switzerland scholarship scam

This is the time of the year when students are busy applying for admissions and scholarships both locally and internationally.

Needless to say, most students looking for any kind of scholarships are needy and desperate, so it is fairly easy to scam them.


One of the countries who offer international scholarships to foreign students is Switzerland. Since 2012, Switzerland has been offering Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships to support the quality of education, research and innovation. Over 30 young Pakistanis have availed this scholarship.

However, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation has issued a warning regarding false advertisements for Swiss government scholarships.

These fake scholarship ads are being sent by email or on social media. By claiming that so and so amounts of money are required to cover travel or insurance costs, fraudsters get the victims to transfer money to their accounts.

The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students FCS has strictly recommended that students pay no heed to such fraudulent offers and avoid transfering any money to their accounts, as the application process for a Swiss government scholarship is free of charge.

Moreover, Swiss scholarships are offered exclusively via Switzerland’s official diplomatic representations in the applicants’ countries of origin.

We hope this official warning will help save you from getting scammed in the name of a scholarship.

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