Top 5 Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Abroad           

Studying abroad can be expensive. That is why financial aid exists. However, often students are unaware of it. The fully funded scholarships provided by reputable organisations help students to study at their dream university for free. In this blog, we will discuss the top 5 fully funded scholarships for Indian students. You will learn about the scholarships, their benefits, and eligibility. You will also learn about other excellent scholarships you can apply for, and how to secure a fully funded scholarship for yourself.

Top Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students

These are the top 5 fully funded scholarships that indian students can apply for. You can apply for these scholarships as long as you meet the specific scholarship criteria.

S.No	Scholarship Name	Level of Study	Fully Funded	Application Deadline
1	Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship	Master’s (specific fields)	Yes	May 14, 2025
2	Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship	PhD (6–9 months research)	Yes	July 15, 2025
3	Chevening Scholarship	One-year Master’s	Yes	October 7, 2025
4	National Overseas Scholarship Scheme	Master’s (≤3 yrs) / PhD (≤4 yrs)	Yes	March 31, 2026
5	UNESCO – Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowship Programme	Non-degree study / research (1 yr)	Yes	February 15, 2025

Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship is one of the top fully funded scholarships for Indian students. The scholarships are meant for enrollment in a Master’s program in the U.S. This includes master’s programs such as public health, economics, journalism, environmental studies, gender studies, arts & culture management, and more. Generally, you must have a strong academic background and 3 years of work experience with leadership skills and community engagement to apply. This is a merit-based scholarship.

Eligibility

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship eligibility criteria are as follows. The eligibility provided below is as per the USIEF (United States-India Educational Foundation).

1. Must have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised Indian institution.
2. Must have secured at least 55% marks.
3. Your degree might be equivalent to a US qualification. For example, A four-year bachelor’s degree/master’s degree/full-time postgraduate diploma.
4. Additionally, you must have 3 years of full-time paid employment experience in the intended field of study
5. Demonstrate leadership and community service
6. You must be living in India and must not have a US permanent residency permit/Green Card.
7. Demonstrate the English proficiency level required for university admission.
8. Must not have previously obtained a U.S degree.
9. You must not be a government employee in India
10. Secure employer endorsement via the FNMaster’s Employer’s Endorsement Form (If you are currently employed in a private firm).

Benefits

This is a fully funded scholarship. The benefits coveted include the following:

1. Your tuition fees at a U.S university 
2. Living allowance for the entire duration of the program.
3. Round-trip flight tickets 
4. J-1 visa support for grantees.
5. Accident and sickness coverage as per the American government guidelines
6. Worldwide access to the Fulbright scholars and alumni network

Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship

The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) offers the Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship to students already registered in any PhD programme at a government-recognised Indian university to conduct their research for around 6–9 months at a university in the USA.

It is an initiative to give scholars enriching exposure in the USA through activities related to their fields of education, such as auditing non-degree courses, conducting research and gaining academic and professional insights. Candidates must be registered for their PhD at the time of application (no prior work experience is required). The selection of the candidates is highly competitive.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for this top fully funded scholarship for Indian students are as follows:

1. You must be registered for a PhD program at an Indian institution on or before November 1, 2024.
2. Your PhD thesis submission date must be at least three months after the fellowship end date.
3. Provide clear reasoning for conducting your research in the U.S. You need to showcase adequate planning for the same. For example, the identification of resources in both India and the U.S.
4. A letter of recommendation must come from your PhD supervisor
5. Submit the FNDR Employer’s Endorsement Form (for those employed)
6. Submit your research samples. For example, 20 pages from your Master’s/M.Phil. thesis.
7. You must not have completed your PhD. 
8. Also, you must not be an Indian government official.

Benefits

The benefits covered include the following:

1. Living allowance for the entire 6–9 month research stay in the U.S.
2. Round-trip flight tickets 
3. J-1 visa support for grantees.
4. Accident and sickness coverage as per the American government guidelines
5. One-time allowance to settle in the USA upon arrival
6. Support for research-related expenses such as conference expenses, book expenses and more.

Chevening Scholarship

The Chevening scholarship is one of the top fully funded scholarships for Indian students. The  Government of the United Kingdom sponsors this award for international students to pursue a master’s degree for one year at any UK university. You must have at least 2 years of work experience in the relevant course to apply. The selection process is competitive. Your leadership qualities, career vision, networking potential, and academic merit are considered.

Eligibility:

The eligibility criteria for the Chevening scholarship are as follows:

1. Must be a national of an eligible country (For example, India)
2. Must have an undergraduate degree (UK upper second-class 2:1 honours degree)
3. You must meet the university entry requirements for a master’s program
4. Agree to return to India for at least 2 years after the award period ends.
5. Must have a minimum of 2 years of work experience (full-time, part-time, voluntary work, or even an internship).
6. Apply to three different eligible UK master’s courses, and receive an unconditional offer from at least one course you have applied for.
7. Meet the English requirements of their chosen UK universities.
8. Must not have previously studied in the UK with UK Government funding.

Benefits:

The scholarship benefits are as follows:

1. Covers your 1-year tuition fee
2. Provides a living allowance to cover your accommodation, food, and daily expenses
3. Round-trip flight tickets 
4. One-time allowance to settle in the UK upon arrival
5. Contribution to travel costs to go back to India
6. Visa Application Fees
7. Travel Grant to attend Chevening events held for networking purposes, and other cultural and academic events.

National Overseas Scholarship Scheme

The Government of India sponsors the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) Scheme to provide financial support to students from disadvantaged communities. For example, SC/ST, de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, landless agricultural labourers, and traditional artisans. It aims to uplift students from low-income backgrounds (annual income ≤ INR 8,00,000). Every year, approximately 125 new awards are distributed to deserving students, subject to the availability of funds. The scholarship is only sponsored for master’s and PhD degrees abroad.

Eligibility:

The eligibility criteria for this top fully funded scholarship for Indian students are as follows:

1. You must be from a reserved category such as Scheduled Castes (SC), landless agricultural labourers & traditional artisans, or denotified, nomadic & semi-nomadic Tribes.
2. Family income must be less than INR 8,00,000 per annum.
3. Must be below 35 years as of April 1st/
4. Get 55% marks (or equivalent) in the qualifying exam (BA/MA)
5. Must have already received an offer letter from a university to study abroad in a master’s or PhD program
6. You must not have previously received this scholarship.

Benefits:

The scholarship benefits are as follows:

1. Tuition fees for the duration of stay
2. Living allowance ( USD 15,400 per annum for the USA, GBP 9,900 for the UK, etc.)
3. Contingency Allowance for books and other study materials. (USD 1,500 per annum for the USA, or GBP 1,100 per annum for the UK)
4. Flight ticket to the destination country
5. Visa fees
6. Medical insurance 
7. Allowances to cover incidental travel expenses and certain approved academic-related costs.

UNESCO and The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowship Programme

The Great Wall programme is sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Government of the People’s Republic of China in association with UNESCO. The scholarship is for students from developing countries to study in a university in China. This scholarship is awarded for non-degree programs such as senior advanced studies or research with a duration of one year. Applicants must apply through and be nominated by their National Commissions for UNESCO. This is because only students who are endorsed are considered eligible.

Eligibility:

The scholarship eligibility criteria are as follows:

1. You must be an Indian
2. Be endorsed by the National Commission for UNESCO
3. Completed at least 2 years of undergraduate study for the general scholar program
4. Otherwise, hold a master’s degree or above, or be an associate professor for the senior scholar program
5. Must be under the age of 45-50.
6. Must be in good health
7. Must be proficient in Chinese or English.

Benefits:

This is one of the top fully funded scholarships for Indian students. The benefits include:

1. Your tuition fees for the entire duration of your stay.
2. Accommodation expenses 
3. Monthly stipend (General scholars can get CNY 3,000 per month, and senior scholars can get CNY 3500 per month)
4. Medical insurance
5. Airfare expenses

Also Read: Top Scholarships For Indian Students To Study In Canada.

Other Excellent Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students 

These are other excellent scholarships that you can consider applying. Most of the scholarships listed below cover 100% of your tuition fees. Plus, additional benefits are provided.

S.No	Scholarship Name	Country	Education Level	General Benefits
1	Rhodes Scholarship	UK (Oxford)	Master’s / Postgrad	Full tuition, living stipend, airfare, visa, settling-in allowance
2	Gates Cambridge Scholarship	UK (Cambridge)	Master’s / PhD	Tuition, living allowance, travel, visa costs, academic development fund
3	Commonwealth Scholarship	UK	Master’s / PhD	Tuition fees, living allowance, airfare
4	Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree	Europe (EU)	Master’s	Tuition, monthly stipend, travel, and insurance
5	DAAD Scholarship	Germany	Master’s / PhD	Tuition, monthly stipend, health insurance, travel allowance
6	Australia Awards Scholarship	Australia	UG / Master’s / PhD	Tuition, living costs, airfare, and pre-departure training
7	Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship	Switzerland	Research / Postgrad	Tuition waiver, stipend, health insurance, airfare
8	MEXT Scholarship	Japan	UG / Master’s / PhD	Tuition, monthly stipend, and accommodation support
9	Türkiye Scholarship	Turkey	UG / Master’s / PhD	Tuition, stipend, accommodation, and health insurance
10	Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholarship	USA (Stanford)	Graduate	Tuition, living allowance, travel stipend

How to Get a 100% Free Scholarship?

You can get a fully funded scholarship for Indian students if you are eligible for it. However, to get a scholarship, the first thing identify the scholarship you want to apply for. Visit the official website and learn more about the scholarship. Ensure that you meet the requirements and understand the documents required and the application process. 

 Some scholarships can be applied directly. However, if a scholarship is government-funded or funded by an international organisation, you might have to be nominated by an institution. In such cases, you will have to apply for nomination first.

The application process for other scholarships is simple. Just ensure you meet the requirements, have the necessary documents, and apply online before the deadline.

Also Read: 6 Fully Funded Undergraduate Scholarships in Australia for International Students

FAQs

Getting a fully-funded scholarship for higher education is a huge step towards achieving your goal. Ensure to send the application for the scholarship on or before the deadline to avoid missing out on its benefits. Hopefully, this article proved helpful for candidates looking to avail the benefits of the mentioned scholarships.

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