Ultimate Guide: Top 20+ Scholarships to Study Abroad for Indian Students

Want to know how you can make it to your favorite study-abroad destination? But not sure how you can afford it. We all know that no matter where you choose to study; you are bound to need some extra sources of funding to help you cover the expenses. We have some good news for you! The good news is that there are a large number of scholarships to study abroad available for international students.

This comprehensive guide will inform you all about the top scholarships to study abroad available for Indian students in major study destinations like the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, and Australia.

Before we jump right in and know all about the names of scholarships to study abroad, let’s first take a quick look at a few important questions.

What are the types of Scholarships?

Scholarships to study abroad are undoubtedly highly competitive and highly regarded. Since these international scholarships are not to be paid, making them the most valuable form of financial aid and to date the most difficult to secure.

To improve your chances of winning a scholarship award, you must first know about the different types of Scholarships available and how to apply for International scholarships to study abroad. Take a look at the image below and understand the different types of Scholarships available:

Where should you look for Scholarships to Study Abroad?

Finding scholarships to study abroad is a lengthy and time-consuming process but a very crucial part of your whole study abroad plan. So, remember the steps discussed below while looking for international scholarships:

How to apply for Scholarships to study abroad?

• International scholarships for Indian students are offered by a large number of universities, governments and external organizations. The procedure to apply for scholarships to study abroad is crucial and must be given due importance.
• Most universities/ governments and external organizations list their scholarship opportunities online with specific steps on how to apply. Therefore, applicants must make sure to check the official website of the designated scholarships and awards for detailed information.
• Generalized steps to apply for an international scholarship for Indian Students is given below:

Scholarships for Indian Students to Study in UK

Study abroad scholarships are a great source of funding for international students as UK education isn’t cheap these days. This makes scholarships and funding the most sought-after option for Indian students. A list of scholarships for Indian students to study in UK has been curated. Take a look below:

British Council GREAT scholarships to study abroad for Indian Students

The British Council has launched the Great Scholarships for International students to study in the UK. The scholarship is in collaboration with the UK’s GREAT Britain Campaign. Such an international scholarship for Indian students offers tremendous work-related opportunities. Take a look at the table for details about this scholarship:

Eligibility

• Applicants for this scholarship must be Indian passport holders and residents of India at the time of application.
• Applicants must have an undergraduate degree to be eligible for a postgraduate degree in UK universities.
• Applicants must meet the English language requirement as per the UK Higher education institutions.
• Applicants must have an offer from the list of participating universities in the UK.

Universities accepting GREAT Scholarships	Subjects/ Courses applicable	Value
Imperial College of London	Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine	£10,000
Robert Gordon University	All subjects	£10,000
Sheffield Hallam University	All subjects	£10,000
University of Bath	Engineering & Design; Humanities & Social Sciences; Science; Management	Up to £25,000
University of Cranfield	Full-time master’s courses in Energy and Power, Environment and Agri-food, Water Manufacturing Transport Systems	£11,000
University of Kent	All subjects	£10,000
University of Nottingham	All subjects	£10,000
University of Warwick	Master’s programs in the School of Engineering	£20,000
Newcastle University	All subjects	£10,000
University of East Anglia	All subjects	£10,000
Manchester University	Postgraduate taught the program in the School of Social Sciences, including Law Postgraduate taught the program in the Faculty of Science and Engineering	£10,000

University of Oxford Felix Scholarships for Indian Students

Scholarships to study abroad for international students seeking opportunities to upgrade their career or education. One such study abroad scholarship is The Felix Scholarship. The Felix Scholarship offered by Oxford University enables outstanding students from India to pursue graduate studies in any subject.

Eligibility

• Applicant must be applying to start a new, full-time Master’s course or full-time DPhil course at the University of Oxford.
• The applicant must be an Indian national and resident in India.
• Applicants must have an undergraduate or Master’s degree from a recognized Indian university.
• The applicant must return to India after the completion of the studies.

Name of University	Subjects/ Courses	Value/ other benefits
University of Oxford	All subjects – Graduate level	100% of course fees Grant for living costs of around £15,100 One return flight from India to the UK

Heriot-Watt Undergraduate Merit Award

The undergraduate Merit Award is for international students looking for scholarships to study in the UK. The Heriot-Watt University grants this award to Indian students seeking higher studies within the School of Energy, Geosciences, Infrastructure, and Society.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be domiciled in India at the time of application and classified as overseas students for fee purposes starting a full-time on-campus program of study.
• Applicant must be self-funding their course in order to be eligible for such scholarships to study abroad.
• The applicant must be holding an offer to study a full-time undergraduate course at the university.

Name of University	Course Level	Value
Heriot-Watt University	Foundation, UG & PG	-Partial scholarships worth £1500-£3,000 -Up to 50% on the tuition fee

LSE Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

LSE Commonwealth Shared Scholarship is administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK. This international scholarship for Indian students in the UK enables students of excellent academic potential to benefit from the higher education offered in the UK.

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a resident of India or a national of an eligible commonwealth developing country.
• The applicant must hold first division at either first-class or upper-second-class level.
• The applicant must submit proof of fluency in the English language to pursue studies at LSE.
• Applicants will have to return to their home country as soon as their award ends. To be eligible for such scholarships to study abroad, applicants have to come back to their resident country for a period of 2 years.

Name of University	Course Level	Value/ other benefits
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)	PG- M.Sc. Development Management M.Sc. Environment and Development M.Sc. Gender, Development and Globalization M.Sc. Global Health Policy M.Sc. International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies M.Sc. Local Economic Development	-100% of course fees -Airfares to and from the UK -Maintenance allowance of around £16,775

Ms. Agatha Harrison Memorial Fellowship at St. Antony’s College

Ministry of Human Resource Development administers Ms. Agatha HarrisonMemorial Fellowship. The fellowship is fully funded by the Government of India and the selected fellow is placed as Junior Research Fellow at the St. Antony College, University of Oxford London.

Eligibility

• Applicants must have an academic record with 60% (at least) in Post-Graduation and with a Ph.D. degree in the subject field chosen or published works of equivalent merit.
• The applicant must be between the age of 30-40 years.
• Applicants must have an academic bent or specialize in History, Economics, and Political Science.
• Applicant must have three years of teaching experience at the Graduate/ Post Graduate level after completing a Ph.D.

Name of University	Course Level	Value/ other benefits
Oxford University	Post-Graduate	Stipend Amount- £ 22,063.00 Travel Allowance £ 890.00 Other expenses- 7016.85

Oxford and Cambridge Society of India (OCSI) Scholarships

The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India (OCSI) is a not-for-profit organization based in New Delhi, India. The scholarships- OCSI K.K. Luthra Memorial Scholarship and OCSI Anita Banerji Memorial Scholarship- enable Indian students to study in the UK at reasonable costs in the various course/ program levels.

Eligibility

• The applicant must be a citizen of India and a permanent resident of India.
• The applicant must be a graduate of an Indian university if applying to a second undergraduate or for a post-graduate course.
• The applicant must have applied for and secured admission to study a full-time course at the University of Cambridge or the University of Oxford.
• Applicant must be admitted to the University of Cambridge or the University of Oxford through the University’s normal academic procedures.

Name of Participating Universities	Courses offered	Value
University of Cambridge University of Oxford	The research leading to the Ph.D. degree One-year PG courses (e.g. MPhil, LLM, BCL, Diploma, CASM or Part III Maths, MBA, PGCE, etc.) Bachelor’s degree program	1,00,000 per each Scholarship

Saltire Scholarships to study abroad for Indian Students

Saltire Scholarships are offered by the Scottish Government in collaboration with Scottish universities in the areas of science, technology, creative industries, healthcare, and medical sciences, and renewable and clean energy.

Eligibility

• Applicant must an offer of a place at a Scottish university on an eligible course.
• Applicant must be a citizen of India
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they can meet the costs of living in Scotland and the remaining tuition fees.
• The applicant must not have previously studied for a full undergraduate degree in Scotland.
• The applicant must meet the language requirements of the course.

Name of participating universities	Course level	Value
Abertay University Edinburgh Napier University Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh	Masters	Offers up to 50 awards, each worth £8000

Scholarships for Indian Students to Study in Canada

Scholarships to study abroad have been a great source of funding for international students higher education in Canada isn’t cheap these days. This makes scholarships and funding the most sought-after option for Indian students. A list of scholarships for Indian students to study in Canada has been curated. Take a look below:

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships are administered by the Canadian Government. This Canadian Scholarship is available to international students for doctorate-level education.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, and foreign citizens.
• Applicant must be nominated by an only a Canadian institution
• Applicant must be pursuing your first doctoral degree (including joint undergraduate/graduate research program such as MD/Ph.D., DVM/Ph.D., JD/Ph.D. – only if it has an established and significant research component)
• The applicant must have achieved a first-class average, as determined by your institution.
• Applicants must make sure to check the official website of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for the latest notification.

Name of University	Subjects/ Courses applicable	Value
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus	Doctoral degree level for social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health-related fields.	$50,000 (per year)

Ontario Graduate Scholarship to study abroad for Indian Students

Ontario Graduate Scholarship program is for students in graduate studies seeking masters and doctoral-level courses.

Eligibility

• The applicant must be in graduate studies at the masters or doctoral level.
• Applicant must have achieved a first-class average, a minimum of 80%, in each of the last two full-time academic years.
• The applicant must be enrolled in a full-time program for 2 or more terms for the academic year.
• The applicant must be attending any one of the lists of participating institutions.

Name of Participating Universities	Course/ Subject offered	Value
Brock University Carleton University University of Guelph Lakehead University Laurentian University McMaster University Nipissing University OCAD University University of Ontario Institute of Technology University of Ottawa Queen’s University Ryerson University University of Toronto Trent University University of Waterloo Western University Wilfrid Laurier University University of Windsor York University	All Master’s level courses	CAD 15,000 (Total)

University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship

This scholarship shall be held with the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF) and other awards offered by the University of Manitoba. This is one of the many scholarships for Indian students to study in Canada. International students entering their first year of full-time graduate studies with a master’s, Ph.D., or graduate diploma are eligible for this program.

Eligibility

• Applicant must be entering the first year of full-time study in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba, pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D. degree or Graduate Diploma
• Applicant must have achieved a minimum admission grade point average of 3.5 based on their last 60 credit hours (or equivalent) of study or last equivalent two full years.
• Applicant must have been admitted as a full-time student or have cleared provisional admission as a Master’s or Ph.D. student in a graduate program at the University of Manitoba.
• The applicant must not hold any prior scholarships or awards.

Name of University	Course/ Subject	Value
University of Manitoba	Master’s and Doctoral level	Master’s: $14,000 per year Doctoral: $18,000 per year

Trudeau Foundation Scholarships

Trudeau Foundation Scholarships offer scholarship awards for international and domestic students for Doctoral programs. These scholarships to study abroad offers several work-related opportunities for scholars.

Eligibility

• Applicant must be already accepted into or in years one, two, or three of full-time doctoral programs in the humanities or social sciences.
• Applicant’s doctoral work must relate to at least one of the Foundation’s four central themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, and People and their Natural Environment.
• Applicants must make sure to check the official website of the designated university.

Name of University	Course/ subject applicable	Value
All Canadian Universities	Doctoral in Human Rights and Dignity Responsible Citizenship Canada and the World People and their Natural Environment	-$40,000 per year for three years -For tuition and living expenses Up to $20,000 per year for three years -For research and travel allowance

Queen’s University International Scholarships

The University of Queens attracts international students to all programs of study at the undergraduate level. Scholarships to study abroad are offered to students with a high level of academic excellence by various international and U.S. students.

Eligibility

The applicant must be entering the first year of post-secondary education for the first time.
Applicants must qualify for the minimum score requirements in the respective programs to which they have applied.

Name of University	Subject/ Course applicable	Value
Queen’s University	All programs of study	$20,000 (for Indian students)

Scholarships for Indian Students to Study in Germany

DAAD Scholarships

The DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) Scholarship in Germany is the world’s largest funding organization for international students from developing countries. It offers many scholarships for international students to study in Germany at various degree levels. Such scholarships to study abroad offer tremendous career-enhancement opportunities for international students seeking study abroad scholarships.

Graduate School Scholarship Program (GSSP) is an international scholarship for Indian Students who are qualified doctoral candidates and young academics and scientists.

Eligibility

• The applicant must have completed a Master’s degree or diploma or a Bachelor’s degree (exceptional cases)
• The applicant must be a permanent resident of the country of origin. (Must regularly check the updated DAAD Scholarship database for more information)

Name of University	Subjects/ Courses applicable	Value
All major state-recognized universities in Germany	Law, Economics, and Social Sciences Mathematics/ Natural Sciences Medicine Veterinary Medicine/ Agriculture, Forestry and Nutritional Science Engineering Art, Music, Sport	-Monthly payments of 1,200 Euros -Payments toward health, accident, and personal liability insurance cover -Travel lump sum (depending on the country of origin) -Annual research allowance of 460 Euros

Heinrich Böll Scholarships for International Students

The Heinrich Böll Foundation awards scholarships to study abroad for both German and international students following the guidelines issued by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Eligibility

Applicants must have a master’s degree and proof of professional qualification must be provided

Name of Universities	Courses/ Program	Value
All state-recognized universities in Germany	All UG and Graduate courses	-€850 per month plus various individual allowances -Funding of tuition fees is possible in certain cases

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Scholarships

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Scholarships are offered to international students for postgraduate and doctoral candidates at German Universities and colleges. Such scholarships to study abroad for Indian students offer great career-enhancement opportunities at post-graduate and doctoral levels.

Eligibility

• Applicants must have already completed their studies in their home country and complete further study (postgraduate program / Master), a doctorate, or at least a two-semester research stay at a German university.
• Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and submit proof of English language fluency as required by the university.

Name of the University	Course Level	Value
All state-recognized universities in Germany	Postgraduate or Master and Doctoral	Fully funded

Universität Hamburg Merit Scholarships

Scholarships to study abroad for international students comes with a number of career-enhancement opportunities. Universität Hamburg supports outstanding international students and doctoral researchers of all subjects and degree levels.

Eligibility

• The applicant must be an Indian Citizen.
• Applicants must be pursuing an academic degree at Universität Hamburg and have been enrolled in your degree program for at least 2 semesters.
• Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and submit proof of English language fluency as required by the university.

Name of University	Course Level	Value
Universität Hamburg	Doctoral level	Monthly €850Merit scholarship totaling €1,000 per month

Scholarships for Indian Students to Study in USA

Fulbright-Nehru Research Fellowships

Scholarships to study abroad have been one of the most regarded sources of financial aid for Indian students. Most international students apply for Fulbright- Nehru Research Fellowships. These fellowships are offered to outstanding Indian students who want to pursue study at any level within an accredited US institution.

Eligibility

• The applicant must either possess a four-year bachelor’s degree; or a completed master’s degree, or a full-time postgraduate diploma from a recognized Indian institution if the bachelor’s degree is of less than four years duration.
• The applicant must have at least three years of full-time (paid) professional work experience relevant to the proposed field of study by the application deadline.

Name of the University	Program level	Value
All universities associated with Fulbright fellowships	Master’s and PhD	US$20,000 for one nine-month academic year

Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowships for Indian students

Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowships are one of the most preferred scholarships to study abroad. This scholarship is offered to support Indian nationals looking for scholarship awards for MBA at Stanford University.

Eligibility

• Applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree which is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree in any field.
• The applicant must submit scores of GMAT or GRE and IELTS, PTE, or TOEFL if applicable.
• Applicants are required to return to India after their completion of the program.

Name of University	Program offered	Value
Stanford University	MBA	USD 92,638 (yearly)

The Tata Scholarship Fund

The Tata Scholarship Fund is offered to Indian students to have access to undergraduate studies at Cornell University. Scholarships to study abroad like the Tata Scholarship hold tremendous value for Indian students who are looking for study abroad scholarships to upgrade their careers.

Eligibility

• Applicant must be an Indian citizen
• The applicant must be offered an undergraduate degree at Cornell University.
• Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and submit proof of English language fluency as required by the university.

Name of University	Program level/ subjects	Value
Cornell University	UG level: College of Architecture, Art, and Planning  College of Engineering Applied Economics and Management Major in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Majors across colleges in the biological sciences, physical sciences, and other “hard” sciences, as well as the social sciences.	Varies

Inlaks Scholarships

Inlaks Scholarships to study abroad are offered to Indian students looking for graduate courses in various fields. This scholarship for Indian students to study in the USA is awarded by Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation. Awarding study abroad scholarships like this one opens a great pathway for international students.

Eligibility

• Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from a recognized university in India
• The applicant must have been offered admission to the designated institutions.
• Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and submit proof of English language fluency as required by the university.

Name of University	Courses offered	Value
All universities in USA, UK, Germany	Master’s Degree, Master’s Diploma, Master’s Certificate	US$100,000 (total)

Scholarships for Indian Students to Study in Australia

Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS)

Australia Awards Scholarships are awarded to international students from developing countries particularly those countries located in the Indo-Pacific region, to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions. Awarding of such scholarships to study abroad for international students is based on merit and enables students to exceed their potential.

Eligibility

• The applicant must be a citizen of a participating country and be a permanent resident applying for the scholarship from their country of citizenship
• The applicant must be able to fulfill the admission requirements of the designated institution at which the award is to be undertaken
• The applicant must be able to fulfill all requirements of the Department of Home Affairs to hold a Student Visa.

Name of participating Universities	Courses offered	Value
Australian Catholic University Bond University Canberra Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon University Central Queensland University Charles Darwin University Charles Sturt University Flinders University Griffith University Holmesglen Institute of TAFE James Cook University La Trobe University Macquarie University Melbourne Polytechnic Monash University Murdoch University Queensland University of Technology RMIT University Southern Cross University	Bachelors/Masters/ PhD Degrees	-Full tuition fees -Return air travel -Establishment allowance, -Contribution to living expenses (CLE) -Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), -Introductory Academic Program (IAP) -Pre-course English (PCE) fees

Victoria University International Scholarships

Victoria University International Scholarships are offered to a host of international students looking for higher studies in Australia. Awarding such scholarships to study abroad is based on academic merit and requires students to have achieved results that are higher than VU’s academic entrance requirements.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time load (48 credit points in each study period) and maintain a 60 Weighted Average Mark (WAM), calculated after the completion of every 96 credit points, to receive the scholarship in subsequent semesters.
• Applicants who have received a scholarship or sponsorship from another organization are not eligible for this scholarship.
• Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and submit proof of English language fluency as required by the university.

Name of University	Course/ Program offered	Value
Victoria University	UG & PG	-A$3,000 for the first two study periods and up to A$12,000 for total tuition fees. -A$3,000 for the first two study periods and up to A$6,000 towards tuition fees.

La Trobe scholarships for International Students

La Trobe scholarships offer scholarship grants for International students for a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and research scholarships. It is one of the most sought-after scholarships to study abroad for international students in Australia.

Eligibility

• The applicant must have a Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field of study from a recognized university.
• Applicant must also have a minimum Weighted Mark Average (WAM) 60% (or it’s equivalent based on the level of standard assessed by the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition) in their previous qualification.
• The applicant must also submit the required proof of English language proficiency and other eligibility criteria related to entrance exams.

Name of University	Courses offered	Value
La Trobe University	All programs Bachelor’s and Master’s and doctoral	$27,596 per annum Varies for Ph.D. and doctoral programs

Summing Up

In this article, we discussed in detail the list of top scholarships to study abroad, what are the types of scholarships, and discussed various steps to apply for international scholarships. Although the entire process of study abroad gets overwhelming, chances are you may get stuck at any point in time while making such crucial career decisions.

Talk to expert career counselors and get rid of your apprehensions about studying overseas. Even if your questions are silly or may be very crucial for your career, career counselors are just a call away to answer all your queries.

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