Top Scholarships after 12th for Indian Students to Study Abroad in 2027

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 125 annual awards this year, with 115 going to Scheduled Caste candidates, 6 to Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, and 4 to Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans. 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 that 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. 

How to Get Scholarship to Study Abroad after Class 12th?

To get scholarships to study abroad, you will have to start both - scholarship hunting and applications alongside college shortlisting and applications at least a year in advance. Ideally, you must get clarity on which college you're going to attend and then get an offer from the same to be able to apply for an external/government/privately funded scholarship to study abroad. It would be worth noting that very few scholarships are available for studying undergraduate courses abroad. So, students would need really good time to do their in-depth research for a suitable undergraduate scholarship to study abroad that covers their course. 

Universities abroad also offer scholarships and waivers on tuition fees - on a case-by-case basis. You will mandatorily need the following documents to fill out your scholarship application, so you must get these documents ready in the desired format (PDF, JPEG, etc.) even before applying for the scholarships. 

1. Unconditional offer letter from your university
2. English test scores
3. Academic Transcripts

Check the broader steps required to apply for scholarships to study abroad after Class 12th, given below. 

1. Take a standard English test from IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo, as per your course, chosen country and immigration policies (a test accepted by your university may not be accepted by immigration authorities)
2. Take SAT/ACT if you're going to apply to study in the USA. 
3. Document your leadership roles, community service, sports, arts achievements or other achievements in your personal statement for the scholarship. Scholarship committees give significant weight to your extracurricular activities. 
4. Apply to the university of your choice and receive an offer letter
5. After you have all your documents, apply for the scholarship.

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:

• Colorado State University
• Georgia State University
• University of Arizona
• University of Mississippi
• University of Oregon
• University of Missouri
• Clemson University
• University of Tennessee
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• Utah State University

Note that the above list of universities offering scholarships to applicants based on their ACT and SAT scores is not comprehensive and there are many others too that offer ACT and SAT scholarships. Around a 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 that are also used for university and visa applications.  

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

Lesser Known Facts You Need to Know Before Applying for Scholarships Abroad

You must consider the following points if you are applying for undergraduate scholarships from India:

1. Beyond Board Exams: High marks in your 12th board exams (CBSE/ICSC/State) are rarely enough on their own. Top global universities require a holistic profile, which includes standardised test scores (like the SAT/ACT), English proficiency exams (IELTS/TOEFL), and solid extracurricular records.
2. Need-Blind vs. Need-Aware Admission: If you apply to elite US universities like Harvard or Yale, they practice "need-blind" admission for international students, meaning your financial need won't hurt your chances of getting in, and they will cover 100% of your demonstrated financial gap if accepted. Most other universities are "need-aware" and may reject your application if you require too much financial aid.
3. Timeline Alignment: Scholarship deadlines are often much earlier than standard university admission deadlines. You generally need to start preparing your essays and securing admission offers up to a year in advance.

There are a plethora of scholarship options available for Indian students after 12th to fund their education abroad. But few 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.