The Bolashak (meaning 'Future' in Kazakh) Scholarship is exclusively for citizens of Kazakhstan. Much like Indonesia's LPDP, it is a massively funded national initiative designed to pay for the country's brightest minds to attend the top 100 universities in the world (like Oxford, MIT, and Stanford) and then return to modernize the state.
Quick Overview
Full Requirements & Details
Academic Requirements
- Min. CGPA
- 3.3
- Offer Degrees
- Masters, PhD
- Subjects
- Arts, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics
- Seats Available
- Hundreds annually
- Study Gap Allowed
- No Restrictions (Gap Allowed)
- Research Publication
- Optional
- Work Experience
- Yes (1 yrs)
- Age Range
- No Age Limit
Language Requirements
- IELTS
- Min. 6.5
- TOEFL
- Optional
- GRE
- Not Required
- Local Language
- Kazakh
- Local Lang Test
- Yes (B1)
- Study Languages
- English
Financial Details
- Type
- Full
- Fund Details
- See Description
- Monthly Stipend
- USD 0/mo
- Tuition
- Full
- Living Costs
- Full
- Travel & Health
- Yes / Yes
- Application Fee
- Free (No Application Fee)
- Spouse Allowed
- No
What Matters Most
Required Documents
Why You Should Apply
It is a blank check for your education. If accepted, the Kazakh government pays for your elite international tuition fees (which can exceed $60,000 a year), flights, medical insurance, a book allowance, and a generous monthly stipend adjusted to the cost of living of your destination city (e.g., higher for London or New York).
Application Process
You apply through the eGov portal. The selection process is a brutal multi-stage gauntlet. You must pass a Kazakh language proficiency test (KazTest), a foreign language exam (if you don't already have high IELTS scores), a psychological assessment, and finally, an intense interview with an independent expert commission.
How to Win This Scholarship
You absolutely must secure an unconditional admission letter from a university listed on the official Bolashak 'approved universities' list before applying. Furthermore, your major must exactly match the government's list of 'priority specialties' for that year. The interview panel does not care about your personal dreams; they only care about how your specific degree from MIT will directly fix a problem in Kazakhstan's civil engineering or medical infrastructure.
Benefits After Completing Study
Bolashak alumni essentially form the elite ruling class and corporate leadership of modern Kazakhstan. It is an unparalleled networking credential.
The bond is absolute and backed by legal collateral. You must pledge real estate (owned by you or your relatives) to the government before leaving. Upon graduation, you must return to Kazakhstan and work in your specialty for 3 to 5 years.
If you fail to return or drop out, the state will seize your pledged real estate.
Official Source
For complete details and to verify all requirements, please refer to the scholarship provider's official website.
Visit Official Source