The UK remains a leading destination for Indian students, with multiple UK universities featuring consistently in the top of current global rankings; check the current QS or THE rankings for exact positions, since these shift each year and a specific rank from an older cycle can go stale quickly.
But studying in the UK is genuinely expensive. As GradRight’s internal planning ranges (not an official published UK-wide figure), undergraduate tuition is commonly around GBP 11,000-38,000 a year and postgraduate tuition around GBP 9,000-45,000 a year. This is before living costs, visa fees, and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
For the full cost picture, see Cost of Studying in the UK for Indian Students.
Scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK
1. Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree Scholarship (check UK eligibility carefully)
The EU launched this scholarship to foster cooperation in higher education, funding joint Master’s programs delivered by a consortium of universities across multiple countries.
Context: the UK has been outside the EU’s Erasmus+ programme since Brexit, and a future UK association with Erasmus+ has reportedly been under discussion. The key practical point is that UK participation and eligibility within any specific Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree (EMJMD) consortium is programme-specific, not a general rule; some consortiums include a UK institution and others don’t. Don’t assume this scholarship gets you into a UK program by default; check the current EMJMD catalogue on the official Erasmus+ site for any consortium that specifically includes a UK institution for your intended cycle.
Where a UK-inclusive program does exist, eligibility commonly includes a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), English proficiency evidence, and application before the relevant Master’s program begins. Benefits typically include tuition, living expenses, travel allowances, and a monthly stipend, over a duration of 1 to 2 academic years.
Find current programs on the official Erasmus Mundus scholarships page.
2. Chevening Scholarships
Chevening is the UK government’s flagship international scholarship program, funding study across a very wide range of courses and universities in the UK.
Eligibility (general pattern, confirm current criteria on the official site):
- A Bachelor’s degree in an eligible field
- At least two years (around 2,800 hours) of work experience completed after your undergraduate studies
- Applications to a minimum number of eligible UK courses, with at least one unconditional offer received
- A requirement to return to your home country for a period after the scholarship ends (exact duration set by the current scholarship terms)
Benefits typically include university tuition fees, a return economy flight to and from the UK, a monthly stipend, visa application costs, and a travel grant for Chevening events. Duration is generally one year or the length of the course, whichever is shorter.
Find current details on the official Chevening India page.
3. Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships (CWIT)
Offered and administered by the Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT), this scholarship funds a small number of long-term awards focused on heritage conservation and visual arts, typically for one-year courses. Verify each award category’s specific current terms separately on the official CWIT site, since categories and amounts can differ.
Eligibility (general pattern, confirm current criteria):
- An age range set by the current scholarship terms; figures cited across sources vary (some cite a range in the late-20s to late-30s, others cite up to 45 for specific Visiting Fellowship categories), so confirm the exact current age limit for the specific award category on the official CWIT site rather than relying on a single figure.
- A first degree, professional qualification, or diploma in the relevant specialization, with significant work experience preferred
- No CWIT grant received within a specified recent period
Benefits typically include accommodation and living costs, an international travel allowance, visiting fellowships at partner institutions, and research/doctoral study grants. Duration is commonly around 10 months.
Find current details on the official CWIT scholarships page.
4. Dr. Manmohan Singh Scholarships
Awarded through St John’s College, University of Cambridge, this scholarship funds doctoral study in science and technology, social sciences, and economics, with preference historically given to Energy Studies and Aerospace Engineering applicants.
Reported currently active for the 2026-27 intake (15 January 2026 deadline) per several independent sources, typically supporting 3-4 Indian PhD candidates a year; these specifics could not be independently confirmed directly against St John’s College’s own current page for this update, so confirm directly before relying on them:
- Applicants must be under 35 years of age as of 31 January in the year of application
- A Master’s degree from a recognized Indian university; a strong, First Class-level academic record is expected
- An admission offer from St John’s College
- No prior UK funding or UK education exposure
- Commitment to full-time doctoral research at Cambridge
Benefits include tuition fees, international airfare, and a monthly stipend, for the duration of the course. Confirmed currently active for the 2026-27 cycle; check St John’s College’s official page for the current year’s exact deadline and terms, since these are reviewed annually.
5. Rhodes Scholarship
One of the oldest and most prestigious scholarships available to Indian students, the Rhodes Scholarship funds postgraduate study at the University of Oxford, with over 100 scholarships awarded globally each year across all constituencies. India’s specific allocation is 5 scholarships a year, per current Rhodes Trust figures.
Eligibility (general pattern, confirm current criteria):
- You must be aged 18-23 as of 1 October in the relevant application year, with an exception allowing applicants under 27 if you completed your first undergraduate degree later than usual
- At least 4 of the last 10 years of formal education completed at an educational institution in India, alongside Indian citizenship
- Your academic background and grades must meet or exceed the specific entry requirements of your chosen course at Oxford; official guidance describes a First Class undergraduate degree as increasing your likelihood of selection, rather than being an absolute cutoff, so check current guidance rather than assuming a strict first-class requirement.
Benefits typically include university fees, living costs, return economy airfare, an annual stipend, the Student visa application fee, and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). Duration is commonly two years, renewable annually at the trustees’ discretion.
Find current details on the official Rhodes Scholarship page.
6. Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
Offered by the governments of Commonwealth countries, this plan funds several hundred students a year from across the Commonwealth through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC). Importantly, the CSC runs multiple distinct schemes (Master’s, Shared, Distance Learning, and others), each with its own eligibility criteria, and some specific schemes have been paused in certain cycles; don’t assume the criteria below apply uniformly across every CSC scheme.
Eligibility (general pattern for Master’s/PhD-track schemes specifically; varies by exact scheme, confirm current criteria for the specific scheme you’re applying to):
- An age limit set by the current terms of the specific scheme (figures cited vary; don’t assume a single universal age cutoff applies across all CSC schemes)
- An undergraduate honours degree (upper second class or above) for postgraduate study, or a Master’s degree with equivalent standing for PhD applicants
- Demonstrated financial need, under the specific scheme’s own definition
Benefits typically include tuition fees, a monthly stipend, return economy international airfare, and thesis or fieldwork grants, though exact benefits and stipend amounts vary by specific CSC scheme and are reviewed periodically. This guide deliberately avoids citing a specific stipend figure, since published figures have varied considerably across sources and cycles; check the current official CSC page for the exact current stipend for your specific scheme.
Find current details on the official Commonwealth Scholarship Commission page.
A note on the UK visa and post-study work landscape
Whichever scholarship route you pursue, factor in current UK visa costs and rules separately, since these have changed meaningfully in recent cycles:
- The Student visa (the current name for what was previously called the Tier 4 visa) application fee is GBP 558 for applications from outside the UK (effective from 8 April 2026), plus the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) of GBP 776 a year for students. Both are reviewed periodically by the UK Government; confirm the current fee on gov.uk before applying.
- The Graduate Route post-study work visa currently gives 2 years of post-study work if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, dropping to 18 months for applications made from 1 January 2027 (PhD graduates get 3 years).
For the full visa process, see Visa Application Process for UK Master’s.
Combining a scholarship with an education loan
Even a strong scholarship rarely covers every cost. Some students combine savings, a scholarship, and an education loan for the remainder; your specific mix depends on your scholarship coverage and personal financial situation.
GradRight helps you compare offers from 18+ lending partners in one place. Compare Education Loan Options for the UK
Sources and methodology
This guide references the following for context, current as of the last-updated date above:
- UK Student visa fee (GBP 558) and Immigration Health Surcharge (GBP 776/year): confirmed via gov.uk Student visa guidance.
- Graduate Route visa duration change (2 years to 18 months from 1 January 2027): confirmed via UK Home Office guidance.
- UK’s status with the Erasmus+ programme post-Brexit: the UK has been outside Erasmus+ for the 2021-2026 funding cycle, with the UK’s Turing Scheme covering UK-outbound mobility separately; a UK association with Erasmus+ from 2027 has been reported as under discussion, though this was not independently confirmed for this update.
Disclaimer: Scholarship eligibility, benefit amounts, and availability referenced in this guide are illustrative and reviewed periodically by each awarding body; some scholarships listed have had gap years in the past. This article is for general information only and is not financial or immigration advice. Verify current details directly on each scholarship’s official page before applying.
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