Lesser-known Scholarships for Indian Students in 2025

Tata Scholarship, Indian Student Scholarship Opportunities 

• Amount: Tuition and other annual expenses
• Apply Here!

The Tata Scholarship for students from India, supported by a $25 million endowment from the Tata Education and Development Trust, provides need-based financial aid to Indian undergraduates at Cornell University.

This scholarship, created to empower top Indian students, supports around 20 scholars at a time. It covers tuition for the entire undergraduate period at Cornell, typically up to eight semesters (or ten for architecture students).

Eligibility requirements include Indian citizenship, completion of secondary school in India, admission to Cornell, and financial need.

Students in programs such as Architecture, Engineering, Applied Economics, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences are given preference.

Eligible students are automatically considered upon completing their Cornell admission and financial aid applications via the CSS Profile.

Pathway Scholarship at Full Sail University

• Amount: Up to $47,000 for the bachelor’s degree
• Apply Here!

If you’re interested in media and entertainment but worried about the costs, the Pathway Scholarship might be the break you need!

Full Sail university is serious about helping future media pros get started, so it offers this scholarship to support students who show financial need.

This program provides up to $47,000 toward a campus bachelor’s degree in either fine arts or science, covering part of your tuition.

You must complete a few steps, including an entrance interview with your admissions rep, a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and meeting Full Sail’s entrance requirements to apply.

Once you’ve gone through the process, if you’re selected, Full Sail’s financial aid department will notify you before you even begin classes!

The scholarship can only be used for a Full Sail degree and can’t be combined with other scholarships, so it’s a unique chance to get tailored support.

AAUW International Fellowship, Lesser-Known Scholarships for Indian Students

• Amount: Up to $50,000
• Apply Here!

The International Fellowship program offers funding between $20,000 and $50,000 to support women who are pursuing graduate or postdoctoral studies in the US. The applicants need to prove they plan to return home to advance their professional careers.

The fellowship is open to women who are neither US citizens nor permanent residents. It also provides a limited number of awards for study outside the US for members of Graduate Women International (GWI).

The program aims to empower women as future business, government, academia, community activism, and science leaders.

Applicants must have the equivalent of a US bachelor’s degree by the application deadline and should have already applied to the institutions they wish to attend.

Applications open on September 3 and close on November 15, with required documentation, including proof of admission and recommendations.

These funds are limited, so make sure you check in with AAUW’s admissions team, submit your paperwork, and stay on top of the deadlines.

📚 If you want to know about Loans for Study Abroad for Indian Students read this article:

Global Scholarship, Indian Student Scholarship Opportunities

• Amount: Up to $15,000 per year + Honors Scholarship ($2000)
• Apply Here!

If you’re an incoming undergrad on an F1 visa, you’re automatically considered for this scholarship as soon as you’re admitted, so there’s no extra application hassle!

With the Global Scholarship, you could earn up to $15,000 per year based on your GPA, and it’s renewable! You might even score an additional $2,000 through the Honors College if you’re a high achiever.

They’ve got different scholarship tiers starting at $4,300 for students with GPAs of 3.49 or below, so there’s something for many students.

If you continue full-time enrollment on Kent State’s Kent campus and remain in good academic standing, you’ll be set to continue receiving the award each year.

If you plan to apply, don’t miss the deadlines: July 1 for fall, November 1 for spring, and March 1 for summer. With this scholarship, studying in the US could be closer than you ever thought possible—so don’t let it pass by!

The Inlaks Scholarship, Lesser-Known Scholarships for Indian Students

• Amount: $100,000 for the Whole Program
• Apply Here!

The Inlaks Scholarship is for applicants who exhibit exceptional talent, motivation, and character for studying in the UK, Europe, and the USA each year.

This scholarship covers tuition fees, living expenses, one-way travel, and health allowances up to USD 100,000 to support a transformative experience for enhancing recipients’ skills.

For 2025, applicants must hold Indian citizenship, be born on or after January 1, 1995, and have a degree from a recognized Indian institution.

Those with foreign undergraduate degrees are eligible if they have lived, worked, or studied in India for at least two years post-graduation.

Eligible courses span the Humanities, Sciences, and Arts. Applicants need a minimum GPA of 2.6 to 3.0, depending on their field.

Applications for the 2025 scholarship open in February 2025, and candidates must have secured admission to their chosen course at an accredited institution before applying.

International Merit Scholarships at the University of Dayton

• Amount: up to $30,000 per year
• Apply Here!

The University of Dayton offers substantial merit-based scholarships for Indian students, up to $30,000 per year, which significantly reduce tuition costs.

While full tuition scholarships aren’t available, most admitted students receive these merit scholarships with automatic consideration upon application.

Additionally, UD provides a $4,000 textbook scholarship over four years, awarded to students who participate in a campus or video visit.

The university also partners with MPOWER to offer summer scholarships, supporting international students with up to $8,000 each summer to ease their educational expenses.

Beyond scholarships, UD offers a flexible payment plan and various student employment opportunities to support financial needs further.

The university provides resources like EducationUSA and the Organization of American States for additional financial assistance and guidance.

Gates Scholarship, Indian Student Scholarship Opportunities

• Amount: Around $32,000 per year
• Apply Here!

The Gates Scholarship (TGS), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, helps outstanding minority students from low-income families.

It covers all costs not already handled by other financial aid, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, and even transportation—everything you need to focus on your studies, not your finances.

You must be a high school senior, Pell-eligible, and a US citizen, national, or permanent resident to be eligible.

You’ll also need to maintain at least a 3.3 GPA, and you must be planning to enroll full-time at a US college or university.

If you’re in the top 10 percent of your class, have strong leadership skills, and have a track record of community service, you’ll fit right in with the kind of students TGS is looking for.

The application process moves fast, with semifinalist announcements in December, interviews in March, and final awards by next summer.

If you’re ready to maximize your potential, this scholarship could be the ultimate launchpad to a bright future!

📚 If you want to know about Top 16 Study Abroad Scholarships for Indian Students in 2023 read this article:

Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships for Indian Students

• Amount: Up to $40,000 per year
• Apply Here!

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships are for Indian students with bachelor’s degree and at least three years of professional experience.

Each fellowship, lasting up to two years, supports J-1 visa processing, airfare, tuition, living expenses, and health insurance, although recipients may need to supplement costs.

These fellowships focus on fields like Economics, Environmental Science, Public Health, Journalism, and more.

Eligible applicants must have a minimum undergraduate degree of 55% and be committed to returning to India to make impactful contributions.

Candidates will be selected through a competitive process, including an application review and interview phases, and begin their studies in the US by the fall of 2025.

Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai, Lesser-Known Scholarships for Indian Students

• Amount: $150,000 for MBA program
• Apply Here!

The Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai MBA Fellowship, renewed by Reliance Industries and Stanford Graduate School of Business, provides full tuition support to up to five Indian students annually for the Stanford MBA program.

Aimed at fostering leadership committed to India’s growth, the fellowship requires recipients to return to work in India within two years of graduation.

Candidates are selected based on merit, commitment to India’s development, and financial need. They undergo a two-stage application process.

First, they apply specifically to the fellowship, with up to 50 finalists chosen for their dedication to Indian progress.

These finalists then complete the standard MBA application, with final fellows chosen based on academic and leadership potential.

Each fellow receives approximately $140,000 in support, covering tuition and fees for the program’s duration. This support is contingent upon maintaining good academic and community standing at Stanford.

The Rotary Peace Fellowship, Indian Student Scholarship Opportunities

• Amount: Up to $400,000
• Apply Here!

The Rotary Peace Fellowship offers up to 130 fully funded opportunities annually for leaders dedicated to advancing peace and development.

Through Rotary’s Peace Centers, fellows receive intensive academic training, hands-on practice, and opportunities to build a global network. Tuition, room and board, travel, and internship or field-study costs are covered.

Established in 2002, the program has empowered over 1,700 professionals who now significantly impact 140+ countries, leading in roles at NGOs, government bodies, peacekeeping forces, and organizations like the UN and World Bank.

The fellowship offers two tracks: a Master’s program and a professional development certificate program.

Master’s fellows study for 15–24 months, gaining in-depth knowledge on peace and development issues, with a self-designed field study component.

For working professionals, the one-year certificate program combines online learning with on-the-ground training, enabling fellows to design and implement social change initiatives in their communities.

Now, It’s your turn!

These lesser-known scholarships for Indian students offer opportunities to pursue higher education in the US and make their educational dreams a reality. Which one do you prefer to apply for? Share your experiences with Indian student scholarship opportunities with us.

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