A scholarship in the United Kingdom (UK) for Indian students may seem difficult. However, the country has numerous scholarships for eligible aspirants from India and other countries. Scholarships help lighten the financial load considerably since tuition fees and living costs can be expensive in the UK.
You can plan, assess your eligibility, and apply for scholarships to study abroad. However, understanding the entire process is necessary if you want to obtain a good scholarship in the UK. Although there are many scholarships for studying abroad for Indian students, we will discuss scholarships for Indian students in the UK here.
How to Get Scholarships in the UK for Indian students?
To avail scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK, a candidate must have a good academic record. Scholarships are also dependent upon many factors like your chosen location, educational level, and your preferred subject. For several scholarships, the criteria include participation in social and community initiatives and extra-curricular activities. Some scholarships may require just an application, while others require writing essays and providing other documents.
Eligibility Criteria for the scholarship include your nationality (Indian in this case), completion of earlier education in an English-medium institution, good academic scores, and other requirements like co-curricular activities in some cases. The general scholarship intakes in the UK take place in September, with minor intakes happening from January to March and in July and November.
The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully-funded scholarship program at the University of Oxford for students to take admission to postgraduate courses and PhD programs. The scholarship covers Oxford University (and College) fees and an annual stipend. For the 2021/22 academic year, the stipend was £17,310 per annum (£1,442.50 per month). The number of Rhodes scholarships available is 100. The Global Rhodes Scholarship 2023-2024 will start accepting online applications from June 1, 2022, to October 6, 2022.
Eligibility
The Rhodes Scholarship is applicable only to students coming to study in the UK for the first time. The applicant must be 26 years or less than that when applying for the scholarship.
GREAT Scholarships
GREAT Scholarships offer scholarships to students from 18 countries studying various subjects at UK universities. Each scholarship is worth a minimum of £10,000 as tuition fees for any one-year postgraduate course.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this scholarship, the candidate must be a citizen of the 18 countries, which include Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam. The candidate must also fulfill the English language requirement. The applications for the academic year 2022-23 are open.
British Chevening Scholarships in the UK for International Students
Chevening is one of the most prestigious and competitive scholarships. The scholarship offers full financial support to pursue any eligible master’s degree at any university in the UK university. Applications for 2022-23 Chevening Scholarships are closed, and the names of successful applicants will be announced in June 2022. The scholarship rewards up to £18,000, covering tuition fees, monthly stipend, travel, and visa costs.
Eligibility
One of the foremost eligibility criteria to apply for the scholarship is to be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory. Applicants must return to their home country for at least two years after the award ends. The candidate must have at least two years (equivalent to 2,800 hours) of work experience.
The Felix Scholarship
The Felix Scholarship was started to provide underprivileged students from India and other developing countries the opportunity to pursue their postgraduate education at a university in the UK. Since 2001, the scholarships have been awarded to underprivileged students from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cameroon, Malawi, Egypt, Nepal, Hungary, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Turkey, South Africa, Belarus, Peru, Czech Republic, Kenya, and Ghana. The scholarship covers 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs (around £15,840).
Eligibility
Underprivileged and academically gifted students who hold a first-class in Bachelor’s degree from a recognized Indian university are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
AS Hornby Educational Trust Scholarship
The AS Hornby Educational Trust scholarships are awarded to English language teachers (non-resident of the UK) to pursue masters in ELT at the University of Warwick. The scholarship rewards include all the costs in the UK, including a monthly stipend, tuition fees, and expenses of tickets, visa, and IELTS test.
Eligibility
Applicants eligible for the scholarship award must have at least three years of English language teaching experience and a university degree; both should be full-time. Candidates should also fulfil the level of English proficiency prerequisite by the university.
Inlaks Scholarships
The Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation scholarship is one of the scholarships that meritorious Indian students can opt for. Established in 1976 by entrepreneur Indoo Shivdasani, the foundation provides awards and grants for academically-gifted Indian students. These scholarships focus primarily on Indian students.
Eligibility
Candidates applying for this scholarship must be 30-year-old and should have an undergraduate degree. Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation scholarships offer up to $100,000 to selected Indian scholars.
Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships
The Scottish Government offers these scholarships in collaboration with Scottish universities and colleges. The scholarship rewards at least 50 awards. The monetary value of each reward is £8000 for any one year of full-time postgraduate Master’s program at any higher educational institution in Scotland.
Eligibility
Citizens from Canada, China (including Hong Kong), India, Japan, Pakistan, and the USA are eligible for these scholarships. The applicant must have a conditional or unconditional offer from any Scottish university. Also, meet the required language criteria and hadn’t studied in Scotland or received this particular scholarship.
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the UK manages the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP). Around 800 students are offered this scholarship to pursue their postgraduate degrees in the UK every year.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this scholarship, a candidate must be a citizen of the Commonwealth countries and possess the potential to bring positive changes on the global stage.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship aims to promote improved higher educational quality through academic relationships and cooperation between Europe and other parts of the world. There are scholarships for students and researchers with academically bright records for following any Erasmus Mundus master’s course or joint doctorate at two or more universities in Europe.
Eligibility
The candidate must be an Indian citizen, and they should not have received any similar scholarship under the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 project. Also, candidates must meet minimum English language criteria.
Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarships assist academically outstanding students from India with the opportunity to pursue PhD at Cambridge University in subjects like Science, Technology, Economics, and Social Sciences.
Eligibility
The scholarships include course fees, international airfare, visa costs, and a monthly stipend to pursue doctoral studies at St John’s College.
Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships (CWIT)
These scholarships are offered to artists and heritage professionals aged 28–38 years from all disciplines for 10 months. Every year at least 7 long-term awards are offered. This scholarship enables the awardee to gain expertise in their chosen fields through postgraduate study (one year course) at a university in the UK. CWIT usually prioritizes candidates who choose to study at universities outside London. The reward includes accommodation and living expenses in the UK and a contribution of £600 towards the international travel costs.
Eligibility
Indian citizens living in India aged between 28 and 38, the candidate should not have received a CWIT grant within the last five years and have a first degree, diploma or professional qualification in their specialization.
Goa Education Trust Scholarships
This is managed by the British Council, India with an aim to promote the growth of the region. These scholarships reward partial or total fee payments for postgraduate studies in the UK.
Eligibility
Candidates eligible for this scholarship must be Indian nationals and the domicile of Goa, or be of Goan descent and not exceed 30-year of age.
Some other UK Scholarships for Indian students in 2022
Marshall Scholarships
Master’s scholarships- University of Reading
Cardiff India scholarships
Edinburgh Global Scholarships
Castle Smart Scholarships
Clarendon Fund Scholarships by the University of Oxford
International Scholarships- Queen’s University Belfast
Here are some additional MBA scholarships that you can also consider if you are interested in this field:
Women in Leadership Scholarship
IKOS Scholarship
Chevening Scholarships
MBA Part-Time Visionary Scholarship by the University of Strathclyde
GREAT scholarship
Commonwealth Masters Scholarships
Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships
The Global Study Awards
Inlaks Scholarship
The Cranfield Trust Scholarship
Felix Scholarship
Chevening scholarships are offered to academically brilliant aspirants under the government’s Global Scholarship Program. They are mainly for a master’s course that spans a year, covering tuition and living costs, added allowances, and return airfare. Close to 1,500 candidates can avail these scholarships in each academic session. Commonwealth Masters scholarships are also available from the DFID (Department for International Development) for students from developing nations who are willing to pursue PhD and master’s degrees.
Here are some things to remember while applying for UK scholarships:
You should start exploring scholarship options in advance while proceeding with your application well before the deadline. The application procedure usually begins one year before the process for admission. The evaluation system is stringent, and you will have to start applications beforehand.
Popular scholarships in the UK come with limited vacancies for eligible aspirants and limited funds. The eligibility criteria are strict, and you should check the same thoroughly before applying.
Some scholarships may require minimum scores in standardized tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT, and GRE.
University-based scholarships do not require separate applications since eligible candidates are assessed at the time of admission itself.
Build your profile with an eye on getting access to a good scholarship program.
Academics will always be the core criteria for getting a scholarship. Aim for a minimum score of 80-85% in your UG course. You will have to double down and work hard in your undergraduate program to build a credible academic background.
The other criteria include GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS scores.
You should fill up application forms for scholarships at multiple universities. Do not hold back on the number of applications by all means.
A majority of universities in the UK often insist on high academic grades. Hence, scoring lower marks will be a major reason your scholarship application is revoked.
Changing course-related preferences and other details is another reason for the rejected scholarship application. Many universities in the UK do not allow any changes to the major course after beginning the procedure for applying.
Similarly, most scholarships are specific to colleges, and changing the institution will only lead to the scholarship getting canceled in turn.
Scholarships are usually given for lifting the financial load off the shoulders of young students going to the UK. Hence, improper fund usage should be avoided. Most scholarships have stringent regulations for spending money, and you should thus go through the terms and conditions with a lot of care and caution.
Providing any information that is false or misleading may be another reason behind the application getting revoked.
Now you can study in the UK with upGrad Abroad. With upGrad’s blended program, you can partially complete your course online with an Indian partnered university and then move directly on campus to the university in UK. with the blended program, you get the following benefits:
Cost-saving of up to INR 35 Lakhs
PGWP/Post Study Work/OPT visa for up to 24 months
Starting salary of INR 32 lakhs per annum after completion of the course
How difficult is it to get a scholarship in the UK?
Obtaining a scholarship in the UK can be difficult, but planning will certainly help. Some scholarships are paid out for particular courses or disciplines, and that too for a specific duration. After getting the scholarship and beginning your study routine, you cannot change your course or extend the scholarship period. However, you can still get your scholarship by applying at the right places and making sure that you fulfil the eligibility criteria.
Can I get a 100% scholarship to study in the UK?
There are several scholarships offered by the UK government which offer 100% funding in case of tuition costs and other living expenditures. There are many other bursaries, scholarships, grants, and other financial packages for international students. However, these are not fully funded. In many cases, students receive 40-50% funding, while some scholarships offer to fund up to 80% with some nominal costs paid by the applicant. Several institutions have scholarships for postgraduate courses that fund eligible applicants.
With over a decade of expertise in international education, Jyotsna has held impactful roles at the British Council, Unilodgers, a prominent UK university, and IDP Education, empowering countless students by not only enhancing their educational experiences but also by offering them guidance in securing essential scholarships and financial aid. She is dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals through tailored guidance and financial support.
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