10 Foreign Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Abroad

It is an achievement for a student to receive a scholarship from a foreign country. Various countries offer scholarships to students from different parts of the world including India. However, certain parameters are kept in mind while providing the scholarship to Indian students into programmes such as Masters, Ph.D., undergraduates, and so on. It is important to know the types of foreign scholarships for Indian students and 10 scholarships for Indian students.

Types of Foreign Scholarships:

Scholarships are categorized into the following:

• Merit-based: Scholarships provided in this category are entirely based on the student’s academic background or marks attained in the last qualifying examination.
• Student-specific: Students who categorize themselves based on several factors such as gender, race, religion, family, and medical history may apply for student-specific scholarships.
• Destination-specific: This type of scholarship varies from one country to another. Several public authorities/governments/universities proffer funds to students from a specific country.
• Sports-based: Such scholarships are provided to the best sportsperson. It requires to begin with training and representing the university at several sports events.
• Requirement-based: Such scholarships are given to the students based on their family income and financial status.
• Subject-specific: There are some universities/institutions that give scholarships to pursue a specific field of study.

10 Foreign Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Abroad:

Here is the list of scholarships proffered to Indian students looking forward to studying in a foreign land:

• Tata Scholarship – Cornell University, USA: Tata Education and Development Trust offers Tata scholarships for supporting 20 students from India in partnership with Cornell University. This scholarship is awarded annually for the duration of their undergraduate studies at Cornell University. The university receives a $25 million donation from the Tata Trust and Ratan Tata is a Cornell trustee. The eligibility includes that the student must be a citizen of India complete class X in India and be admitted to Cornell as an undergraduate student. Besides this, the candidate must be eligible for need-based financial aid.
• Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship – UK: This scholarship is offered by Commonwealth Scholarships Commission and offered to Indian students who have completed their studies from English medium school. Also, the candidate’s percentage should be at least 60% marks in Social Sciences and Humanities or at 65% marks in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Agriculture. The scholarship covers the maximum amount of Rs 31, 60,764 inclusive of tuition fee, economy class return airfare, and living expenses.
• Felix Scholarships – UK: This scholarship is meant for meritorious underprivileged students from India. The Felix scholarship is offered for attaining a postgraduate degree in the UK. And to attain the degree, the candidate must be possessed a first-class Bachelor’s degree from some recognized Indian university. The age of the applicant should be at least 30 years. The scholarship amount covers as much as £71,700.
• Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships – USA: United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) offers Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships to Indian Master’s degree applicants in various fields like arts and culture, international legal studies, gender studies, public administration, urban and regional planning, etc. It is applicable for students who have completed 4 years of education and have 3 years of work experience. Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of communication and leadership skills, service to the community, and more. The fellowship covers the expenses on tuition fees, books, living expenses, and economy class air ticket fare.
• Chevening Scholarships – UK: This scholarship is meant for extraordinary Indian students seeking excellent opportunities to acquire a one-year postgraduate program in any program from a university located in the UK. The student who must be a graduate or postgraduate wishes to pursue a master’s degree in the UK can look forward to this scheme. In addition to qualification, the candidate must have a minimum of 2 years of work experience and the fund offered through scholarships covers tuition, living expenses, travel cost to and from the UK, and other allowances.
• UBC International Leader of Tomorrow Award- British Columbia University, Canada: It is especially for international students applying for undergraduate programs at British Columbia University, Canada. To be eligible for the scholarship, the candidate must meet the program requirements and must be proficient in the English language. Ensure submitting all the documents to seek the scholarship. This scholarship covers tuition fees, living expenses and provides financial support.
• Australia Awards Scholarship: This is a fully-funded scholarship awarded to undergraduate and postgraduate applicants from several Indian universities. The applicant must have completed the graduation from the institution. The expenses covered under this scholarship comprises tuition fee, living expenses, establishment allowance, return air ticket, and more.
• Australian Embassy Fully Funded Scholarships: This scholarship aims to provide admission to several Undergraduate, Masters, Ph.D., and MBA courses at the universities located in Australia. Those who have attained 50% in the qualifying may apply for the scholarship. The scheme covers the expenses such as tuition fees free of cost for 4 years, weekly travel allowance, health insurance, and family allowance for married candidates.
• Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships – the USA, UK, and Europe: It is an opportunity for young people possessed with exceptional talent to widen their horizons abroad and improve their skills to work in society. It covers two types of scholarships – University courses and Specific programs. The Scholarships include Indian students who have achieved a first degree from the recognized university in India. The candidate’s age should be less than 30 years and must have 2 years of work experience.
• Melbourne – India PG Scholarship – Australia: The University of Melbourne provides International Post Graduate Scholarship to international students willing to acquire a full-time postgraduate coursework programme to study at the university. The scholarship is applicable for both graduates and undergraduates in several branches such as science, commerce, and arts. Candidates will be selected on the basis of academics. The scholarships include the living expenses of up to $30,600 per year and the relocation grant of up to $3000 and health insurance.