UK admissions

UK Scholarships for Indian Students 2026

Q: Can Indian students get full scholarships in the UK?

Yes, mainly for master’s study through schemes such as Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships. Full undergraduate awards are rare.

Q: What are the Chevening eligibility requirements?

An undergraduate degree, at least two years’ work experience (2,800 hours), applications to three UK courses, and a commitment to return home for two years.

Q: Are there UK scholarships for undergraduate Indian students?

Some universities offer partial merit scholarships; full funding is uncommon.

A practical guide to UK scholarships for Indian students, including GREAT Scholarships, Chevening, Commonwealth, university awards, undergraduate funding limits, and application strategy.

7 min readPublished 2026-08-04Last reviewed 2026-09-29

By Oxbrivy Editorial Team. Reviewed by Oxbrivy study-abroad research desk.

Quick answer

UK scholarships for Indian students are mostly for postgraduate study. The best known is Chevening, which fully funds a one-year master’s for people with at least two years’ work experience who commit to returning home for two years. Others include Commonwealth Scholarships, the British Council’s GREAT Scholarships with partner universities, and university merit awards. Undergraduate funding is rarer and usually partial.

Key takeaways

Most UK scholarships are for master’s study, not undergraduate.
Chevening: fully funded; 2 years’ work experience (2,800 hours); return home for 2 years.
Chevening applicants apply to three UK courses and need an unconditional offer by the deadline.
University scholarships are often partial fee reductions.
Plan 12–18 months ahead; deadlines come well before courses start.

Oxbrivy practical ranking

Use this as a starting point, then personalise it with your budget, profile, and course.

Course fit

Best for: Checking whether uk scholarships for indian students 2026 matches the student's subject, level, entry route, and career goal.

Watch out: Do not choose a UK university only by brand name or agent availability.

Entry requirements

Best for: Comparing board marks, predicted grades, subject prerequisites, English proof, portfolio, interview, or test requirements.

Watch out: Requirements can differ by course even inside the same university.

UCAS and direct deadlines

Best for: Tracking equal-consideration dates, internal school deadlines, course-specific dates, and late routes such as Extra or Clearing.

Watch out: Missing the right deadline can move a strong applicant into a much weaker position.

Cost and visa readiness

Best for: Checking tuition, living costs, deposits, CAS timing, scholarship probability, and Student visa financial proof.

Watch out: An offer is not enough if funding evidence and visa timing are weak.

Oxbrivy planning

Best for: Using AI Compass, Admit Probability Engine, Scholarship Match, Document Suite, and application tracking together.

Watch out: Always verify final course, scholarship, CAS, and visa rules from official live sources.

Main scholarship options

Check each scheme’s current rules and deadlines:

UK scholarships for Indian students
Scholarship	Level	Key points
Chevening	Master’s	Fully funded; 2 years’ work experience; return home for 2 years
Commonwealth Scholarships	Master’s and PhD	For Commonwealth citizens; development-focused
GREAT Scholarships	Mainly master’s	British Council with partner universities; partial funding
University merit scholarships	UG and PG	Usually partial fee reductions; automatic or by application
Research council / PhD funding	PhD	Studentships attached to projects or departments

UK university campus representing UCAS admissions planning for Indian students — UK admissions planning works best when course fit, UCAS choices, documents, scholarships, and visa finance are checked together.

Chevening in detail

Eligibility: an undergraduate degree completed at least two years before the deadline, at least two years’ work experience (2,800 hours) after graduating, and a commitment to return to India for at least two years after the award.

You apply to three eligible UK courses and must hold an unconditional offer from one of them by Chevening’s deadline.

Applications for the next cycle are open now; check the Chevening timeline for the exact closing date.

Historic UK university campus representing undergraduate admissions through UCAS — Oxbrivy helps students compare UK options by profile, budget, deadlines, scholarship fit, and application readiness.

Undergraduate options

Full undergraduate scholarships for international students are rare. Look for university merit awards, which are often automatic reductions based on grades.

Oxbrivy Scholarship Match finds awards you are eligible for and flags deadlines.

Frequently asked questions

Can Indian students get full scholarships in the UK?

Yes, mainly for master’s study through schemes such as Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships. Full undergraduate awards are rare.

What are the Chevening eligibility requirements?

An undergraduate degree, at least two years’ work experience (2,800 hours), applications to three UK courses, and a commitment to return home for two years.

Are there UK scholarships for undergraduate Indian students?