Scholarships and Financial Aid for Student Housing in Zurich

Zurich is known for its high living costs—especially when it comes to accommodation—making financial aid crucial for many students. Fortunately, a range of scholarships, grants, and subsidies can help offset housing expenses and general living costs for students in the Zurich area. Below we break down key funding sources, from university grants to government programs and private foundations.

For tips on managing expenses, see our guide on Cost of Living.

University Scholarships and Grants in Zurich

ETH Zurich offers social scholarships for students with limited financial means, usually these are only available after the first year studyETH Zurich Scholarships.

The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) provides outstanding Master’s students with a stipend covering full study and living costs ESOP ETH. ESOP recipients receive a generous grant (approximately CHF 12,000 per semester plus a tuition waiver) to ensure they can focus on studies without financial hardship. Certain ETH departments also have dedicated scholarships (e.g. the Giorgio Pegoraro, Oskar Jeger scholarships) for top students in specific fields Merit-based Excellence Scholarships.

International students must apply for scholarships in their own country first. But after their first year of study in Switzerland and applying in their home country they can then apply to ETH or UZH for financial support ETH Scholarships for International StudentsUZH Solidarity Fund.

All ETH scholarships are administered through the Financial Aid Office, and details can be found on the official ETH student finance pages (ETH Zurich Scholarships).

Though not grants, ETH and UZH provide interest free loans for financing study and living costs in situations where other funding is not availableETH Interest Free Loans UZH Interest Free Loans.

Other institutions like the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and ZHdK refer students to cantonal grants but do not have their own scholarships.

Swiss Government Financial Aid (Cantonal and Federal)

Swiss cantons offer need-based education grants (Stipendium) covering tuition and living expenses. Zurich residents apply through the Canton of Zurich’s Stipendienstelle.

The City of Zurich provides an additional monthly housing allowance (CHF 100–150) for people who have been residents of Zurich for at least two years to help cover rent Training Scholarships - City of Zurich.

The federal Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships target international PhD/postdoc researchers, offering around CHF 1,920 monthly, covering living and housing.Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship info

Private Foundations and Housing Assistance

• Heyning-Roelli Foundation provides grants for exchange students.
• Charles E. Sheet Foundation provides grants to both Swiss and foreign students.
• Swiss Study Foundation provides needs-based support to both Swiss and foreign students.

Erasmus and International Student Grants for Housing

The Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP) provides scholarships for eligible students.