Scholarship for Indian Students in the United States
Scholarships that cater to your requirements

With compelling options and a variety of higher educational institutions, the USA is the most popular destination to study abroad. Thousands of Indian students pursue higher education in the US at some of the highly ranked institutions.

The average cost of studying a two-year course at a public college in the USA is $12,320 and a two-year course at a private college is $48,510. The average monthly living expenses amount to $1000 to $3000. While a student may be able to finance their living expenses through part-time jobs, the exorbitant tuition fees can only be financed through education loans and international scholarships. One of the major obstacles in overseas education for an Indian student is the high cost of education. Abroad education can be made affordable with the help of scholarships to reduce the overall cost of education.

Scholarships for Indian students can be fully or partially funded depending on the criteria, course, and college/university. Many Indian students can even get a full scholarship for MBA and other job-oriented courses. The highest demand among students is for a scholarship for MS and master’s in the USA.

There are three main types of scholarships - Government scholarships, Non-Government scholarships, and University-specific scholarships.

The USA scholarship application process typically starts 8-10 months before the start of the academic session. So, it’s better to start with the procedure along with the admission process to meet the scholarship deadlines. Most universities and colleges have a list of scholarships for students in the USA. Students are advised to contact the international students’ office of their target university for a list of scholarships.

While many students know about scholarships and have a brief overview, they may not have the complete information on who can apply for a scholarship in the USA.

The following data shows a few characteristics of students who are more likely to win a scholarship -

1. The chances of winning a scholarship are twice as high for students with a GPA of 3.5 to 4 as compared to students with less than a 3 GPA.
2. Students with good test scores (GRE/GMAT/ACT/SAT/IELTS) are more likely to win scholarships.
3. Approximately 16% of students majoring in STEM fields win private scholarships, compared to 11.5% of students pursuing non-STEM fields

Now, let us delve into the scholarships for international students according to the providers - the US government, private organizations, and institutions.

Scholarships offered by the government are as follows -

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

The Fulbright program is the most popular government-funded US scholarship for international students. Fulbright offers scholarships for graduate students, young professionals, and artists to study in the US for one year or more.

Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program

A scholarship program for international, experienced professionals wishing to undertake 10 months of academic study in the US.

Multiple scholarships are offered by private organizations. Some of them are listed below -

You Are Welcome Here Scholarship

The student is required to submit an essay or video demonstrating their interest and initiative in promoting intercultural learning and exchange. There are several participating universities and institutions. This scholarship covers a minimum of 50% tuition fee.

Preply Scholarship

Open to students (domestic and international, and at any study level) aged between 16 and 35. To enter, the student is required to submit a 500-word essay related to online education, multilingualism, and professional development. Total scholarship award: $4,500 ($3,000 for 1st place, $1,000 for 2nd place, $500 for third place).

Surfshark Privacy and Security Scholarship

Open to all nationalities, students are required to submit an essay to apply. The scholarship amount is $2,000.

Tortuga Backpacks Study Abroad Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded twice a year to passionate international students wishing to study in the US. Worth US$1,000.

Tata Scholarship

Offered by Cornell University, there are 20 scholarships for Indian students for undergraduate studies. It is one of the renewable scholarships offered by the university, provided for eight semesters to complete the bachelor's degree.

Rotary Foundation and Clubs Scholarship

A non-government scholarship program, Rotary clubs offer scholarships for secondary school, undergraduate, and graduate studies. The duration of the scholarship is dynamic and can cover a six-week language training program to a year or more of university study. Students must demonstrate leadership skills.

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships

A non-government scholarship granted to outstanding Indian students, it covers tuition as well as living expenses, healthcare/health insurance, and one-way ticket fare. The scholarship amount is $100,000. Though, there are programs/courses that are not covered, such as - engineering sciences, business and finance, management studies, hospitality and tourism, film and animation, music, public health, medicine, dentistry, computer science, and fashion design.

Below-mentioned scholarships are for international women students enrolled in various US higher education institutions -

AAUW International Fellowships

Fellowships are offered by the American Association of University Women for female international students (who are not US citizens or permanent residents) to pursue full-time study or research at an accredited US institution. Both Graduate studies and postgraduate studies are supported. Awarded amount: Master’s/first professional degree: $18,000, Doctoral: $20,000 & Postdoctoral: $30,000

Bat and Ball Game Women’s Sports Scholarship

A scholarship that offers an amount of $1,000 to a woman currently studying a sports-related degree at any US university.

MIT-Zaragoza Women in Logistics and SCM Scholarship

Scholarships for female students of any age, ethnicity, or nationality, to study at the Zaragoza Logistics Center at MIT. ZLC awards one scholarship that covers 50% tuition for the MIT-Zaragoza Master of Engineering in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (ZLOG) program, which amounts to €24,000.

Now, let us look for more scholarships for Indian students for Master's and MBA courses in the US.

Below-mentioned scholarships are for post-graduate students -

Education Future International Scholarship

This scholarship is open for USA or Non-USA universities/ colleges for Master's as well as bachelor's programs. This is a partially-funded scholarship and students can apply for the scholarship irrespective of the courses they want to pursue.

International Merit Scholarships in the US- Western Colorado University

This scholarship is open to all nationals. Undergraduate students and postgraduate students can apply for the scholarship for courses offered at the university. This scholarship is partially-funded.

Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program

The foundation provides a limited number of scholarships to meritorious Indian students and students from other developing countries who have no other means of financing foreign education. Scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant and 50% loan basis through a competitive application process. The award covers tuition fee and living expenses only.

Stanford Graduate School Scholarships

Every international student stands to get assistantships and fellowships offered by the university. As an international student, there are Stanford Support Programs available as supplemental programs to help students deal with financial constraints.

MPower Financing Global Citizen Scholarships

A scholarship for students enrolled in US and Canadian institutes. The eligible courses include undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses. There are various scholarship awards: Grand Prize - $10,000, Runner-up - $2,000, Honorable mention - $2,000.

The below list consists of university scholarships and scholarship programs by private organizations and US universities -

Harvard University Scholarship -

Harvard is the oldest higher education institution in the United States. There are a few fully-funded scholarships open to all students from across the world demonstrating academic excellence.

Dean's Scholarships - NYU Stern School Of Business -

A prestigious scholarship for meritorious students admitted to the university. The award covers the full tuition fees. There are many scholarships by the university to high-performing students.

SMU Cox Distinguished MBA Scholarship- Southern Methodist University -

This is a partially-funded scholarship that only covers the cost of tuition fees. There are a limited number of merit scholarships with awards up to $15,000.

Forte Fellows Program -

This scholarship is partially funded and is open to students of all nationalities. Forte MBA Fellowship is valid in 54 universities in Canada, the US, and the UK.

Tuck School of Business -Dartmouth College -

Tuck School of Business offers a wide range of scholarships to international students. It provides both need-based and merit-based MBA scholarships to international students. This program offers financial support and guidance to TUCK graduates who join a public sector or nonprofit organization.

Wharton School of Business -University of Pennsylvania -

It offers various scholarships to students who wish to pursue an MBA. Aspirants willing to pursue a full-time MBA at Wharton School of Business can apply for its Emerging Economic Fellowships. Joseph Wharton Fellowships are awarded to students with excellent academic and professional records.

Columbia Business School -

It offers both need-based and merit-based scholarships to international students. Depending on the need and academic profile of the students, it also provides full-time and partial fellowships to students.

Sloan School of Management -

MIT Sloan offers merit-based scholarships to first-year and second-year students.

Kellogg School of Management -Northwestern University-

Provides merit-based scholarships awarded at the time of admission.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business -

The Booth school offers merit-based scholarships to students applying for the full-time MBA program. No separate application is required; students are selected based on the admission application submitted, the interview, competitiveness, career goals, study concentration, and life experiences. There are specific fellowships for Indian students studying MBA at the university - A.H. Tobaccowala Fellowship and Ramakrishnan Family Scholarship.

As you can see, there are various scholarships available for undergraduate and postgraduate Indian students that offer a monthly stipend, along with tuition support and accommodation, and day-to-day expenses. There are also various scholarships available for mid-career professional and professional degrees.


Things students should keep in mind -

• International fellowships and scholarships give importance to extracurricular activities and volunteer work.
• Read about the eligibility criteria carefully.
• Apply for the scholarship before the deadline.