Since 1949, the Ministry of Education has awarded grants to students at foreign universities to study the BA Programme in Icelandic as a Second Language at the University of Iceland. In 2010, the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies took over this responsibility and now administers these grants on behalf of the Icelandic Ministry of Culture and Business Affairs. The Scholarships are intended for those who have already begun studies in Icelandic or another Nordic language in their home countries.
This year, five new scholarships were awarded to recipients from China, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, and Poland, and seven continuing scholarships were awarded to recipients from France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United States.
Throughout the history, grant recipients have come from approximately 40 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia. Notably, many of these recipients include university professors specialising in Nordic Studies, Icelandic language instructors at foreign universities, as well as translators of Icelandic literature.