Studying abroad has been a topic of high interest and debate for many years amongst Asian and African students who aspire to gain the most from their years of a college education. However, many ambitious and meritorious students are not able to avail such opportunities due to the high expenses involved. To aid this process, several renowned colleges and universities have begun offering scholarship for international students. Lesser privileged yet highly meritorious students can avail the opportunities offered by such international scholarships and fulfil their dreams of securing a superior degree from a foreign university. Let us look at some of the most viable academic scholarships for foreign students in India to have a fair idea of the scope and opportunity that the country has to offer for such students.
Government-funded Scholarships for International Students
India offers several types of scholarship for international students, both government-funded and private funded. Given below are some of the Government-funded international scholarships:
- General Scholarship Scheme (GSS) for Foreign Students
This program offers scholarships for meritorious and competent students from African, Asian and South American countries and is funded by the Government of India’s Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Undergraduate applicants need to provide three choices of universities enclosed with their application to avail of this scholarship. However, this scholarship contains several benefits like monthly stipends, accommodation allowances, dissertation allowances and annual provisional allowances, to facilitate meritorious students to pursue a quality higher education in India.
- Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) Scholarship
This program offers scholarship for international students from selected Asian countries, who are looking to pursue research in India. It is funded by the Reserve Bank of India. These scholarships are applicable for international students looking to pursue either graduate, postgraduate or MPhil courses in India. The minimum qualifying criterion for all Asian students applying for these international scholarships is that they should be proficient in written and spoken English since it is the medium of teaching in most Indian colleges and universities.
- ITEC/SCAAP Scholarship Program
Eligible students from the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) group of nations can apply for these international academic scholarships. These scholarships offer technical training programs for international students that are usually short-term programs. These scholarships for international students are facilitated by the National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD).
Scholarships for International Students Offered by Private Universities
Apart from these government-funded international scholarships in India, many private universities that have renowned accreditations and world-class educational infrastructure also offer lucrative scholarship opportunities. Among these esteemed private universities, Sharda University of Greater Noida offers international students from Africa, Latin America and the Eurasia region a chance at high-quality education completely free with the Sharda University Global Scholarships scheme. Although these scholarships are subject to academic merit and eligibility based on the scores in the Sharda Entrance Test as well as other previous educational qualification, they are still among the best scholarship for international students.
