Scholarships to Study in the UK for Indian Students

Indian students studying in the UK can access several dedicated scholarships including Chevening, GREAT Scholarships, Commonwealth Scholarships and individual university awards, most requiring a separate application alongside the university admission process.

What Are the Major Scholarships for Indian Students in the UK?

Chevening Scholarships, funded by the UK government, cover full tuition, a living stipend and airfare for one-year master's programmes, aimed at future leaders with at least 2 years of work experience. GREAT Scholarships, a joint initiative between the British Council and UK universities, offer smaller awards, typically covering a portion of tuition fees for specific courses at partner universities. Commonwealth Scholarships support students from Commonwealth countries including India for master's and PhD study, funded by the UK government specifically for development-focused fields.

What Is the Eligibility for Chevening Scholarships?

• Indian citizenship and intention to return to India after the scholarship
• A minimum of 2 years of work experience (roughly 2,800 hours)
• An undergraduate degree that would qualify for a UK master's programme
• Applying to and receiving offers from up to three eligible UK master's courses

How Do University-Specific Scholarships Work?

Most major UK universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and the London School of Economics offer their own scholarships specifically for international or Indian students, often merit-based or need-based, covering partial to full tuition fees. These are usually applied for after receiving an admission offer, through a separate scholarship application form on the university's own portal, with deadlines that can fall earlier than the main admission deadline, so checking scholarship-specific timelines separately matters.

How Should You Plan Your Scholarship Applications?

Start scholarship research at the same time as your university applications, not after receiving an offer, since major scholarships like Chevening have their own application cycle that opens well before UK university admission decisions are typically finalised. Chevening applications, for instance, typically open in August and close in early November for courses starting the following autumn, well ahead of when most university offers arrive. Missing this separate timeline is one of the most common reasons eligible students miss out on major scholarships.

What Documents Do You Need for UK Scholarship Applications?

Most scholarship applications require academic transcripts, a statement of purpose or personal statement tailored to the specific scholarship's criteria, letters of recommendation, proof of English proficiency (IELTS or TOEFL), and for Chevening specifically, evidence of work experience and leadership potential. Since each scholarship has its own essay questions and word limits, reusing a single generic statement across applications typically weakens your chances compared to a version tailored to what each scholarship specifically evaluates.

• Start scholarship research alongside, not after, your university application process
• Track separate deadlines for scholarships versus university admission
• Tailor your personal statement to each scholarship's specific evaluation criteria
• Apply to multiple scholarships and universities rather than relying on a single option

See our scholarship directory and browse study abroad guides for UK-specific application details. Official Chevening details are published on the Chevening website.