor's students. For 2026/27 the deadline was 20 April 2026. A full scholarship required at least 80% of the maximum grade in previous results, a partial one at least 70%, plus a motivation letter, two academic references and B2 English. Scholarships continue for four years if the student has no academic debts.
ISM University of Management and Economics gives tuition discounts of up to 50% to applicants with the highest scores, and a 75% Baltic Talent Scholarship to Latvian and Estonian students.
LCC International University in Klaipėda offers need-based aid of 10% to 80% of tuition and several merit scholarships; according to Study in Lithuania, nine out of ten applicants receive need-based aid.

Deadlines for these awards often come months before the admission deadline. Read the conditions for the year you apply.

Working while you study

EU and EFTA citizens may work in Lithuania on the same terms as Lithuanians.

Non-EU students with a temporary residence permit for study may work up to 20 hours a week, according to the EU Immigration Portal. The limit does not apply during the summer holidays set by the institution, and doctoral students have no limit. Your residence permit depends on progress in your studies, so work should not get in the way. More in student visa for Lithuania.

After graduation, you can apply for a temporary residence permit for 12 months to look for work or start a business.

Pay and taxes

The national minimum monthly wage was €1,153 gross in 2026, according to Eurostat. Part-time jobs are paid in proportion to hours worked.

As an employee you are taxed through your employer, who withholds personal income tax and social insurance contributions from your pay. If you pay Lithuanian income tax, you may be able to claim back part of what you pay in tuition: ISM, for example, points to tax relief of up to 20% of tuition paid. Ask the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) about your own case.

Where to find work

Start with your university's career centre. Vilnius University's Career Centre offers individual consultations, help with CVs and links to job and internship adverts for beginners. VILNIUS TECH publishes job and internship offers for its students, Kaunas University of Technology runs its own career days, and ISM has a career centre. Speaking some Lithuanian widens the choice of jobs considerably.

Do not build your budget on part-time earnings. For the residence permit you must show funds for the whole year in advance; see how much it costs to study in Lithuania.

Where to look next

Official sources

Study in Lithuania: Scholarships: state and university scholarships, Education Exchanges Support Foundation
VILNIUS TECH: Scholarships for international students
EU Immigration Portal: Student in Lithuania: work rights and stay after studies
Eurostat: Minimum wages: national minimum wages, updated twice a year

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