The 10 Best Foreign Scholarships For Indian Students

Scholarships are a great achievement in a student’s life, and those that come from abroad are especially important. For international students, thousands of universities, institutions, and more than 50 governments offer this benefit. They are generally merit-based, need-based, subject-specific, or targeted at minority groups to help them achieve their educational goals. Here is a list of the top ten foreign scholarships offered at universities in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia to Indian students

National Overseas Scholarships

The National Overseas Scholarship makes 100 spots available every year, which are further allotted to different target groups including Scheduled Castes, denotified tribes, semi-nomadic tribes, landless agricultural workers, and traditional artisans. You can apply for the scholarship within one year of receiving notification from the ‘Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Below is the table of seats/slots allocation among the qualified groups:

CastesSlotsScheduled Castes90 slotsDenotified tribes, nomads, and semi-nomads6 slotsLandless & agricultural laborers, and traditional artisans4 slots

In order to qualify for this scholarship, a student must be:

> Younger than 35 years of age and 

> Belongs to a family that earns less than Rs. 8 lacs per year

> Having a minimum score of 60%  

Applicants to the National Overseas Scholarship may apply to either a master’s or Ph.D. course in any subject area. Financial support provided by the National Overseas Scholarship includes tuition fees, contingency allowance, maintenance ($15,400 yearly & $9,900 in the UK), poll fee, air passage for economy class, equipment allowance, fees, and medical insurance premium.

GREAT Scholarships India

Indians can apply for a total of 20 postgraduate scholarships offered by many UK universities.‘The British Council’ and the ‘GREAT Britain Campaign’ provide funding for these scholarships with participating UK universities.

In order to qualify, the candidate must be:

> An Indian citizen

> Have an undergraduate degree

> Fulfilling the English language requirement determined by the UK University 

> A GREAT scholarship alumnus

Through academic and personal fulfillment, the candidate should engage with the UK as an academic and should apply to one of the participating UK universities. With maximum funding of US $10,000, the Great Scholarships India provides full-tuition, adequate living expenses, health allowance, and one-way travel allowance.

Cornell University Tata Scholarship

‘Tata Education and Development Trust’, part of the Tata Group, aims to distribute the financial burden of the students who are willing to increase their skills and prepare for a bright future. More than the US $25 million has been endowed by the trust so that Cornell University Tata Scholarships can support UG students across India. Approximately 20 Indian students will receive the Cornell University Tata Scholarship.

In order to qualify, the applicant must be:

> A permanent resident of India 

> Have completed secondary school in India 

> Having an admission letter from Cornell University for an undergraduate course 

> In need of a ‘need-based financial aid’. 

The university will give preference to students accepted to the college of architecture, art and planning, the social sciences, the Applied Economics and Management major of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the college of engineering, and majors in the biological sciences and physical sciences across all colleges. The Tata Scholarship at Cornell University covers all costs.

Fullbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship

Indian citizens with an outstanding academic record and a desire to study in the US are eligible for Fullbright-Nehru master’s fellowships. Under the scheme, students can study Arts and Culture Management, including Heritage Conservation and Museum Studies, Environmental Science; Public Health; Women’s Studies/Gender Studies; International Law; Economics; Journalism; Mass Communication; and Public Administration.

Candidates must be:

>An Indian citizen 

> Holding a US bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognized university in India

> Having least 55% marks 

> Having a 4-year bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or a postgraduate diploma program

> Having a professional experience of at least three years

> Committed to returning to India

As part of the Fullbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship Program, awardees receive tuition assistance, travel reimbursement, a policy for accident and sickness as per US government guidelines, and round-trip economy class airfare from their home country to the US.

Fullbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship

‘U.S. Indian Educational Foundation (USIEF)’ sponsors the Fullbright-Kalam Climate Fellowships to combat climate change in the US and India. Fellowships are awarded for doctoral research, academic and professional excellence as well as postdoctoral research. Applicants will be associated with one host institution in the United States.

In order to be considered for post-doctoral research, applicants should have

> Earned a Ph.D. within the last four years 

> Conducted adequate research in the relevant field

Under the Academic professional experience category, faculty/researchers are required to

> Possess a Ph.D. or equivalent

> Have a min. of five years of relevant research or teaching experience

Among the benefits of the Fullbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship are J-1 visa support, accident and sickness insurance for Exchanges per US Government guidelines, a monthly salary,round-trip economy class travel by air from the home to the US, a settling-in allowance, a professional allowance, opportunities to audit non-degree courses, gain experience, and conduct research in the US (for selected doctoral scholars).

Fullbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships

They are available to Indian scholars registered at an Indian institution for a Ph.D. for a period of six to nine months. The program invites students from many fields of study including computer science, bioengineering, performing arts, public health, chemistry, anthropology, agricultural sciences, among others.

In order to apply for the program,

> Successful candidates should have done adequate research in a relevant field.

> Employed individuals should have the endorsement of their employer.

> In addition to high levels of professional and academic accomplishment, the candidate must demonstrate proficiency in the English language.

Fellows will receive J-1 visa support, an accident and illness program per US government guidelines, a monthly grant, round-trip economy air travel from home to the United States, a settling-in allowance, a professional allowance, opportunities to audit non-degree courses, gain experience, and conduct research in the US, modest affiliation fees and applicable allowances.

The Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships

Young Indian students wishing to pursue a full-time doctoral or master’s degree at leading universities in the US, Europe, and the UK can apply for an In laks scholarship. Scholarships are not offered by In laks Shivdasani Foundation in the fields of business and finance, computer science, fashion design, engineering, public health, management studies, medicine, dentistry, and related therapies.

In order to apply for the program,

> The applicant must have been an Indian resident for six months.

> In order to study mathematics, environment, and related subjects, you must have at least 70% or 7.2 CGPA or 2.8 GPA from an Indian university.

> The applicant should not be more than 30 years old at the time of application.

Scholarships funded by the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation cover full tuition, adequate living expenses, health allowance, and one-way travel costs. A maximum of USD 10,000 can be awarded.

Erasmus Mundus Scholarships

There are a variety of scholarships for students from different target groups and mobility types and each has its own eligibility criteria.

In order to apply for the program,

> A candidate must be an Indian citizen or permanent resident of India.

> In any of the European countries eligible for consideration, the applicant should not have spent more than 12 months in the past five years living, studying, or working there.

> You should submit an application for one of the Target Groups (TG1, TG2, or TG3).

Candidates who qualify for TG1 can only be accepted into exchange programs, candidates who qualify for TH2 can only be accepted into full degree programs, and candidates who qualify for TG3 can only be accepted into full degree programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. Full funding is provided by Erasmus Mundus Scholarships, including tuition fees, airfare to and from the UK, and a living allowance.

Commonwealth Scholarships

Commonwealth Scholarships support talented students from the Commonwealth who would otherwise be unable to study in the UK. They aim to positively impact the international field of study. Scholarships offered by the Commonwealth include Commonwealth Ph.D. Scholarships, Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships, Commonwealth Shared Scholarships, Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships, Commonwealth Medical Fellowships, Commonwealth Professional Fellowships.

The candidates who can apply for this scholarship are –

> Citizens or permanent residents of a Commonwealth country are encouraged to apply.

> In addition, refugees and British-protected persons are eligible to apply.

> A university degree of at least upper second class standing is required.

> Graduates who wish to study for a Ph.D. should also hold an appropriate master’s degree.

Under the Commonwealth Scholarships, tuition fees, airfare to and from the UK, and a living allowance are all covered.

University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) Future of Change India Scholarship

Under the Future of Change India Scholarship, UNSW Sydney offers scholarships to undergraduates and postgraduates to study a range of disciplines. Furthermore, the university is offering even more scholarships of USD 10,000 per year for engineering undergraduates.

In order to qualify for admission,

> The candidate should be a citizen or permanent resident of India.

> Students should achieve a certain level of academic achievement in their undergraduate degree or high school.

> A UNSW admission offer should have been extended to the candidate.

Scholarships are offered to eligible students at a rate of 10,000 USD per year for the duration of the program, plus an additional 10,000 USD per year for any subsequent undergraduate engineering program.

Let’s Wrap Up

Scholarships are the best opportunities for students to pursue their dreams of studying abroad. In addition to personal development, applying to prestigious programs can enhance academic performance. Through this program, students are able to acquire global exposure and develop their interpersonal skills.

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