PhD Scholarships for Indian students in UK

The UK is known as one of the dream destinations for Indian students. Many Indian students are looking forward to pursuing their higher education in the top-class universities and colleges of the UK. One such program is a PhD, which is a research-based degree. It is the highest academic qualification in a particular discipline that anyone can achieve.

Many scholars want to pursue their PhD degrees from top-class universities and colleges in the UK. As it is the highest level of education, the UK government has introduced many scholarship programs for Indian students. In this way, top-scoring students can easily get admission to the best colleges and universities in the UK. 

These scholarships also make abroad studies affordable. Usually, the major intake of the UK scholarship programs happens in September. However, the criteria for eligibility for different scholarship programs vary.

However, the following points are taken as general criteria for eligibility for every scholarship exam:

• The candidate must be an Indian.
• The candidate should be a high-scoring scholar.
• The candidate must have completed his previous education in English medium schools and colleges.

So, if you also want to pursue your PhD from the top colleges in the UK at affordable costs, read further to know about these scholarships in detail. 

Quick Read: Study in UK

1. Gates Cambridge Scholarship
2. Imperial College London President's PhD. Scholarship
3. The Royal Society Grants
4. Carnegie PhD. Scholarships
5. Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships
6. Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Commonwealth Countries
7. The Newton-Bhabha Fund
8. Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships in Humanities
9. Goa Education Trust Scholarships
10. Saltire Scholarships

Quick Read: UK Scholarships for Indian Students

1. Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Gates Cambridge Scholarship program was started in 2000 for top-scoring students from different countries. This program offers full-cost scholarships to students for any postgraduate or PhD program. The students who want to pursue their higher studies at the University of Cambridge can apply for this scholarship exam.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the complete cost of studying, like tuition fee, cost of living, travelling fare, etc., for the selected students except for the bench expenses and the expenditure of scientific instruments. It is awarded to 55 students at once.

Eligibility Criteria for Gates Cambridge Scholarship

• Any international student can apply (non-native of the UK).
  
• This scholarship covers only full-time postgraduate and PhD courses.
• If you are already studying at the University of Cambridge, you can also apply for pursuing any other degree.

2. Imperial College London President's PhD. Scholarship

If you have scored great in your Master's degree and you want to pursue PhD further, what are you waiting for? Imperial College London President's PhD scholarship program sponsors the studies of 50 outstanding performers in one of the best research institutes in the UK – Imperial College London. The scholarship program offers to pay the tuition fees and other stipends to assist in the expenditure of studying for the selected 50 students.

The application for this scholarship program starts in August. This scholarship program is available for both full-time and part-time PhD courses.

Eligibility Criteria for Imperial College London President's PhD. Scholarship

• Candidate must have passed Master's Degree with distinction.
  
• There is no barrier to the nationality of the applicant.
• The program is only applicable to the fresh applicants for a PhD, not to the students already pursuing it.

3. The Royal Society Grants

The Royal Society Grants aim at recruiting outstanding students for research programs in various world-class institutes in the UK. The program covers the tuition fees of almost all research-based programs, excluding medical sciences.

This scholarship program offers long-term support to all qualifying students from overseas. It also grants flexible funding for high-quality research conduction in the best research institutes in the UK. The program offers funds for 5 years that can be used flexibly. The total amount of the scholarship is £300,000.

Eligibility Criteria for the Royal Society Grants

• The candidate can belong to any nationality.
  
• The candidate must be based overseas.
• The candidate must have received the call letter from any of the research institutes in the UK.

Quick Read: Requirements to Study in UK for International Students

4. Carnegie PhD. Scholarships

Carnegie PhD. Scholarships are meant for the high-scoring students who have performed extremely well in their postgraduate programs. The scholarship program aims at providing financial aid to the top-scoring students who want to pursue higher education but cannot afford it. The program offers around 12-15 scholarships every year.

Eligibility Criteria for Carnegie PhD. Scholarships

• The candidate must hold an honours postgraduate degree with outstanding grades.
  
• Your postgraduate degree must be from any of the host institutes of Scotland.
• You must have received the call letter for the research program from one of the host institutes.

5. Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships

Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships (CWIT) aims at providing ambitious Indian students financial aid for studying in the UK. CWIT has been working for the last 40 years to provide a better future for Indian students.

The trust covers all the costs of studying and the international fare charges of the students pursuing PhD programs. However, the candidate should bear the expenditure of a visa without any aid from the trust.

It offers awards to 7 Indian students per annum. These awards cover the studying expense of artists from any discipline for over 1 year approx.

Eligibility Criteria for Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships

• The candidate must be an Indian.
  
• The candidate must be aged between 28 and 38 years.
• This program offers financial aid for 1-year courses at any University in the UK.

6. Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Commonwealth Countries

The Commonwealth scholarship program was started for providing financial aid to students who cannot afford to study in the UK. The scholarship program provides funds to talented scholars who can positively impact global development.

This scholarship program aims at creating future leaders and supporting different commonwealth countries. 

Eligibility Criteria for Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Commonwealth Countries

• You have to be an inhabitant of any of the commonwealth countries.
  
• You must have a Master's degree in a particular discipline with outstanding grades to apply for a PhD program.
• You must be financially unstable to afford higher studies in the UK.
• Even if you are a refugee or a British-protected person, you can also apply.

7. The Newton-Bhabha Fund

The Newton fund has a partnership with 18 countries. The Newton-Bhabha Fund is a partnership between India and UK. This fund aims at providing financial aid for sustainable and economic development. The fund provides financial aid to Indian students to create a better future for themselves and their country. It provides aid to all the award-winning scholars in scientific research.

Eligibility Criteria for the Newton-Bhabha Fund

• The candidate must have Indian citizenship.
  
• PhD pursuing candidate is also eligible to apply.
• Senior Research Fellows (SRFs) are eligible to apply for STEM and other subjects of life sciences.

8. Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships in Humanities

Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships in Humanities offers an amount of up to £22,000 as a stipend and covers all the tuition fees, research, and training costs. This scholarship aims at providing benefits to students who are not financially stable to afford studies in the UK. The limitation of this scholarship program is that it is limited to only three subjects. These subjects include History, Literature, and Languages.

This scholarship provides admission to outstanding students who aim at global development with extraordinary skills. The program offers the amount continuously for three years.

Eligibility Criteria for Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships in Humanities

• Candidates belonging to any country can apply for this scholarship program.
  
• The candidate must have completed their Master's degree in any given subject.
• The candidate must have received a call letter from the relevant university or college for the PhD program.

9. Goa Education Trust Scholarships

Goa Education Trust Scholarships provide financial aid to Indian students. The scholarship is merit-based, so it can cover your full-time or part-time study expenses, depending upon your academic excellence.

The awards are valid for all the universities of the UK in various disciplines like Architecture, Business Management, Education, Journalism, etc. Generally, the students residing in Goa are preferred to avail the benefits of this scholarship program.

Eligibility Criteria for Goa Education Trust Scholarships

• The candidate must have Indian citizenship.
  
• The candidate should have a valid passport.
• The age of the applicant should not be more than 30 years.
• The candidate has to hold a valid call letter from a recognized university or college in the UK.

10. Saltire Scholarships

The Scottish Government has launched Saltire Scholarships to provide financial aid to economically weaker students. This scholarship program runs with the collaboration of different colleges and universities in Scotland. The government only selects the students who aspire to become future leaders for global development.

The selected students can benefit from studying in top-class colleges in Scotland. The program offers around 50 scholarship awards every year. Moreover, the students also can participate in different business communities in Scotland.

Eligibility Criteria for Saltire Scholarships

The candidate has to a resident of the following countries:

• India
  
• China
• Canada
• Japan
• USA
• Pakistan
• The candidate must have an official call letter from a Scottish university or college.
• The candidate must not have studied in Scotland ever before.
• The candidate must not have availed of the benefits of the Saltire Scholarship previously.
• The candidate must meet all the requirements of the course.

 FAQ

We hope that you received all the information regarding the scholarship programs for studies in the UK. These scholarship programs will help you pursue higher education at affordable rates at your dream colleges and universities. So, it is time to make your dreams come true. Enroll on a suitable scholarship program to aid your higher education and use your intellect for global development.

Still unclear about anything? Well, not to worry. Contact AECC Global and get your queries answered today!

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