Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students (2027)

Fully funded scholarships for Indian students pay tuition plus living costs, and most also cover flights, visa fees and health insurance. There are fewer of them than many lists suggest, and some popular "top 10" names don't accept Indian applicants at all. Most of the genuine ones fund master's study and expect strong grades. Many also ask for two to three years of work experience and a clear plan for using the degree back home.

This guide covers the scholarships that are actually open to Indian citizens, what each pays for and when its application window usually opens. It also sets out a realistic 12 to 18 month plan for applying. If you're still deciding on a country or course, MetaApply's Premium Counselling team can help you match scholarships to your profile before you start writing essays.

What a Fully Funded Scholarship Covers (and What It Doesn't)

"Fully funded" gets used loosely online. Here is what the term usually means in practice:

• Fully funded: Tuition, a monthly living allowance, return flights and usually visa and insurance costs. These are almost always government or foundation awards.
• Full tuition waiver: All tuition is covered, but you pay your own living costs. Many university scholarships work this way.
• Partial scholarship: A share of tuition, often 10% to 50%. These are far more common and much easier to win.

Most successful students combine a partial scholarship with savings or an education loan. Knowing which tier you're aiming for keeps your shortlist realistic.

Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students: The Main Options

Each scholarship below has been checked against its official page or the most recent cycle notice. Dates move every year, so confirm on the provider's site before you apply.

Chevening Scholarships (UK)

Funded by the UK government for a one-year master's at any UK university. According to Chevening's eligibility guidance, you need at least two years of work experience (2,800 hours) after your degree. You also have to apply to three UK courses and commit to returning home for two years afterwards. Applications usually open in August and close in October.

Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships (USA)

Run by USIEF for Indian citizens, this fellowship covers tuition, living costs, round-trip airfare, J-1 visa support and health cover. You need a degree equivalent to a US bachelor's with at least 55% and three years of relevant paid work. The fellowship only funds set fields, such as economics, public health, journalism and urban planning. The last cycle closed in May. Check the USIEF fellowship page for the eligible fields in the current year.

Commonwealth Master's Scholarships (UK)

These fund development-focused master's courses in the UK. Indian applicants apply through the national nominating agency as well as to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, and both deadlines apply. MBAs are excluded. The 2027/28 round closed on 20 October 2026, so plan for the next cycle.

Rhodes Scholarship for India (University of Oxford)

Five Rhodes Scholarships are awarded in India each year for postgraduate study at Oxford. They cover Oxford course fees and a living stipend. For the October 2027 intake, applications ran from 1 June to 23 July 2026.

Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships (UK, Europe, USA)

A private Indian foundation award worth up to USD 120,000 (about ₹1.14 crore). It covers tuition, living costs, one-way travel and visa costs. You must already hold an admission offer, and applicants for the 2026 cycle had to be born on or after 1 January 1996. Business, computer science, most engineering and MBA courses are excluded.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's (Europe)

These EU-funded master's programmes are taught at two or more European universities and are open to students from any country. Top-ranked applicants receive a scholarship that covers participation costs and contributes to travel, visa and living costs. You apply directly to each programme, and most deadlines fall between October and January.

DAAD Scholarships (Germany)

Germany's academic exchange service funds master's and doctoral study through several schemes. Many have work-experience requirements, and amounts depend on the scheme. Check the DAAD scholarship database for current rates.

MEXT (Japan) and GKS (South Korea)

Both governments fund full degrees, including undergraduate study. For the 2027 MEXT undergraduate intake, the monthly allowance was 117,000 yen (about ₹68,800). Our guide to scholarships to study in South Korea covers GKS in detail.

Lester B. Pearson Scholarship (Canada, undergraduate)

The University of Toronto covers tuition, books, fees and residence for four years. Your school has to nominate you in October of your final school year. For students still in Class 10, our guide to scholarships after 10th explains how to plan for it.

National Overseas Scholarship (Government of India)

This central scheme funds master's and PhD study abroad for low-income students from Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans.

Application Windows at a Glance

Open right now: Erasmus Mundus programmes for 2027 entry. Fulbright-Nehru and Inlaks usually close in the first half of the year, so start preparing now.

How to Get a Fully Funded Scholarship: A 12 to 18 Month Plan

Most students searching for how to get a scholarship to study abroad start too late. The fully funded scholarships for Indian students listed above close 9 to 12 months before the course begins, so the plan below works back from that.

1. Month 1 to 2: Shortlist by fit. Filter by level, eligible fields, work-experience rules and excluded courses. A short list you actually qualify for beats a long list of famous names.
2. Month 2 to 4: Fix your test scores. Most awards need IELTS or TOEFL, and some US programmes expect the GRE. MetaApply's IELTS coaching can help you plan attempts around deadlines.
3. Month 3 to 6: Secure offers early. Chevening needs an unconditional offer by July, and Inlaks wants admission before the final interview.
4. Month 4 to 8: Write the essays. Committees read thousands of applications. A specific plan for what you'll do in India afterwards matters more than polished language.
5. Month 6 to 10: Line up referees. Give each referee the selection criteria so they can write to them.
6. Interview stage: Practise explaining why this course, why this country and what changes because of it.

Why strong applications still miss out

Selection panels rarely reject on grades alone. More often the essay doesn't connect the course to a specific problem in India, or the referee letters are generic. Some applicants apply for a course that the scholarship excludes, or miss the separate nominating-agency deadline for Commonwealth awards. Each of these is fixable if you read the selection criteria line by line before writing.

Planning for a Funding Gap

Even fully funded scholarships for Indian students don't always cover everything, and USIEF says its funding may not cover all costs. Run your numbers through our budget calculator before you accept an offer. If there's a gap, MetaFinance helps families compare education loan options.

Ready to Study Abroad on a Scholarship?

MetaApply's counsellors help Indian students shortlist scholarships, plan applications and test dates, and arrange funding, all under one roof. Fully funded scholarships for Indian students reward those who start early and apply widely, so begin your shortlist this month.

Talk to a MetaApply Counsellor -It's Free