If you have a top-grade bachelor's degree and want a master's in Norway, the BI Presidential Scholarship is worth a close look. For international applicants it covers full tuition for up to two years and adds a living stipend. But the rules are strict, and one wrong step, such as applying by email, can end your chances. This guide uses only BI's official scholarship page (updated 20 October 2026).
What the scholarship is
The BI Presidential Scholarship goes to applicants with superior academic records who are admitted to a master's programme at BI Norwegian Business School's campuses in Oslo, Bergen or Trondheim. It is an entrance scholarship for the first year of a full-time master's programme.
BI says awards are based on academic merit, not financial need. Do not spend your letter describing hardship. Spend it on your academic record.
What you get
- International applicants: full tuition for up to two years, plus a living-expense stipend of NOK 50,000 per semester.
- Norwegian applicants and international applicants who are residents of Norway: full tuition for each semester, for up to two years. No stipend is listed for them.
All of this depends on meeting academic progression requirements. BI also says only one scholarship is awarded per applicant, and the award is tied to one programme at one campus. You cannot transfer it.
Who can apply
- A minimum overall GPA of "A" on the ECTS scale, or the equivalent top-level grade on your country's scale.
- Norwegian or international citizenship.
- Admission to the first year of a full-time master's at Oslo, Bergen or Trondheim.
- You must be seeking your first master's degree.
Applicants to the BI-Luiss Joint Masters in Marketing are not eligible. International candidates who completed a bachelor's in Norway count as residents, so they fall under the tuition-only category. The same goes for those eligible for Norwegian tuition reduction or a Lånekassen student loan, for example with a 180 ECTS bachelor's from a Norwegian institution.
What "A" means for a Nigerian graduate
BI converts international grades to the ECTS scale. The page does not say how a Nigerian First Class, a 4.5 or 5.0 CGPA, or a Ghanaian or Kenyan First Class converts. Do not assume. If your grade sits near a boundary, email BI admissions before you invest in the application and ask how your scale is treated. Use the contact details on BI's website.
The deadline and the timing
The application deadline is March 1. Late applications are not considered. The page does not name the year, so confirm on the official page that March 1, 2027 applies to your intake. March 1 is also when your admission application must be complete, so your transcripts and other documents must be ready by then. For help with that, see our post on transcripts only if that link is available to you; otherwise start from your university's records office now. Nigerian transcripts can take weeks.
How to apply, step by step
- Apply for admission and the scholarship together. BI says to apply for the scholarship at the same time as you apply for admission, through the online portal.
- Prepare one PDF. It should contain your CV/resume and a scholarship application letter of at most one page. Combine them into a single file.
- Upload it in the "Scholarship" section of your online admission application.
- Include every document required for admission. The scholarship is considered only if your admission application is complete and you accept the admission offer.
- Submit once. Only what you submit at application time is reviewed. No extra documents are accepted later.
Scholarship applications are not accepted by email. The only exception is for BI students in the 3rd year of the Siviløkonom programme, who apply in spring by emailing a CV and letter to [email protected] with the subject line "BI Presidential Scholarship Application".
What happens after you apply
- You get the admission offer first. Scholarship offers do not arrive with it.
- You must accept admission while waiting for the scholarship decision. If you do not accept, the scholarship application is not considered.
- Offers may be sent at any point in the admission cycle. Everyone, including unsuccessful applicants, is told by the end of April.
- Accept the scholarship by the date on the offer, or it is withdrawn and given to someone else.
- Decisions are final, non-negotiable and cannot be appealed.
Because you must accept admission before you know about funding, ask yourself now whether you could manage if the scholarship does not come. Check the tuition and living costs on BI's site and plan a fallback. Our decision worksheet can help you compare options.
How selection works
BI says competition is great, and applications from academically excellent applicants far outnumber the awards. Admission to the programme is the first filter. After that, BI says it aims for a diverse, international class, spreads scholarships across master's programmes, and may prioritise certain programmes, diversity and gender distribution, or partner schools. Other factors that may count include other academic achievements, GMAT/GRE scores, extracurricular achievements and special personal achievements.
In practice, a strong GMAT or GRE score is not required by this page, but it is listed as something that may help. If you can sit one before March, it may be worth considering.
International applicants are also considered for the Master's International Scholarship. All applicants are considered for other scholarships they may qualify for without a separate letter, except the Finansforbundet Master Scholarship and the A. Wilhelmsen Foundation Scholarship, which need special letters. Read the BI page for those instructions.
Writing the one-page letter
You have one page to say why you should be chosen. A plan that works for most applicants:
- Opening (2 sentences): your programme, your degree and your grade.
- Academic proof (one paragraph): class rank if you know it, top marks in relevant courses, a project or thesis result, any prize.
- Other achievements (one paragraph): test scores, leadership, work results with numbers.
- Fit (one paragraph): why this programme and why BI, with a specific reason from the course description.
- Close (1-2 sentences): what you will do with the degree.
Our personal statement plan covers the structure in more detail. Your CV should also be short; see our guide on fitting a scholarship CV on one page if that link works for you, or keep it to one to two clean pages.
Keeping the scholarship
You must complete 30 ECTS every semester and hold a cumulative GPA of at least "B" on BI's ECTS scale after each semester. Detailed terms are in the Scholarship Agreement. If you lose it, you lose tuition cover and stipend, so a student who struggles in the first term is at real risk.
Worked example (hypothetical)
Ada has a First Class degree from a Nigerian university. She emails BI in November to ask how her CGPA converts, finds out it is treated as top-level, and applies in January, well before March 1. She uploads a one-page letter and CV as one PDF, with transcripts and the other admission documents. In April she hears back. If she wins, the stipend would be NOK 50,000 per semester, so NOK 200,000 over four semesters, with tuition covered. Check current living costs in Norway yourself before deciding whether that is enough.
Common mistakes
- Emailing the scholarship application instead of uploading it.
- Submitting an incomplete admission application and adding documents later.
- Writing about financial need instead of academic merit.
- Not accepting the admission offer while waiting for the decision.
- Applying to the BI-Luiss Joint Masters in Marketing and expecting this award.
- Trusting agents who promise a guaranteed award. Awards come only from BI, and applying is free of any "scholarship fee". See our post on fake agents if that page is live, and verify any message against bi.no.
Frequently asked questions
Is it fully funded?
For international applicants, BI's page says tuition for up to two years plus NOK 50,000 per semester for living expenses. Whether that covers all your costs depends on your own situation.
Do I need to prove financial need?
No. BI says awards are based on academic merit.
Can I appeal a rejection?
No. Decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
Can I apply with a second-class upper degree?
The page requires the top grade, "A" on the ECTS scale or the equivalent. Ask BI how your grade converts.
Your next step
Open the official BI page today, pick your master's programme, and email admissions about your grade conversion. Then request your transcripts so they are in hand well before March 1.
Sources
Details checked against the official sources above on 14 November 2026. Things change, so confirm on the official site before you act.
Scholarship details, deadlines and eligibility can change. Always confirm on the official website before applying, and never pay anyone who promises to "guarantee" a scholarship.