You plan to study in the UK, but your course costs a fortune. So, we brought you the basics on how to get a scholarship to aid your quest for funding. Here is a comprehensive list of 11 scholarship options.

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Scholarships managed by British Council

Check for eligibility criteria for each scholarship before applying.

i. British Chevening Scholarship

This is the UK government's flagship scholarship scheme whose primary objective is to provide an opportunity for dynamic students and professionals who wish to study in the UK in research or postgraduate courses. It has supported over 1,900 Indian students to date. It aims to encourage students and professionals to study in the UK and then return to India to contribute to future work in their discipline.

The scheme offers two kinds of programmes:

~ Long term (open) scholarships: Open for courses at any UK institution and are designed for candidates who have already applied for one-year postgraduate study at the institution of their choice.

~ Short term (professional) scholarships: Designed for working professionals who would like to pursue short-term training to expand their knowledge and skills.

Applicants under this scheme need not apply directly to UK institutions; they only need to make a Chevening application.

Web sites: http://www.chevening.com/ , www.britishcouncil.org/india-scholarships-chevening.htm

ii. Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships

An annual scheme made available to all Commonwealth countries by the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission. The India programme is managed jointly by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and the British Council. The scheme offers 55 scholarships over a range of subjects including medicine, engineering and technology, pure and applied science, agriculture, humanities and social sciences .
 
Web site:  http://www.acu.ac.uk/

iii. Charles Wallace India Trust Awards    

The Charles Wallace India Trust provides awards for postgraduate studies, research and fellowships in the UK. The awards concentrate primarily on the arts and humanities and the organisation provides up to 50 grants annually for Indians.
 
Each year, awards are offered in six areas:

• Visual and performing arts
• Architectural and materials conservation
• Museum studies and curatorship
• English studies
• Humanities
• Journalism

Web site: www.britishcouncil.org/india-scholarships-commonwealth-scholarships.htm

iv. The De Souza Trust, Goa [Images] Scholarship

Aims to provide opportunities to study or train in the UK, to young men and women of Goan origin (or those who have been living and working in Goa for the past ten years), who have demonstrated academic excellence and extra-curricular achievements.

Web site: www.britishcouncil.org/india-scholarships.htm

v. Scottish International Scholarships

Six scholarships available to Indians who wish to study a Master's programme of not more than 12 months based in a Scottish higher education institution. Priority for the following subject areas: science and technology, creative industries (including arts, design and culture).

Web site: http://www.scotlandscholarship.com/

Other scholarships

i. Ford Foundation Visiting Fellowship

Specially designed to support candidates from social groups that have been marginalised and lack systematic access to higher education.

Web site: http://www.ifpsa.org/

ii. The Rhodes Scholarships

Up to six fully covered scholarships offered at Oxford, for pure and applied sciences, law or medicine.

Web site: http://www.rhodesscholarships-india.com/

iii. The Skoll Scholarship Programme

Five fully-funded annual MBA scholarships within the Said Business School, University of Oxford, UK.

Web site: www.britishcouncil.org/skoll-scholarships.doc

iv. The Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards

Awards for outstanding graduate students from India, China, Hong Kong, Russia [Images] and the developing world to pursue PhDs in the fields of science, engineering, medicine, social sciences and technology.

Web site: www.rcuk.ac.uk/hodgkin

v. Oxford and Cambridge Society of India

Scholarships awarded for study at the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge.

Web site: http://www.oxbridgeindia.com/

vi. Felix Scholarships

Offers up to six scholarships each for Indian graduates at University of Oxford, University of Reading, and School of Oriental and African Studies every year.

Web sites:

• www.ox.ac.uk
• www.soas.ac.uk 
• www.reading.ac.uk

Bookmark these

~ British education online: www.educationuk-in.org

~ Student Money: www.scholarship-search.org.uk

~ The Association of Commonwealth Universities: www.acu.ac.uk

~ Ministry of Human Resources Development: www.education.nic.in

~ Scottish education online: www.educationukscotland.org

~ UKCOSA -- The Council For International Education: www.ukcosa.org.uk

Part I: Need a scholarship to study in the UK?

Have you won a scholarship to study in India or abroad? Share your experiences

Tell other Get Ahead readers about your scholarship search, the eligibility criteria, application process, name of your course and institute and any other information you think will be of use to other applicants.

Don't forget to mention your name, age and location.

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