Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Abroad

Fully funded scholarships can reduce the impact of financial challenges you may face as an international student, giving you breathing room to focus on what matters most: completing your studies and getting a start on your career. 

The extent and the type of support you get with fully funded scholarships can vary, but generally, they either cover your course fees completely or partially cover your tuition while providing you with a monthly living allowance. In this article, let’s learn about different types of scholarships based on funding, awarding body, and eligibility criteria and find out in detail about the most popular fully funded scholarships for Indian students to study abroad in the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia. We’ll also cover the application criteria to be considered for a fully funded scholarship and the process you need to follow to apply for one. 

Before we get into the details though, let’s have a quick look at the most popular fully funded scholarships you can apply for as an Indian student.

List of Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students by Country

The UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia are popular—and expensive—study destinations for Indian students, and fully funded scholarships below are available for you to make the best of the academic opportunities these countries offer. If you want to know about a specific scholarship, you can jump ahead and learn about the study level, type of scholarship, benefits, duration, eligibility criteria, and application window.

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students to study in the UK

The UK is home to many prestigious universities and with a fully funded scholarship, you have the opportunity to study at a world-renowned university with all your expenses paid. Here are some of the most popular scholarships awarded to Indian students who apply to UK universities:

1. Commonwealth Scholarships
2. Chevening Scholarship
3. Felix Scholarship
4. Rhodes Scholarship
5. British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM
6. GREAT Scholarship
7. Gates Cambridge Scholarship
8. Clarendon Scholarship
9. Global Study Award
10. Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students to study in the USA

1. Fulbright Scholarships
2. Cornell University Tata Scholarship
3. Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship
4. Global Scholar Award
5. AAUW International Fellowship

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students to study in Canada

1. York University International Undergraduate Leadership Scholarship
2. Merit Scholarship Program – Québec Government

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students to study in Australia

Australia is a sought-after study destination, and if you are exploring the same for your higher studies, these fully funded scholarships may help:

1. John Allwright Fellowship
2. Australian Government RTP Scholarship

Types of Fully Funded Scholarships

Types of scholarships based on funding

All scholarships cover your tuition fees either fully or partially. These are the most common types of scholarships based on funding:

• Full tuition scholarships: These scholarships cover your tuition fees entirely across the duration of your programme, whether it’s an undergraduate degree, a master’s, or a doctorate. Some of these scholarships may include additional allowances like a monthly stipend, health insurance, and airfare.
• Partial scholarships: These scholarships cover your tuition fee to an extent—it may be a fixed amount or a percentage of the total cost. Some of these scholarships may include a monthly allowance for your living expenses in addition to partially covering the tuition fee.
• Renewable scholarships: Usually awarded based on merit when you apply to a university, these scholarships renew annually. You are required to maintain your grades at the required level of performance during each academic year to be eligible for renewal.
• One-time grants: These are awarded once as funding for a specific academic year or programme. You might look for grants if you are applying for a doctorate or a research fellowship.

Types of scholarships based on awarding body

Different entities award scholarships to deserving students based on varying eligibility criteria. These are the main types of scholarships based on which entity is sponsoring them.

• Government scholarships: These scholarships are awarded by the government of your home country or the country of your preferred university and cover your tuition fee for a certain time period. Most commonly, these scholarships last three, six, or nine months.
• University-funded scholarships: Awarded by the university you are applying for, these scholarships are often specific to a particular programme or have multiple eligibility criteria like academic merit and financial need.
• Private or external scholarships: These are awarded by third-party entities like non-governmental organisations, corporations, cultural or ethnic groups, sports organisations, individual donors, and more, often for a cause these entities care about.

Types of scholarships based on eligibility criteria

When you apply for any scholarship, universities will usually evaluate your academic performance first but depending on the awarding body or type of funding, the eligibility criteria may differ. Here’s a breakdown of scholarships based on different eligibility criteria.

• Merit-based scholarships: These scholarships are awarded for talent, either academic or extracurricular. You may be eligible for a merit-based scholarship if you have excellent grades or show exceptional potential in fields like research, fine arts, or sports.
• Need-based scholarships: These scholarships prioritise students with economic disadvantages. To qualify, you may need to show proof of economic hardship alongside excellent academic or extracurricular performance.
• Programme-specific scholarship: Unique to a specific programme or course, these scholarships are often automatically awarded to students with outstanding academic performance as you apply for the course.
• Location-specific scholarships: These scholarships are reserved for students from specific regions or countries—you may need to apply with your academic records if your location is eligible.
• Subject-specific scholarships: Usually sponsored by the university or a third party attached to the university, these scholarships are awarded to students who excel in a particular subject.

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students in the UK

The UK welcomes many international students, and Indian students like you make up a significant majority of this growing, diverse community. If you are thinking of applying to a top-ranking university in the UK, you might also benefit from going through this list of fully funded scholarships that can help ease your studies and life in the UK.

If you need to explore more scholarships in the UK to support your undergraduate or postgraduate studies, our extensive list of UK Scholarships can help.

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students in the USA

If you are thinking of pursuing your higher studies in the USA, there are many scholarships offered by universities and non-profit organisations that you can apply for and access funding for your studies. Let’s have a look at the most sought-after scholarships.

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students in Canada

Canadian universities are home to diverse international student communities that you can also be a part of. If you are applying to a university in Canada, these fully funded scholarships can support your studies and life throughout the length of your programme.

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students in Australia

The Australian government, universities, and third-party organisations in Australia offer scholarships for Indian students to study in the country. If you are interested in exploring Australia as a study destination, it’s best to look at the fully funded scholarships that can help you fund your studies.

Now that we have gone through an extended list of fully funded scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia, we’ll look at how you can apply for scholarships to support your studies in your preferred university.

How to Apply for Scholarships to Study Abroad

The process to apply for a scholarship can be lengthy and, at times, confusing—and that’s why a breakdown of the process can help you figure out your next steps. Before we look at the process, let’s go through a list of the most common requirements—or eligibility criteria—you would need to meet when applying for a scholarship.

Types of scholarships based on eligibility criteria

Application requirements vary with each scholarship depending on the nature of the funding and awarding body, so it’s best to refer to the awarding body to access a comprehensive list of application criteria for the scholarship they offer. That said, we have listed down a few application requirements common to many scholarships awarded to international students.

Let’s have a look:

• Academic merit: Your academic performance is evaluated by every scholarship offering entity, so your grades/GPA need to be excellent to be selected as a scholarship recipient.
• Age limit: Some scholarships are reserved for professionals and some are reserved for students, so the awarding body may include an age limit that a qualifying candidate would need to meet.
• Demonstrated financial need: You may need to show proof of financial need specifically for need-based scholarships.
• Extracurricular activities: If you are applying for a merit-based scholarship in research, fine arts, or sports, your performance in the relevant area is extremely important. Even if you are applying for a scholarship based on academic merit, extracurricular activities can demonstrate your passion and versatility, helping your application stand out.
• Field of study: Some scholarships are offered on a programme-specific or subject-specific basis, so if you are planning to follow the indicated field of study in a scholarship, you would be eligible to apply.
• Language proficiency: Your proficiency in English needs to be demonstrated, so you may be required to add your scores from Language Proficiency Tests you have taken.
• Nationality: Some scholarships are location-based, so your nationality would be a deciding factor in whether or not you are eligible to apply for some scholarships.
• Work experience: Most postgraduate scholarships and research grants would require you to have work experience relevant to the field of study you are applying for.

These are the requirements common to most, but specific requirements may vary. For example, a fine arts scholarship would need you to showcase your creative work, and a scholarship awarded by a non-profit organisation would look for your interest in the cause they are working towards. All of this information on eligibility criteria and more would be available to you online as you research, which would be your very first step in the process of applying for a scholarship. Let’s learn more in the next section.

Application Process to Apply for Scholarships

Although the process to apply for a scholarship is similar to the university application process, you need to have a university or a field of study in mind first when you start looking for scholarships to fund your studies. If you already have an idea of what and where you are planning to study, this process breakdown can point you in the right direction. If you don’t have an idea yet, don’t worry, you can always speak to one of our counsellors free of charge to help you get started.

1. Research: Start looking for scholarships offered in the country of your preferred university or preferred programme—checking online would give you a list of relevant scholarships to start with. Make sure to visit the scholarship listing hosted by the awarding body and see if it looks like a good match for your needs.  Additionally, look into online communities on social media networks and forums focusing on scholarships for international students—there’s a high chance you might hear from students who’ve gone through the same scholarship research process and found a match.
2. Identify the scholarships you’d like to apply for: Once you’ve noted the list of scholarships you’d like to apply for, you have to narrow down your list. Check the full list of eligibility criteria to see if you qualify, and get an opinion from an experienced student or an advisor. You can also talk to an expert at SI-UK to get advice on choosing the scholarships you’d like to apply for.
3. Organise your documents: Start putting together the documents you need to send along with your scholarship application. They may be your academic transcripts (professionally translated to English if needed), research proposals, CV, or documents indicating financial need. The documents required are unique to each scholarship, so keep an eye out for anything you are asked to fill in the application form.
4. Write the scholarship essay (if applicable): Most scholarship applications require you to write an essay detailing why you are the best candidate for this scholarship, similar to statements of purpose you would write for your university application. Make sure to customise your essay to each scholarship you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a scholarship awarded by a non-profit organisation, you can talk about your work towards a similar cause.
5. Submit your application on time: Timely submission is mandatory because your application may not be accepted if you don’t meet the deadline. Start your research, documentation, and essay with enough breathing room so you don’t have to rush at the time of submission.
6. Follow up: Scholarship applications take time to be evaluated, so keep your eyes on updates from the awarding body and reach out to them when you want to follow up.