The recent (in April 2022) visit of the UK Prime Minister to India brought some good news to students. 

He granted 75 fully-funded scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK. This was to mark the 75th year of independence from imperial rule. 

If you’re on this page, you’re probably not one of the 75. But that doesn’t mean you can’t win a different scholarship to study in the UK.

Depending on the type of scholarship you win – fully funded or tuition only – you may still need an education loan. 

But loans through banks might have you waiting till your hair turns grey. That’s why you need FundRight. Our financial experts will connect you to the right lender depending on your profile. Your profile remains anonymous. So you can get loan offers without any personal bias. 

Fascinating, right? But for now, let’s move on to learn about some UK scholarships for Indian students. 

6 of the best UK scholarships for Indian students

1. Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan 

Source

Description 

This scholarship is awarded by the UK government to candidates living in commonwealth nations. This is an opportunity given to 800 students. 

The scholarship is targeted toward students who may make an impact on the world. There are various forms of scholarships given to both Master’s and Ph.D. students. 

There are seven variations of scholarships and fellowships to study in the UK. Most of them are fully funded. The government also offers a distance learning scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria

Do note that there are multiple scholarships granted by Commonwealth Scholarships. The specific eligibility criteria change for each one. But here are general criteria.

• Be a permanent resident of the eligible commonwealth country. 
• Should have completed the required degree with good academic records
•  Shouldn’t be able to afford to study in the UK

Application Timeline

The deadline for the Ph.D. and Master’s scholarship application for the year 2022-23 was November 1st, 2021. 

The deadline for the split-sight scholarship was February 17th, 2022. 

So students should expect a similar deadline for the next academic year as well. 

2. Inlaks Scholarships

Description 

The Inlaks Foundation was established by philanthropist Indoo Shivdasani in 1976. The Inlaks Scholarship is a scholarship for studying Master’s in the UK for Indian students. 

Students must have lived in India for at least 6 months prior to applying. The scholarship covers your tuition, living expenses, health allowance, and one-way airfare.  

Besides some streams including Management, Engineering, and Medicine, you can apply to any other Master’s course. Your university must be top-ranked in America, Europe, or the UK. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Students cannot be over 30 years old. 
• For Social Sciences, Humanities, Law, and related subjects, students should have an average of 65% grades. 
• For Science and Mathematics, students should have a grade average of 70%. 
• You should have your acceptance letter from your university before applying for the scholarship. 

Application Timeline

Applications open between January and February every year. You have until the end of March to early April to submit completed applications. 

Inlaks has a ceiling of $100,000 grants for the applicants. If your expenditure will be more than that, you must show Inlaks proof of a different source of funding. 

The scholarship asks for you to have a college acceptance by the time you apply. So, you may not have the time to get an approved education loan. However, if you make your education loan application through FundRight, you can get fast-tracked loan approval in two days. 

3. Chevening Scholarships

Source

Description

 This scholarship for Indian students to study in the UK is fully funded.  It is a merit and need-based scholarship awarded by the UK government. 

Students from Chevening-eligible countries should apply for a one-year Master’s degree in the UK. To apply for the scholarship, you should apply for three similar courses in the UK. This helps guarantee that you will get admission to at least one university. 

Eligibility Criteria

• You must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible territory
• Should’ve completed an undergraduate degree with good academic records
• You much have at least 2 years (2,800 hours) of work experience. This experience can come from up to 15 employers and jobs
• You should receive an unconditional offer from at least one of the three institutes you’ve applied to by July 14th

Application Timeline

Applications for the Chevening awards begin in August. The deadline for submission of the application is in November. 

Shortlisted candidates will receive a call for an interview. The final results are announced in early June. 

4. Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships

Description 

This scholarship is awarded to those who are in the early or mid-stage of their career. It is one of the few scholarships awarded to performance and visual arts courses. 

This scholarship is open to both arts and heritage professionals to pursue a one-year Master’s program in the UK. 

Source

The Charles Wallace grant covers a student’s accommodation and living expenses in the UK. It also contributes £600 for airfare. 

Eligibility Criteria

• You should be an Indian citizen living in India between the ages of 28 and 38. 
• You should have a first degree or any professional qualification in your specialization. 
• It’s preferred if you have work experience 
• You should have qualified in the IELTS exam 
• You should have secured an unconditional offer from a UK university  

Application Timeline

The date you can start applying varies every year. But the application typically close by mid-January. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to the final interview chaired by a panel of experts.  

5. Leeds International Foundation Year (IFY) Scholarships

Description

The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK. The university has courses in all streams like Business, Science, Law, etc. 

Source

The Leeds IFY scholarship is granted to students who are currently undertaking their International Foundation Year at Leeds. 

This is a course for international students to get acclimated to UK education. At Leeds, this is a Bachelor’s integrated program. So your complete duration of education could be four, five, or six years long. 

This scholarship grants students £3,000. This is meant for your tuition fee for your first year of study only. For all other financial requirements, you should be self-funded. 

Eligibility Criteria

• You should have an offer letter for a relevant Bachelor’s degree. 
• You could’ve progressed to Leeds University Business School from IFY
• Should be self-funding your IFY course at the full international student rate. You cannot have a different source of scholarship. 
• Should have firmly selected Leeds as your university for your Bachelor’s program. 

Application Timeline

All students taking the International Foundation Year course are automatically considered for this grant. 

Whether you’re successful or not will be confirmed by September 1st of the next academic year. 

6. Oxford-Indira Gandhi Graduate Scholarship

Description

This is a grant established by Somerville College and the University of Oxford. The scholarship grants free education in the UK for Indian students. 

Source

The scholarship covers the course and living fees for the students. There is an accepted list of courses that applicants can apply to at Somerville College. This includes 

• MSc Biodiversity Conservation and Management
• MSc Modern South Asian Studies
• MPhil Development Studies
• Master of Public Policy (MPP)
• Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL)

You can also avail of this scholarship to any DPhil programs at Oxford. The proposed area of study should revolve around sustainable development, law, governance, and human rights, all in relation to India. 

This scholarship covers the course fee and living costs for two successful Indian students. 

Eligibility Criteria

• You should be a resident of India or have studied at an Indian higher education institution
• All applicants for graduate programs at the University of Oxford will be considered. If you’re successful, you will be shifted to the Sommerville college. 

Application Timeline

There is no specific start to the application process. It begins when you start applying for the eligible programs. 

Shortlisted candidates will attend a video interview. The results will be announced in May. 

Beyond Scholarships 

If you don’t have a full-ride scholarship, you may need an education loan. And unless you enjoy making unnecessary trips to banks, then FundRight is the source for you. You can compare the rates of different lenders from our portal. 

You can apply and get your loan sanctioned in a matter of days if you apply through us.

Appendix

Sources

https://www.idp.com/india/study-in-uk/scholarships/

https://www.wemakescholars.com/scholarship/search?nationality=64country=144

https://leverageedu.com/blog/scholarships-for-indian-students-to-study-in-uk/

https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/10-popular-uk-scholarships-for-indian-students-articlepage-102

https://www.global-opportunities.net/scholarships-in-uk/ 

https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/scholarships/commonwealth-scholarships