Top Fully-Funded Scholarships for Indian Students Abroad 2025 – List of Scholarships
It is crucial to know that in order to increase your chances of earning a 100% scholarship i.e. a fully-funded scholarship to study abroad, it takes a considerable amount of planning and exploring the most relevant options available. It is equally important to plan and apply well in advance by customising your applications specific to the requirements of universities as well as the scholarship while highlighting your achievements and work experience. Some of most relevant scholarship programmes include the following:
- Global Korean Scholarship Program
- DAAD Scholarship
- Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships
- Rhodes Scholarship
- The Inlaks Scholarship
Top Fully-Funded Scholarships for Indian Students Abroad: Global Korean Scholarship Program 2025
The Global Korean Scholarship Program is offered by the government of the Republic of Korea to international students willing to pursue higher studies in undergraduate and graduate programmes in academic institutions located in the Republic of Korea. Eligible candidates can apply for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral degree courses under this program.
Application Timeline: September (one year prior) for undergraduate students and February (one year prior) for graduate students.
Benefits:
- Fully-funded scholarship
- Resettlement Allowance of 2,00,000 Korean won (KRW)
- Living Allowance of 9,00,000 KRW to 10,00,000 KRW
- Language Courses costing 8,00,000 KRW per quarter
- Medical Insurance of 20,000 KRW per month
Scholarship Duration
- Associate Degree Program – 3 to 4 years including 1 year of Korean language programme
- Bachelor’s Degree Program – 5 to 7 years including 1 year of Korean language programme
- Master’s Degree Program – 2 years including 1 year of Korean language programme
- Doctoral Degree Program – 3 years including 1 year of Korean language programme
- The applicants must not hold Korean citizenship.
- The applicants must have secured 80% marks or more in the last attended educational institution.
- The candidates must be in good physical and mental health.
- The students must have completed a minimum of 16 and 18 years of formal education to apply for postgraduate and Ph.D. courses
- There are some additional academic criteria for certain courses as mentioned in the table below:
| Program | Eligibility Criteria |
| Master’s Program |
|
| Doctoral Program (Ph.D.) |
|
| Research Program |
|
| Post-Doctoral Research Program |
|
Required Documents:
- Class 10 and 12 marksheets and certificates
- Transcripts of Bachelors/Masters/Doctoral degree or equivalent
Application Process:
- Visit the Korean Embassy’s official website.
- Check for the scholarship notice in the News section.
- Find and download the application form along with the guidelines.
- Fill the application and submit it along with the required documents at the Korean Embassy.
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview at the Embassy.
- The names of the selected candidates will be forwarded to the National Institute of International Education.
- For further information regarding scholarship opportunities in Korea click here.
(Note: Qualified Indian students can apply for the scholarship through the ‘Embassy Track’ and must submit their application to the Korean Embassy in New Delhi.)
Top Fully-Funded Scholarships for Indian Students Abroad – DAAD Scholarship 2025
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship is primarily meant for the graduates, doctoral and postdoctoral students for study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany. In some programmes, internships are also funded. This initiative by the government of Germany offers international students the opportunity to pursue postgraduate and Ph.D. courses from government-recognised institutions. It supports well over 1,00,000 German and international students and researchers around the globe – making it the world’s largest funding organisation of its kind. It is a fully funded scholarship enabling selected students to study in prestigious universities in Germany.
Benefits:
- 934 euros (Graduates) or 1300 euros (Ph.D.) per month.
- Travel allowance, unless the expense is covered through another source of funding.
- Health, accident, and personal liability insurance cover.
- One-time research allowance.
In special circumstances, eligible candidates may also receive:
- Monthly rent subsidy
- Monthly allowance for accompanying members of the family
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must have certification in English (e.g. TOEFL or IELTS) for international programmes using English, or in German (e.g. DSH or TestDaF) for programs where the medium of instruction is German.
- They must have a Bachelor’s Degree (usually a four-year course) or Master’s degree in an appropriate subject.
- Applicants must have at least two years of professional experience.
Required Documents
- Signed DAAD application form with current date. (Interested applicants can click here to download the application form.)
- Personally signed CV with the current date.
- Personally signed Letter of Motivation (including details such as current occupation and choice of postgraduate program(s), two pages maximum) with the current date.
(Note: When applying for more than one postgraduate course (maximum 3 courses), you have to submit one motivation letter explaining why you are applying for these specific courses and why you chose that priority.)
- Letter of Recommendation by current employer
- Certificate(s) of Employment from the employer(s) that proves a minimum of two years of relevant working experience (after the Bachelor’s degree) at the time of application and if possible, a guarantee of re-employment upon return.
- Proof of Language Skills:
- English – IELTS or TOEFL
(Note: The institutional TOEFL is not accepted)
- German – Required for courses taught in German
- Copies of Academic Degrees (with certified translation wherever necessary)
- Copies of Academic Transcripts, including grading scale (with certified translation wherever necessary)
(Note: Some courses may require additional documents. For detailed information, please see the relevant course description in the Brochure and on the respective websites. The complete applications have to be submitted in English or German in order to get considered.)
Application Process
- Visit the official DAAD portal here.
- Select a course of your preference within the DAAD scholarship database.
- After being redirected to the DAAD login page.
- Click on ‘Register’ to create an account.
- Log in using your credentials.
- Click on ‘Application’.
- To proceed, click on ‘Start Application’ and fill in the details.
- Upload the required documents and verify the information filled in the application
- Submit the application by clicking on ‘Send Application’.
- To view your application after submitting it, click on ‘Application and Funding Overview’.
(Note: Some programmes may require a postal submission of the application summary. To know more click on ‘Application procedure’ under the programme description.)
Top Fully-Funded Scholarships for Indian Students Abroad – Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships 2025
The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships are meant for highly motivated individuals with demonstrable outstanding leadership qualities. The applicants must have completed an equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree. They must have earned at least three years of professional work experience, and are committed to return and contribute to their communities in India.
Benefits:
- Funding for tuition and fees, living and related costs, accident and sickness coverage
- J-1 Visa Support
- Round trip economy class air travel from the fellow’s home city to the host institution in the U.S.
(Note: The scholarship might not cover every expense, the candidate may have to source funds from different grants/scholarships.)
Eligibility Criteria
- The candidate must be an Indian national with a high level of academic/professional achievement and proficiency in the English language.
- They must give an undertaking to return to India on the completion of the fellowship.
- They must have completed an equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree from a recognised Indian university with at least 55% marks. (Applicants must possess a four-year Bachelor’s degree or have completed a Master’s degree if the Bachelor’s degree is less than four years.)
- The candidate must have at least three years’ full-time (paid) professional work experience relevant to the proposed field of study by the application deadline.
- They should demonstrate experience in leadership and community service
- They must not have another degree from the U.S. University or be enrolled in a U.S. degree program.
- If the candidate is employed, they may be required to obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period.
The candidate must choose a field of study from the following only:
- Economics
- Environmental Science/Studies
- Higher Education Administration
- International Affairs
- International Legal Studies
- Journalism and Mass Communication
- Public Administration
- Public Health
- Urban and Regional Planning
- Women’s Studies/Gender Studies
Application Process
- Visit the Foundation’s official website to get information regarding the Fellowship along with the deadline.
- Read through the instructions here before applying
- Refer to the applicant’s checklist before submitting the application.
- Visit the application portal and create a new account to begin the online application.
- Fill in the details, upload the necessary documents, and click submit.
- Candidates must also fill out the Annexure and Employer’s Endorsement form (if applicable) and upload in the online application.
(Note: In case of queries related to admission process, the applicants can reach out on the following e-mail address: masters@usief.org.in)
Top Fully-Funded Scholarships for Indian Students Abroad – Rhodes Scholarship 2025
The Rhodes Scholarship is a prestigious, fully funded, full-time award offered to students seeking to pursue their post-graduation from the University of Oxford. It is a merit-based scholarship, open to students from selected constituencies.
Application Timeline: Application window for 2026 intake will tentatively open in July 2025.
Benefits:
- Full coverage of course fees
- Annual stipend for the scholar’s living expenses
- Coverage of student visa fees
- Annual funding of health insurance
- Funding of round-trip flights to and from the UK
- Settling-in allowance
Eligibility Criteria:
- The candidate must be an Indian national having studied in an educational institution within India for at least 4 years in the past decade.
- They must have completed a school leaving exam (10th or 12th standard or equivalent), or, be in the final year, or have completed an undergraduate degree at a university in India.
- The candidate must be 18-23 years old as of the 1st of October of the year of application.
Or,
- The candidate must be under 27 years old as of the 1st of October of the year of application and have received an undergraduate degree on or after the 1st of October of the previous year.
- The candidate must meet the academic requirements for the course they intend on applying to by the year of admission.
Required Documents:
- Birth Certificate/a valid passport that confirms your age criteria.
- A valid passport or voter ID confirming your citizenship criteria
(Note: PIO or OCI cardholders do not satisfy the Indian citizenship criteria for this purpose)
- An official transcript from the college/university where you have studied or are currently studying that shows your grades to date
- Class 10 and 12 certificates
- Evidence of formal study at an educational institution in India for at least 4 of the last 10 years as of the date of application. (if the candidate is neither a graduate nor a final year student in an undergraduate course at a University in India)
- Curriculum Vitae (not more than two pages) explaining your academic qualifications, employment details, achievements, and certifications.
- A head-and-shoulders coloured photograph in jpg format
- A personal statement of no more than 1,000 words.
(Note: If any document is not in English, the candidate will have to upload English translations along with the official documents.)
Application Process
- The process for the Rhodes Scholarship is completely online and the candidates can apply online through the official website.
- The applicants should read the general instructions given on the website as well as the graduate admissions pages of the University of Oxford.
- The candidates can then fill in the online form, upload the supporting documents and submit.
- They will then be invited to attend a preliminary round of personal interview in New Delhi. If the candidate is not an ordinary resident of India, the interview may take place either by video conference or telephone.
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a social engagement and for a final interview.
- The candidates will be informed of the status of their application through mail.
- They can refer to more information here.
Top Fully-Funded Scholarships for Indian Students Abroad – The Inlaks Scholarship 2025
The Inlaks Scholarship is offered by the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation to Indian graduates who wish to complete their higher studies from a prestigious university in the USA. This is a need and merit-based fully funded scholarship for Indian students who display exceptional talent and potential. Students selected under this scholarship can apply for Master’s, M. Phil, and Doctoral courses.
Application Timeline: February-March
Benefits: Coverage of tuition fees, living expenses, one-way travel, and health allowance up to a maximum of USD $1,00,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applicant must be an Indian national, residing in India at the time of application.
- The applicant must not be more than 30 years old at the time of application.
- They must hold a degree from a recognised university in India or be in the final year of graduation.
- Applicants with an undergraduate degree from a recognised university abroad must have resided in India for at least two years before applying
- Academic criteria:
- For Social Sciences, Humanities, Law, Fine Arts, Architecture and related subjects, candidates must have secured a minimum academic grade of 65%, CGPA 6.8/10, or GPA 2.6/4 from a recognised university/institution.
- For Mathematics, Sciences, Environment and related subjects, candidates must have secured a minimum academic grade of 70%, CGPA 7.2/10, or GPA 2.8/4 from a recognised university/institution.
Required Documents
- Passport
- Updated Resume/Curriculum Vitae
- Photograph (jpeg/png)
- Fee statement
- Proof of additional funding
- Degree certificates and marksheets
- Course related portfolio/links/writing samples (if relevant)
- TOEFL/IELTS/GRE score sheets (if relevant)
- Academic distinctions, grant, scholarships, prizes, etc. (if any)
- Extracurricular attainments (if any)
Application Process
- Visit the Foundation’s website here to apply for the scholarship.
- Click on ‘Apply Now’ to begin your application process.
- Fill in the necessary details and upload the required documents.
- Review the details before clicking on submit. Once submitted, candidates will not be able to edit their applications.
- After having finally reviewed, click on submit.
(Note: This application cannot be saved and only one application per candidate will be accepted. Keep the documents in the prescribed format ready to upload in the required sections.)
Also Read: Top Scholarships for Indian Students in Japan
Some of the top and prominent fully-funded scholarships are tabulated below for the benefit of our readers. They are as under:
| Fully Funded Scholarships 2025 | Features and Benefits |
| Gates Cambridge Scholarship | It covers all study expenses at the Cambridge University, ensuring extra funding and offers maintenance allowance, airfares, and discretionary allowances for dependents and fieldwork. |
| Yale University Scholarship | It is a need-based grant aid for undergraduates which is non-repayable. It covers up to $50,000 annually and is awarded on the basis of financial need. |
| Netherlands Government Scholarship | It includes the VU Fellowship Programme (tuition fees) and Holland Scholarship (living expenses). Orange Tulip Scholarship is specifically meant for Indian and Indonesian students. |
| MEXT Scholarships (Japan) | It covers tuition fees and provides a monthly stipend of 117,000 – 242,000 JPY. It is open to students from all nationalities, including India and aims to foster global collaboration and intellectual contributions. |
| Monash University Scholarship (Australia) | It covers full tuition fees for undergraduate programs and provides an annual allowance of $6,000. It is open to Indian and international students (except Australians). |
| British Council Women in STEM Scholarships | It is fully funded Master’s scholarship programs in STEM fields. It is targeted at the women applicants from South East Asia, with an emphasis on careers in aquaculture. |
| KAIST University Scholarships (South Korea) | It offers various scholarships, including full tuition and living expense support and focuses on students from diverse financial backgrounds. |
| Chevening Scholarship (UK) | It is a fully funded scholarship program that includes flights, accommodation, course fees and focuses on leadership potential and professional development. |
| Stanford University Scholarships | It is a need-based financial aid program. Under the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, students receive three years of funding for graduate degrees covering tuition, living expenses, and travel stipend. Additional funding is available for academic activities. |
Top Fully Funded Scholarships for Indian Students Abroad: FAQs
What is meant by a fully-funded scholarship?
A fully-funded scholarship program covers not only the course fee but also other expenses like living, accommodation, health insurance, travel allowances, and visa assistance.
How do fully-funded scholarships benefit students?
They ease financial burdens, provide opportunities for pursuing studies in prestigious universities abroad, and encourage cultural exchange.
Name a few fully-funded scholarships for Indian students studying abroad.
Some of the prominent examples are the Global Korean Scholarship Program, DAAD Scholarship, Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships, Rhodes Scholarship, and The Inlaks Scholarship including others as tabulated above.
What should students do in order to increase their chances of getting a fully-funded scholarship?
Students should plan well in advance, explore relevant options, customise applications to meet specific requirements, and highlight their achievements and work experience.
What is the average annual amount covered by the Yale University Scholarship for undergraduates?
It is up to $50,000 annually.
Which scholarship offers monthly stipends ranging from 1,17,000 to 2,42,000 JPY and aims to promote mutual understanding among nations?
It is MEXT Scholarships (Japan).
What are the expenses covered under the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Master's or PhD students?
It covers tuition fees, airfare, living expenses, health insurance, and additional benefits.
Which scholarship is specifically designed for women in STEM fields from South East Asia and focuses on a career in aquaculture?
British Council Women in STEM Scholarships.
What is the unique feature of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship apart from covering all study expenses?
It provides additional discretionary funding for dependents, fieldwork, maternity/paternity, and hardship support.
Who is eligible for a fully-funded scholarship?
Each scholarship has its eligibility criteria based on needs, background, merit, and academic qualifications. Candidates should carefully review and assess their eligibility before application.
How do I ensure getting fully-funded scholarships?
Candidates should be on the lookout for scholarship programmes a year before their expected year of admission to ensure adherence to the application deadline for applications. Once the application window is open for applications, the student must follow the instructions of the scholarships’ application process carefully.
Can I get a 100% scholarship to study abroad?
Yes, there are many scholarships that are fully-funded and will cover most, if not all, the expenses that may be incurred by the student during the scholarship period including living allowances, health insurance, visa assistance, and travel allowance.
How do I apply for scholarships to pursue my studies abroad?
Every scholarship programme has specific guidelines with regard to the application process. The candidates will have to follow the guidelines mentioned on the official websites of the providers. Alternatively, interested applicants can explore articles such as this one to gain an overview of available scholarship programs.
Do fully-funded scholarships cover living expenses for staying abroad?
Most fully funded scholarships cover living expenses for staying abroad. However, candidates should verify the details on coverage of the scholarship before applying.