Participation Fees & Scholarships
SMARTLight offers Erasmus Mundus scholarships and additional financial support opportunities to help students pursue an international Master's education in smart lightwave technologies for future 6G telecommunications systems.
Students may apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship or participate as self-funded students. Participation fees for self-funded students depend on the selected mobility pathway, while additional scholarships and fee waivers may be available subject to the programme's funding arrangements and applicable conditions.
Participation Fees for Self-Funded Students
SMARTLight has established a registration fee structure for self-funded students, with fees determined by the mobility pathway followed.
The same registration fee structure applies to EU and non-EU students.
Mobility Pathway | Annual Fee | Total Fee (2 years) |
|---|---|---|
Pathway 1 — CAU → Aston | € 6,000 | € 12,000 |
Pathway 2 — CAU → UNIBS | € 3,000 | € 6,000 |
Pathway 3 — UNIBS → Aston | € 6,000 | € 12,000 |
Pathway 4 — UNIBS → UMLP | € 3,000 | € 6,000 |
Pathway 5 — UMLP → Aston | € 6,000 | € 12,000 |
Pathway 6 — Aston → UNIBS | € 6,000 | € 12,000 |
Applicants may indicate their preferred mobility pathway, but the final pathway is determined through the SMARTLight selection process.
Partial registration fee waivers are available to support self-funded students, subject to funding availability.
Insurance
Both Erasmus Mundus scholarship holders and self-funded students will be covered by a two-year insurance package for health, travel and stay-related risks. Policy details and conditions will be made available in advance through the SMARTLight portal.
Erasmus Mundus Scholarships
SMARTLight offers 70 Erasmus Mundus Joint Master scholarships across its first four student intakes.
The programme's requested scholarship allocation comprises:
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10 scholarships for students from EU Member States and third countries associated with the programme.
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40 scholarships for students from third countries not associated with the programme.
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20 scholarships for students from targeted regions, comprising 2 IPA and 18 NDICI scholarships.
Erasmus Mundus scholarships are available to eligible applicants from EU Member States, third countries associated with the Erasmus+ Programme, and third countries not associated with the Programme, subject to the applicable scholarship allocation and eligibility requirements.
Scholarship allocation follows the Erasmus Mundus country-balance principle, with no more than 10% of scholarships awarded to candidates of the same nationality, except for scholarships earmarked for Target Regions.
Applicants must indicate during the centralised application process whether they are applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship or as a self-funded student.
Scholarship applicants will be assessed through the SMARTLight selection procedure. Scholarship holders must provide the documentation required to verify eligibility, including proof of residence where applicable.
Other Scholarships and Funding Opportunities
SMARTLight identifies the following additional financial support opportunities for self-funded students:
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SMARTLight Consortium Scholarships: Up to two scholarships per intake, providing €400 per month for a maximum of 24 months and €1,000 per year towards travel and installation costs.
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Full Tuition Fee Waivers: Complementary funding from Aston University and Kiel University (CAU) for two full tuition fee waivers per programme.
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Partial Registration Fee Waivers: Financial support to reduce registration fees for self-funded students.
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AiPT Scholarships: Scholarships worth €5,000 each, with at least five scholarships per programme.
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Aston University Vice-Chancellor International Scholarships: Scholarships of up to £10,000, targeting three scholarships.
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Graduate School Scholarships: Potential opportunities through Aston University, CAU, UNIBS and UMLP.
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Other Funding Opportunities: Regional scholarships, national funding programmes, research-project funding and potential industry-supported scholarships.
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Industry-Sponsored Scholarships: The consortium will work with its industrial partners to develop additional scholarship opportunities, targeting two scholarships per intake.
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Support for Under-Represented Regions: Merit-based partial fee waivers will be developed for students from under-represented regions who do not receive a full scholarship.
The availability of additional scholarships and fee waivers depends on the applicable funding arrangements and eligibility conditions.