Top Scholarships after 12th for Indian Students to Study Abroad
Indian students who have decided to study abroad will have questions about scholarships after 12th. Since studying abroad is a costly affair, scholarships and funding usually ease the financial burden. There are a couple of international scholarships for Indian students after 12th which can be considered.
Indian students have many scholarships to study abroad after 12th in India. These scholarships are categorised as - fully-funded and partly-funded scholarships, merit-based or need-based scholarships, university-offered scholarships, government-funded scholarships, country and state-specific scholarships and external scholarships. All these scholarships have stricter selection rules for international students. Scholarships to study abroad after 12th in India often cover tuition, living costs and travel for undergraduate studies in countries like the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Australia.
It must be noted that most of the 100% scholarships, also called the fully-funded scholarships to study abroad, are available only for master’s courses. Thus, there are very few options for students looking for scholarships to study abroad after 12th. This makes scholarship hunting even more difficult for Indian students.
To apply for scholarships abroad, one needs to submit a personal essay for the scholarship awarding committee to understand:
- Your reason for choosing the course and university you’re choosing, and
- Why you should be awarded the scholarship.
Check out how to write a winning scholarship essay to study abroad. This article will discuss in detail scholarships to study abroad after 12th in India.
- What are International Scholarships for Indian Students after 12th?
- Types of Scholarships for Indian Students after 12th to Study Abroad
- Top Scholarships to Study Abroad After 12th for Indian Students
- Top 15 Fully Funded Scholarships to Study Abroad after 12th
- Scholarships for Studying Abroad by the Indian Government after 12th
- Scholarship Exams after 12th to Study Abroad
- Merit Based Scholarships for SAT & ACT Top Scorers
- Scholarships after 12th for Indian Students to Study Abroad FAQs
What are International Scholarships for Indian Students after 12th?
International scholarships are scholarships offered to Indian students while they are applying for admission abroad. Indian students after 12th can apply for various undergraduate courses and can consequently apply for scholarships for which they are eligible. There is not just one type of scholarship for Indian students after 12th; there are various types of them, and thus there are a lot of options.
Types of Scholarships for Indian Students after 12th to Study Abroad
There are basically four broad types of scholarships to study abroad for Indian students after 12th and they are as follows:
- Merit-based Scholarships
- Need-based Scholarships
- Government-funded Scholarships
- External Scholarships
Apart from the above-given types of scholarships abroad, there are also Athletic Scholarships, Community Scholarships and National Merit Scholarships. Though these are less popular they can be considered. Understand the difference between Need and Merit-Based Scholarships and apply accordingly.
Top Scholarships to Study Abroad After 12th for Indian Students
The scholarships in the table below are essentially not fully funded scholarships, but they cover a huge amount of your tuition and living expenses. Let's look at the top scholarships to study abroad after 12th for Indian students applying to universities abroad:
| Best Scholarships to Study Abroad after 12th | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarship Name, Course level |
Eligibility Criteria |
Scholarship Type |
Maximum Scholarship Amount Per Student |
| Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships Master's |
|
Merit-based |
Up to USD 120,000 (covering tuition fees, living expenses, health insurance & visa cost and one-way airfare) |
| QS ImpACT Undergraduate Scholarship Bachelor's |
|
Merit-based |
USD 50,000 |
| JN Tata Endowment Loan Scholarship Master's |
|
Merit-based |
Up to INR 20,00,000/- |
| K.C. Mahindra Scholarships For Post-Graduate Studies Abroad |
|
Merit-based |
INR 10,00,000/- for top 3 awardees and INR 5,00,000 for others |
| Generation Google Scholarship - USA Bachelor's |
|
Merit-based |
USD 10,000 |
There may be other scholarships for Indian students to study abroad after 12th. Check out some of the popular scholarships for UG courses for Indians.
Top 15 Fully Funded Scholarships to Study Abroad after 12th
There are very few fully funded scholarship options available to study bachelor's courses abroad. Most fully funded scholarships cover master's or higher courses only. But, there are a few government schemes and a few colleges/universities as well that cover the complete tuition for bachelor's courses as well. These fully funded scholarships for bachelor's are given below.
| Top Fully Funded Scholarships after 12th | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scholarships | Coverage | Applicable Bachelor's Courses |
| MEXT Scholarships - Japan |
|
|
| DAAD Scholarships, Germany |
Additionally, the following are covered under certain exceptional circumstances -
|
- |
| DSU Scholarship - Italy |
|
|
| Chinese Government Scholarship - China |
|
|
| GKS Scholarships - South Korea |
|
Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Arts, Physical Education, and specialised areas like Fine Arts, Music, Agriculture, Health Sciences |
| Australia Awards Scholarships - Australia |
|
Health, Education, Engineering, Agriculture, IT and Governance |
| Stipendium Hungaricum - Hungary |
|
Engineering, Computer Science, Medical & Health Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Economic Sciences, Legal Sciences, Natural Sciences, Architecture, Nursing, Pilot Training and more |
| Yale University Need-Based Financial Aid - Yale University, USA |
|
all undergraduate courses |
| Cornell University Tata Scholarship - Cornell University, USA |
|
Generally all fields but preference is given to - Engineering (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Environmental, Computer Science), Architecture & Planning, Applied Economics & Management (Business), Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences |
| Stanford/Harvard/MIT Need-Based Aid Scholarship - USA | 100% of demonstrated financial need - granted through grants, scholarships and work-study opportunities without needing loans | all undergraduate courses |
| Dr. Manmohan Singh Scholarships - University of Cambridge |
|
various undergraduate courses except Medicine/Vet Science |
| Oxford & Cambridge Society of India Scholarships - UK | part-cost scholarships | all undergraduate courses |
| Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship - University of Toronto, Canada | full funding for tuition, books, fees and residence for four years for exceptional international students. | all undergraduate courses |
Scholarships for Studying Abroad by the Indian Government after 12th
Commonly asked questions
For studying abroad for free after 12th from India - focus on:
- fully funded scholarships (like DAAD Scholarships for Germany, Chevening Scholarships for the UK and GKS Scholarships for South Korea), and
- tuition-free countries like Germany and Norway, which accept students on the basis of their good grades (high GPA), language skills (IELTS/TOEFL), SOPs, LORs and extracurricular activities, and
- applying early to cover tuition and living costs and exploring government-backed programs or university aid. Applying early can ensure that you receive a waiver/bursary or secure a scholarship from the university.
Yes, one can get a good scholarship to study a bachelor's programme abroad given that you will have to search for suitable scholarships available for the country, university and course you are applying to. However, merely applying for the scholarship does not confirm your chance of getting a scholarship. You will have to be prepared and receive the desired merit in your qualifying class 12th exams to win the scholarship award.
Several universities in the USA, the UK, Germany, Norway, France, Austria and Iceland provide fully funded scholarships to Indian students. It deoends on your application and profile whether you receive a complete funding aid from the university or not.
Yes, Illinois Tech Mumbai is a good college. The college offers undergraduate and graduate programmes. Out of the available programmes, MS & BS are the flagship programmes.

Priya Garg is an Assistant Manager in the Editorial Team of Shiksha Study Abroad (Shiksha.com, InfoEdge India Ltd), where she has served as the primary content owner on studying in the UK, Ireland, France, Spai
Read Full Bio