UK Scholarships for Indian Students: Complete Guide for 2025

The standard of education in the UK has always been top-notch. So it is no coincidence that 11 UK universities feature in the top 100 universities, according to the World University Rankings 2020. The rich culture, quality education, and strong research infrastructure of the universities are just some of the reasons for international students to choose the UK for their higher education. As per sources, the number of Indian Students in UK Universities Increases by 63%. In this blog, you'll learn about various UK study scholarship Indian students can apply for, including Chevening Scholarships, Commonwealth Scholarships, and more.

What is the Importance of Scholarships in UK for Indian Students?

The UK knows that education in the country doesn’t come cheap. The average tuition fees for an international student amount to approximately INR 20 lakh, and this is excluding living expenses. To add to that, students applying for a UK visa need to show specified documents that they have at least £1,265 in their bank for living expenses. The huge amount of expenditure before as well as while studying abroad leads to many students giving up on their dreams of an education in the UK. Oftentimes, students take on on/off-campus jobs to support themselves and to pay off the education loans they may have taken. This leaves them with very little time to focus on their education, which snowballs into falling grades, fewer employment prospects, and increasing loan debt. Therefore, UK scholarships for international students prove to be the best way to finance their education. Depending on their profile and eligibility criteria, there are many UK scholarships that Indian students can apply for.

Famous Scholarships for Indian Students in UK

Some of the famous scholarships for UK undergraduate students and other levels of study from India are listed below - 

• Chevening Scholarships
• Commonwealth Masters Scholarships
• Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees
• Felix scholarship
• Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarship
• British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM
• HSBC India Scholarship

Chevening Scholarships:

Chevening Scholarship is for students with emerging leadership qualities pursuing a one-year master's course in the UK. There is a set of eligibility criteria, and your application will undergo an electronic sift for the evaluation of your qualifications. Even a minor mistake could lead to rejection, so be very careful when filling your application. The application process starts a year before the application deadline because the vetting process is a minimum of 8 months. So plan accordingly. 

• Amount: Usually covers tuition fees, and living allowance at a set rate. 
• Eligibility Criteria: You should be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country. There are more than 160 Chevening-eligible countries of which India is one of the eligible countries. Two years of work experience. Should have applied to three different courses and received an unconditional letter from at least one of them by the specified deadline. Should have met the required English Language Tests by the specified deadline.
• Should have applied to three different courses and received an unconditional letter from at least one of them by the specified deadline. 
• Duration: 1 year

Commonwealth Scholarships:

The Commonwealth scholarships, a prominent funded PhD in UK for international students, aim to support exceptional students from the Commonwealth countries. Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), these scholarships are part of British International Development Goals. Candidates with innovative and leadership qualities are preferred for the scholarships.

• Amount: Fully funded: Tuition fees, Living expenses, Air fare, etc
• Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship, you must - A resident of a Commonwealth country Need for the scholarship to complete education Required academic and extracurricular excellence
• Duration: Duration of your post-graduate studies (Master’s or Doctorate).

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees:

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree is a fully funded scholarship for high-level, integrated master’s programs funded by the European Union. It enables the beneficiaries to complete their master’s in different European countries with an allowance of 1100-1200 Euros per month, apart from funding all other expenses. The applicant is allotted admission to a particular university while applying for the scholarship, and all eligible applicants of any nationality can apply for this scholarship.

• Amount/Expense covered:

• 
  Variable amount
• 
  Fully-funded scholarship
• 
  Monthly allowance- 1100-1200 Euros

• Eligibility:

• 
  Be an international student or guest lecturer in a European University
• 
  Academic excellence

Felix scholarship:

The Felix scholarship assists students from India and other developing countries to study postgraduate courses in UK universities. The scholarship is offered at the University of Oxford, the University of Reading, and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), part of the University of London. The eligible candidates will be those students with excellent academic records and the financial necessity for the scholarship. 

• Amount/Expense covered:

• 
  Around £15,038 towards living expenses
• 
  Allowance for clothes, books, and a return flight ticket

• Eligibility:

• 
  Studying a master’s or doctoral degree in a UK university
• 
  No previous experience of study in the UK

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarship:

Sponsored by the Inlak Shivdasani Foundation, the Inlaks scholarships are awarded to Indian students of master’s, m Phil, or Ph.D. courses in the UK, US, or any European or North American country. A wide range of subjects is considered for the scholarship, such as architecture, journalism, theater, fashion, etc. The applicants must clear preliminary and final interviews to qualify for the scholarship.

• Amount/Expenses covered:

• 
  Tuition fee
• 
  Living costs
• 
  Travel expenses

• Eligibility:

• 
  Degree from an Indian University
• 
  Below the age of 30 years

British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM:

The British Council offers scholarships to women to study a master’s in STEM subjects at a UK university. The scholarship is available at selected twenty-six UK universities for students who require financial support. Beneficiaries of the scholarship are expected to possess a passion for studies and a demonstrated interest or work experience.

• Amount/Expense covered:

• 
  Tuition fee
• 
  Monthly stipend
• 
  Travel expenses
• 
  Visa and health coverage fees
• 
  English language support
• 
  Special support for mothers

• Eligibility:

• 
  Women with a degree in a STEM subject
• 
  Degree from a developing country
• 
  Meet the English requirements of the university

HSBC India Scholarship:

HSBC is the acronym for Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. The HSBC sponsors scholarships for Indian students for undergraduate or graduate studies in the UK universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and London. The applicants must submit an essay of 500 words detailing the purpose of the study and plans, along with the relevant documents. 

• Amount/Expenses covered:

• 
  GPB 25,000 (INR 24,34,946.60)
• 
  Tuition fee
• 
  Settling fee
• 
  Books allowance
• 
  One-time airfare

• Eligibility:

• 
  Indian citizenship
• 
  Below the age of 25 years
• 
  A good and consistent academic record

College-Specific scholarships for study in UK

• Gates Cambridge Scholarships - University of Cambridge
• Rhodes Scholarships - University of Oxford
• MBA Scholarship
• Global Excellence Scholarships - University of Exeter
• Oxford Pershing Square Graduate Scholarships - University of Oxford
• University of Glasgow International Leadership Scholarship
• The Chancellor's Scholarship - University of Bath
• Newcastle University - Scholarship
• International Postgraduate Part Fee Scholarship - University of Westminster
• Vice Chancellor's International Attainment Scholarship - University of Liverpool

Gates Cambridge Scholarships - University of Cambridge:

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awards fully funded scholarships called Gates Cambridge Scholarships - University of Cambridge to international students of Cambridge University. Around 80 scholarships are disbursed annually, two-thirds of which fund Ph.D. studies. The perfect applicants excel in reasoning why they are studying a particular course, in addition to their outstanding intellectual abilities, leadership, and social commitment. 

• Amount: Covers full tuition fees
• Eligibility Criteria: International student Any student applying for any of the following full-time courses at the University of Cambridge PhD MSc./MLitt One-year postgraduate course Student of a part-time doctoral degree (new scheme for October 2024 admissions)
• Student of a part-time doctoral degree (new scheme for October 2024 admissions)

Rhodes Scholarships - University of Oxford:

Envisioning a bright scholar community, the Rhodes Scholarship is fully funded to help deserving candidates study at Oxford. Full-time postgraduate students can apply for the scholarship in June/July 2024 for October 2024 admissions.

• Amount/Expense covered Tuition fee Monthly stipend (1,442.50/month for the 2020-22 academic year) Visa fee One time to and from the UK airfare (economy class) Health insurance (International Health Surcharge-IHS) Settling allowance

• 
  Tuition fee
• 
  Monthly stipend (1,442.50/month for the 2020-22 academic year)

• Eligibility: Be an Indian citizen Not be over the age of 25 years Undergraduate degree with a first-class Extracurricular achievements and social commitment. 
• Extracurricular achievements and social commitment.