Study Law Abroad for Free: Fully Funded LLM Scholarships for International Students

Spend any amount of time researching a Master of Laws abroad and you will run into the same wall almost everyone runs into, which is that the tuition fees alone at top law schools in the United States and the United Kingdom often exceed what many people earn in a year. That single number convinces a huge number of genuinely brilliant lawyers that an LLM abroad is simply not something that happens to people like them. What those people do not realize is that law schools have been quietly building scholarship infrastructure for exactly this problem for decades, because every law school in this post wants its LLM class to include voices from outside the wealthy countries that can already afford the fees, and the only way that happens is if scholarships exist to make it possible. This post the top LLM scholarship for international students from around the world.

If you have a law degree, real-world experience, and a genuine reason for wanting to specialize further, the only thing standing between you and an LLM abroad might be knowing that these scholarships exist.

1. Hauser Global Scholarship, New York University School of Law, United States

What you get: Full tuition plus reasonable living expenses including rent, textbooks, and other study materials, for the full duration of the LLM programme

Who can apply: International LLM applicants to NYU School of Law. Approximately ten Hauser Global Scholars are selected each year, chosen on the basis of intellectual and leadership ability and their capacity to participate productively in a global community of scholars and practitioners. No separate financial aid form is required, since candidates are automatically considered for scholarships as part of the standard LLM admission application.

Timeline: The Hauser Global Scholarship is awarded annually as part of NYU Law’s regular LLM admissions cycle. Check the NYU School of Law graduate admissions page directly for the current cycle’s application deadlines, since LLM application deadlines at NYU typically fall between November and the following spring depending on the specific programme track.

The Hauser Global Scholarship is widely regarded as the most prestigious LLM scholarship at NYU Law, and NYU’s LLM programme is one of the largest and most internationally diverse in the world, with students from dozens of countries each year. Being selected as a Hauser Global Scholar is also a credential that carries weight throughout your legal career, since the network of past Hauser Scholars spans law firms, courts, and international organizations across the globe.

Apply here: NYU Law LLM Scholarships and Awards

2. Chevening Scholarships, United Kingdom

What you get: Full funding for a one-year master’s degree at any UK university in any subject, including LLM programmes. This covers tuition and fees, a travel allowance with associated visa fees, and a monthly living expense stipend.

Who can apply: Citizens of Chevening-eligible countries with at least 2,800 hours of work experience after completing an undergraduate degree, roughly equivalent to two years of full-time work. You must commit to returning to your home country for at least two years after your scholarship ends, hold an undergraduate degree that qualifies you for a UK master’s programme, and apply to three different eligible UK university courses, with at least one unconditional offer secured by the relevant deadline.

Timeline: Applications for the current cycle closed on 7 October 2025. Chevening typically reopens its application portal around August each year for the following academic cycle, so the window for 2027 to 2028 is expected to open around August 2026. If you are reading this now, the most useful thing you can do is research LLM programmes at UK universities using the Chevening course finder so you are ready the moment applications reopen.

Chevening supports approximately 700 scholars annually from over 116 countries, and the programme explicitly includes professional degrees such as law within its eligible course categories. The two-year work experience requirement that puts off some applicants actually works in favour of LLM candidates, since most LLM applicants already have the professional background Chevening is looking for.

Apply here: Chevening Scholarships

3. LLM in European Law Scholarship, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

What you get: One award covering the full Home (UK) or International and EU tuition fee rate for the 2026 to 2027 academic year, tuition fees only

Who can apply: Any applicant accepted for admission to the full-time LLM in European Law starting in the 2026 to 2027 academic year. You must have already applied to and been accepted onto the LLM in European Law programme before applying for this scholarship. Selection is based on academic merit and a personal statement explaining what specifically attracted you to the programme and how completing it will benefit your career and your community.

Timeline: The Deadline is May annually. As with the Tercentenary Award, secure your place on the LLM in European Law programme first, then submit your scholarship application with the required personal statement.

This is a full tuition fee waiver, which on an international LLM fee at a university like Edinburgh represents many thousands of pounds. Edinburgh Law School has been explicit about its ongoing commitment to EU law teaching, which means this scholarship is genuinely backed by institutional priority rather than being a token gesture.

Apply here: LLM European Law Scholarship

4. LLM Comparative Private Law Scholarship, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

What you get: £10,000 to be redeemed against tuition fees only

Who can apply: Any applicant accepted for admission to the full-time LLM in Comparative Private Law starting in September 2026. You must have already applied to and been accepted onto the programme before applying for the scholarship. This award has been made possible thanks to the legacy of Edinburgh Law School alumnus Ewen Cameron and the Edinburgh Legal Education Trust.

Timeline: One partial scholarship available for the September 2026 intake. Apply to the LLM in Comparative Private Law first, then submit the scholarship application.

£10,000 against tuition fees is one of the larger individual law scholarship amounts available at Edinburgh, and because it is tied to one specific programme with a smaller applicant pool than the general LLM intake, your odds may be genuinely better here than for broader university-wide awards.

Apply here: LLM Comparative Private Law Scholarship

5. NYU School of Law Dean’s Awards for LLM Students, United States

What you get: Partial tuition support, with the amount varying based on the strength of your application. The majority of NYU Law’s scholarships fall into this category.

Who can apply: International and domestic LLM applicants to NYU School of Law. As with the Hauser Global Scholarship, candidates apply for scholarships directly on their admission application, and no separate financial aid form is required.

Timeline: Awarded as part of the standard LLM admissions cycle. Check the NYU School of Law graduate admissions page for current application deadlines for your specific LLM track.

While the Hauser Global Scholarship is the headline award, the Dean’s Awards represent the broader pool of partial scholarship funding that NYU Law distributes across its LLM class each year. If you are admitted to NYU Law’s LLM programme, you are automatically in the running for one of these awards without any additional paperwork, which makes a strong overall application your single most important task.

Apply here: NYU Law LLM Scholarships and Financing

6. Edinburgh Law School Tercentenary Awards for Excellence, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

What you get: £5,000 awarded toward tuition fees

Who can apply: Any applicant who has applied to a taught LLM or MSc programme starting in the 2026 to 2027 academic year at Edinburgh Law School, including online learning programmes. The award is made on the basis of academic merit and the strength of a personal statement.

Timeline: Open to applicants for the 2026 to 2027 academic year. You must have already submitted your LLM application before applying for this scholarship, so apply to your chosen Edinburgh LLM programme first and then submit the scholarship application.

Edinburgh Law School is one of the oldest and most respected law schools in the world, and this scholarship applies across virtually all of its taught LLM and MSc programmes, which means almost any LLM applicant to Edinburgh is eligible to apply. £5,000 against UK tuition fees is a meaningful reduction, and the fact that it covers online learning programmes too makes this accessible even if relocating to Edinburgh is not part of your plan.

Apply here: Edinburgh Law School Tercentenary Award for Excellence

7. Postgrad Solutions LLM and Postgraduate Study Bursaries, Worldwide

What you get: Five bursaries of £2,000 each, paid directly to your institution as a discount on your tuition fees

Who can apply: Students of any nationality starting any LLM or postgraduate law degree anywhere in the world, beginning in September or October 2026, January 2026, or January 2027. You must be a member of the free Postgrad Solutions Student Service and must apply only after you have accepted an offer of a place at your chosen institution.

2026 to 2027 deadline: 25 March 2026 for the relevant cycle. Confirm current cycle dates on the Postgrad Solutions website, since this bursary runs on a recurring schedule across multiple intake periods.

This is one of the most genuinely global LLM bursaries available, because it is not tied to any specific university or country. If you have an offer for an LLM anywhere in the world, from Edinburgh to Singapore to Cape Town, you are eligible to apply. The membership requirement is free and takes only a few minutes, making this one of the lowest-effort applications on this list relative to its value.

Apply here: Postgrad Solutions LLM and Postgraduate Study Bursaries

Final Thoughts

Here are a few honest observations after going through all of these LLM scholarships for international students to keep in mind. The biggest funding decisions, like the Hauser Global Scholarship at NYU and the Chevening Scholarship, are integrated directly into your application for the degree itself, so your personal statement and your professional story are doing double duty as both your admission case and your funding case. Treat them with the seriousness that reflects both.

Apply to your LLM programme as early as your preparation allows, because several of the scholarships above, particularly at Edinburgh, explicitly require an existing application or acceptance before you can even submit the scholarship application. The earlier you are in the process, the more scholarship deadlines remain open to you.

Do not assume that smaller awards are not worth your time. A £2,000 bursary through Postgrad Solutions or a £5,000 Tercentenary Award at Edinburgh might feel modest next to a full Chevening scholarship, but these smaller awards often have far less competition, and there is nothing stopping you from applying for several different scholarships toward the same LLM programme.

Chevening remains the single most valuable opportunity on this list for candidates who meet its work experience and nationality requirements, because it gives you the freedom to choose your LLM programme from any UK university while still receiving complete funding. If your country is Chevening-eligible and you have the required work experience, start preparing your university shortlist now so you are ready when applications reopen.

The LLM that changes the trajectory of your legal career might be one application away, and the funding to make it possible already exists, waiting for someone to apply for it.

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