All about Need-Based and Merit-Based Scholarships for Studying Abroad
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Need-based and merit-based Scholarships: Scholarships have always provided students with a medium to fulfil their dreams by allowing them to study abroad. They provide the much-needed financial aid required to lessen the burden of the strenuous tuition fees and living expenses that a domestic student wanting to study abroad faces. However, scholarships are of different kinds.
While some are general scholarships others are more categorical in nature. Today we are going to discuss the types of scholarships that are available to Indian students looking to study abroad.
Related Reads:
- Types of Scholarships
- Difference Between Merit-based and Need-based Scholarships
- Scholarships vs Fellowship vs Freeship
Types of Scholarships
Today we are going to be talking about merit-based scholarships, need-based scholarships, and general scholarships among other financial grants/aids for applicants looking to study abroad at a low cost.
What are Merit-Based Scholarships?
As the name suggests Merit-Based Scholarships are financial grants that are provided to students on the basis of a student’s past academic records and/or extracurricular activities such as achievements in sports and service to the community. The financial background of a candidate is of no importance here. Read: Merit Scholarships for SAT and ACT Scores
What are Need-Based Scholarships?
As the name suggests, Need-Based scholarships are financial aids/grants that are provided to students that are facing financial difficulties. These scholarships are aimed towards students with weak financial backgrounds who are unable to meet the high tuition fees and living expenses of foreign countries. Candidates would be required to produce proof in the form of family income proof, tax statements employment documents among others to apply for this particular category of scholarship.
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Difference Between Merit-based and Need-based Scholarships
The differences between the need-based and the merit-based scholarships are given below.
| Differences between Need-based and Merit-based Scholarships | |
|---|---|
| Merit-based Scholarships | Need-based Scholarships |
| The Merit-based Scholarships require specific academic achievements as its selection criteria. For example, test scores, essays, extra-curricular activities, etc. | The selection criteria for Need-based Scholarships is the financial aid dependency of the applicant. |
| Examples of merit-based scholarships are specific college/university scholarships. | Examples of need-based scholarships are several federal/government grants. |
| Aimed towards recognising the hard work and academic achievements of meritorious students and boosting motivation among other students to utilise their full potential and do good in their academics. | These scholarships are aimed at supporting students who come from economically weaker backgrounds to get a fair chance of receiving higher education. |
Also Read:
What are General Scholarships?
As the name suggests, General Scholarships is an umbrella term that talks about all financial aid/ grants that are given to deserving candidates to embark on their study abroad journey. This particular scholarship does not follow any set pattern but has been constituted for the deserving. For the benefit of our readers, we have brought together the most popular scholarships for study abroad destinations that have one of the largest Indian student footfalls, every academic year. Candidates would be surprised to know Indians form the second largest percentage of foreign student composition abroad only second to China.
The list of country-wise scholarships is as follows.
| Top Scholarships to Study in Canada for International Students |
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| Scholarships to Study in Australia for International Students |
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| Scholarships for European Countries: Erasmus Mundus Programme |
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Apart from the scholarships mentioned above, there are also various other scholarships that candidates can apply for. These scholarships are again for students who comply with a certain larger category. These include.
- Student Specific Scholarships: As the name suggests, Student Specific Scholarships are based on factors such as gender, race, religion, family, and medical history of the applicant, and students who are eligible can apply to such scholarships.
- Destination Specific: These are scholarships that are more destination specific. For example, the Chevening fellowship granted by the UK Government is for international students belonging to the Commonwealth countries. Hence, you see scholarships could also target Tier II and Tier III countries, to bring about equal opportunities.
- Athletic Scholarships: As the term suggests, these are scholarships that are reserved for top-notch sportsmen. The financial grant would require applicants to contribute with rigorous training and representing their university at events whilst balancing their education, simultaneously.
Check out:
- Scholarship Interview Questions with Answers to Study Abroad
- Scholarships after 12th
- How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay to Study Abroad?
Scholarships vs Fellowship vs Freeship
While we know all about scholarships, let us closely look at what Fellowship and Freeship mean and how different are they from scholarships.
What are Fellowships?
The fellowship is the financial aid awarded to students who are going to pursue research on a specific subject after clearing the qualifying exam. A fellowship can be a grant given to students or scholars from various disciplines like finance, management, science, etc. for pursuing research in a specific area.
What is Freeship?
Freeship is when the total tuition fee is paid by the authority which is sponsoring it for the time period which they have approved. Some universities offer Freeship where they waive off tuition fee, however, the student has to pay for the accommodation and food expenses.
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Related Reads
The application process at the University of Manchester can change depending on course chosen and level of study. The steps to apply for undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the university are given as follows:
UG Application Process:
- Student must apply through the UCAS common application portal.
- They can go to the website and select the course that they are interested in.
- Students are required to meet the eligibility requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.
- Once they have decided on the course, the important documents are to be submitted such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements.
- You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS.
- Once the applicant submits the application to UCAS, it forwards to the University, and the admission teams carefully analyse the application document.
- The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.
Check out: tips to improve your SOP.
PG application process:
- Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\
- Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.
- Complete the online application by providing your personal information.
- Upload the required documents, such as Academic transcripts and proof of English language proficiency ( TOEFL/ IELTS). experience in your fields and references (depending on the course). You also may require Two LORs depending on the course.
- If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester.
To make your admission better, check out the following: How Admission Officers Evaluate your application.
Those who are preparing for the UK Class 10 exam 2026 are recommended to follow the tips below.
- Know the exam pattern
- Make a proper time table as per the syllabus
- Solve previous year question papers
- Make short notes of important formulas and theorems
- Revise regularly
- Figure out weaker areas and learn them well
With proper planning and hard work, students can easily clear the UK 10th board exam.
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The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.