Top Scholarships after 12th for Indian Students to Study Abroad

Top Scholarships after 12th for Indian Students to Study Abroad

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Priya
Priya Garg
Assistant Manager - Editorial, Shiksha Study Abroad
Updated on Jul 9, 2026 14:30 IST
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 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.

Scholarships after 12th for Indian students

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:

  1. Your reason for choosing the course and university you’re choosing, and 
  2. 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.

Table of contents
  • 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
View More

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:

  1. Merit-based Scholarships
  2. Need-based Scholarships
  3. Government-funded Scholarships
  4. 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

  • Must be an Indian passport holder and residing in India at the time of application.
  • Must hold a good first-class bachelor's degree.
  • The course can be 9 months to 4 years long.
  • Candidates who have done their bachelor's abroad must be residing in India for at least 2 years after the completion of their graduation. However, students having completed their master's abroad are not eligible. Check the link on the left for complete details. 

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

  • Must have attended the QS Fair, been a client of QS Apply or a QSI Community member
  • Must have a minimum of 1 live report on the website - QS ImpACT. 
  • Must write an essay for your scholarship on a given topic and submit it via the "Top Universities" website.  

Merit-based

USD 50,000

JN Tata Endowment Loan Scholarship 

Master's

  • Applicants must be Indian and under 45 years of age.
  • Candidates must have graduated from a recognised Indian university with at least 60% of marks in their UG/PG level. Candidates who have not graduated from an Indian university are not eligible to apply. 
  • Note:- Applications for courses commencing in Fall and Spring intakes open in January through March of the study year. 

Merit-based

Up to INR 20,00,000/-

K.C. Mahindra Scholarships For Post-Graduate Studies Abroad
Master's

  • Applicants must be Indian and have applied to a university abroad.
  • Applicants must possess a first-class bachelor's degree or an equivalent diploma from a recognised university. 

Merit-based

INR 10,00,000/- for top 3 awardees and INR 5,00,000 for others

Generation Google Scholarship - USA

Bachelor's

  • Applicant must be currently enrolled in a bachelor's programme in computer science, computer engineering or a related technical course.
  • Must demonstrate a strong financial need and academic record

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
  • may cover your full tuition for the bachelor's course for 4-5 years, depending on your route of enrollment at the university.
  • A monthly allowance of  117,000 yen (approx. Rs. 68,800).
  • Round-trip airfare
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Courses including - law, politics, economics, etc.
  • Natural Sciences courses including - Electric and Electronic Studies, Mechanical Studies, Natural Science, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Chemical Studies, Hygienic Studies and more
DAAD Scholarships, Germany
  • EUR 934 per month
  • Insurance cover
  • Study allowance on an annual basis
  • Travel allowance

Additionally, the following are covered under certain exceptional circumstances -

  • Monthly rent subsidy
  • Monthly allowance for the accompanying family members
  • Allowance for additional needs in case of disability/
    chronic illness - if applicable
  • Preparatory language course
-
DSU Scholarship - Italy
  • accommodation
  • university dining halls' free meals 
  • complete tuition fees
  • miscellaneous expenses of studying in Italy - books, games, etc.
  • bachelor's / degree level courses at University of Pisa
Chinese Government Scholarship - China
  • complete tuition fee
  • accommodation
  • stipend for living costs
  • bachelor's in courses such as - Humanities, Economics, Law, Education, Management, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, medicine and fine arts 
GKS Scholarships - South Korea
  • tuition fee
  • accommodation
  • round-trip airfare
  • language training course 
Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Arts, Physical Education, and specialised areas like Fine Arts, Music, Agriculture, Health Sciences
Australia Awards Scholarships - Australia
  • tuition fee
  • accommodation
  • round-trip airfare
Health, Education, Engineering, Agriculture, IT and Governance
Stipendium Hungaricum - Hungary
  • tuition fee
  • accommodation
  • monthly stipends
  • health insurance
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
  • 100% of demonstrated financial requirements for the studies - with no income cut-off
all undergraduate courses
Cornell University Tata Scholarship - Cornell University, USA
  • full tuition fees - for the entire 4-year UG degree 
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
  • tuition fees
  • living costs
  • travel airfare
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

Apart from the above-given list of popular scholarships, the following are some of the scholarships for studying abroad by the Indian Government after 12th:

1. SN Bose Scholarship (USA)

Applicable for bachelor’s applicants who are Indian citizens applying to US universities. Applying for courses in - Atmospheric and Earth Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

2. National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Cast (SC)  Students

This scholarship by the Indian Government is for SC/ST students and covers the costs of airfare, tuition fees, living costs and books. There are only 20 scholarships available for both SC and ST students based on their choice of course selection. Read more about the National Overseas Scholarship for Indian students here.

3. Cornell University Tata Scholarship

Cornell University Tata Scholarship is also an Indian Government-backed scholarship for those aiming to get admission to Cornell University in the USA. Here, the scholarship is need-based, unlike the others above, which are merit-based. This is a fully funded scholarship program which is exclusively for Indian students. 

There are limited Indian Government-funded scholarships for students going to take up a bachelor's course. The majority of them are for Master's level courses and for Doctorates that require fellowships in and out of the country. 

Scholarship Exams after 12th to Study Abroad

As such, there is no specific exam designed for students to avail scholarships after class 12th exams to study abroad. However, those who score well in standardised tests like the SAT or ACT for undergraduate admissions can go for merit-based scholarships. Such scholarships are usually offered by the universities in question or the Department under which applicants apply for admission. Check out some more details in the section below about scholarship exams to study abroad after 12th for Indian students. 

You may also read Bursary Vs Scholarship

Merit Based Scholarships for SAT & ACT Top Scorers

There are various merit-based scholarships for SAT and ACT high scorers. Those who score above 1300 on the SAT exam and above 30 on the ACT exam are eligible for a scholarship. A majority of SAT and ACT score based scholarships are offered in US universities, like:

These are collective universities which offer scholarships to applicants based on their ACT and SAT scores. There are many others too which offer ACT and SAT scholarships. Around 10-20% tuition fee waiver is offered for those qualifying for these scholarships. 

Thus, there are no specific scholarship exams to study abroad after 12th for Indian students, they are assessed based on their scores in standardised exams only.  

You may also check the Top 10 Life-Changing Scholarships to Study Abroad

There are a plethora of scholarship options available for Indian students after 12th to fund their education abroad. But minimum scholarship options are available for Indian students from the Indian Government. Have more queries? Post your questions below in the comments box. For admission-related queries, sign up for free Shiksha Abroad Counselling and request a callback from our team of expert counsellors.

Scholarships after 12th for Indian Students to Study Abroad FAQs

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How can I study abroad for free?
A: 

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.  
Q:   Can I get a scholarship to study abroad after 12th?
A: 

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.

Q:   Which country offers 100% scholarship for Indian students?
A: 

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. 

Q:   Is Illinois Tech Mumbai good?
A: 

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.







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Priya Garg
Assistant Manager - Editorial, Shiksha Study Abroa...

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

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