The United Kingdom has always been on the priority list of international students. The renowned universities and robust employment prospects always attract students from all across the globe. However, this also hints towards the fact that students often face tough competition for getting scholarship opportunities. The university fees often tend to go higher than £20,000 (20.5 Lacs INR) a year. Besides, staying in the UK is also quite expensive. Hence, international students always aim to get a scholarship for their preferred course.

If you, too, are planning to fly to the UK for higher studies and not sure about how to get a scholarship, let us help! This elaborate guide will solve all your queries and issues related to the scholarship for Indian students in the UK.

Some Tips to Increase Your Chances of Acquiring the Highly Coveted Scholarship

1. Start Early

If you wish to pursue your further studies in the UK, then it is about time that you start taking the required actions. Begin with your research work at least two years before you wish to fly to the UK. Choose your preferred subjects, know your options, look for the requirements, etc.

Different colleges in the UK offer different types of scholarships. For different colleges, the rules and regulations and eligibility criteria will be different. Gain knowledge about the same and apply for the one that caters to your need and matches your profile.

2.    Double-Check Your Options

Once you commence with your research work, you will know that UK universities offer a plethora of scholarships to international students. Some of these are:

• Academic excellence scholarships
• Sporting achievement scholarships
• Musical scholarships
• Marketing-led scholarships.

Hence, you must choose the one that actually suits your preferences and requirements. Once you select the course and college of your choice and zero down upon the type of scholarship, the next step is to look for the eligibility criteria and other similar requirements.

3.    Eligibility Criteria and Other Requirements

The eligibility criteria vary according to the type of scholarship and college you are opting for. In order to maximise your scholarship chances in UK universities, you must fulfil all the eligibility criteria. Your application will get rejected unless you do so. Therefore, before you start filling out the application for any specific scholarship type, make sure you know about the eligibility requirements. 

One of the common eligibility requirements for a scholarship for Indian students in the UK is a robust academic performance in your high school. Therefore, extraordinary performance in academics and extra-curricular activities and producing a high school transcript to back up the same will definitely increase your chances of getting the scholarship.

Adhere to the Application Deadline

This might sound quite obvious, but students often tend to miss the deadlines for application submission. So, if you are applying for multiple scholarships, make sure you jot down the deadline for each one of them. Then, fill out and submit the applications well within time as these applications will decide whether you will be studying in the UK or not.

Top Undergraduate Scholarships That You Can Opt for in the UK

International Excellence Scholarships

From 2020 onwards, overseas students enrolling in a Bachelor’s or Master’s level Mathematics and Statistics degree are given International Excellence Scholarships worth £2,000 (INR 2 Lacs) for the first year of study.

South Asia Undergraduate Excellence Award

The University of Nottingham provides scholarships to high-achieving international students from South Asia, such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and others, covering £7,000 (INR 7.2 Lacs) in tuition costs in the first year of study.

CastleSmart Scholarship

For an undergraduate student in the United Kingdom, the estate agency – CastleSmart offers £6,000 (INR 6.1 Lacs) per year (open to all nationalities). To qualify, applicants must make a compelling YouTube video explaining their educational and professional goals.

Surfshark Privacy and Security Scholarship

A £1400 (INR 1.4 Lacs) reward is given to a student presently enrolled as a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student in the United Kingdom. To apply, you must submit an essay, and the scholarship is open to people of all nationalities.

Saltire Scholarships

Students from Canada, the United States, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and China can apply for Saltire Scholarships to study in Scotland at any degree level.

Things to Keep in Mind While Applying for Scholarships in the UK

• The colleges in the UK often offer different courses. The courses have varied accreditations, and also, the type of scholarships differ.
• If you are eyeing an admission at the highly prestigious Russell Group, know that none of the 24 reputed universities will offer a complete scholarship. Rather, they offer bursaries, partial financial aid and student loans.

Russell Group’s purpose is to guarantee that their universities have the best possible conditions to grow and continue to make social, economic, and cultural contributions via their world-leading research and teaching. Moreover, employers greatly value Russell Group graduates due to a teaching and learning experience that matches the abilities needed in the workplace. Therefore, the scholarships vary from university to university to course to course. Some of the scholarships for the international students are given below:

UCL: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/scholarships-finder

University of Cambridge: https://www.cambridgetrust.org/scholarships/?country=India&degree=Undergraduate&subject=all&college=all&submit=Search

University of Oxford: https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/fees-and-funding/fees-funding-and-scholarship-search/search

University of Warwick: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/international/admissions/finance/scholarships/global_undergraduate/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding/postgraduate/international

Final Words

We hope the above information helps you accomplish your dream of pursuing higher studies at a reputed college in the UK. For a deeper insight regarding the scholarship for Indian students in the UK, contact the UniVisory team.