Planning To Study In The US? Here’s How To Get The Best Scholarships | Education and Career News

Last Updated:December 10, 2025, 08:20 IST

The scholarship system for Indian students in the US is not a single-track path.

Stricter oversight of foreign students and tougher action against institutions admitting international applicants, coupled with tighter visa rules introduced during the first year of the Trump administration, initially triggered anxiety among those aspiring to study in the US. Yet despite these policy shifts, the United States remains the top destination for students worldwide, thanks to its unmatched academic standards, research opportunities, and global career pathways.

Today, more than 3.6 lakh Indian students are studying across American universities, making India the largest source of international students in the US, according to the Institute of International Education’s annual report released on November 17, 2025. This surge reflects not just academic aspirations but also the enduring appeal of the US as a hub for innovation, research and career growth.

But studying at international universities often comes with a hefty price tag, making it out of reach for many students without financial support. That’s why scholarships play a crucial role for those aiming to access world-class institutions abroad. If you’re planning to pursue your studies in the US, here’s a comprehensive guide to the scholarships that can help you fund your education.

Types Of Scholarships And Funding

Indian students aiming to study in the United States Scholarships, fellowships, grants and assistantships together make up a landscape that is vast, diverse and surprisingly accessible once you understand how it works.

Broadly, this landscape can be understood through four major categories: government and bilateral fellowships, private Indian foundations, university-based funding, and global scholarships. Each functions differently, supports different applicants, and requires a distinct strategy.

Government And Bilateral Scholarships

The most coveted scholarships for Indian students fall under government or bilateral programmes, especially the Fulbright-Nehru fellowships administered by the US-India Educational Foundation (USIEF). These are not simply scholarships; they are cultural exchange awards designed to support India’s brightest students, researchers and professionals.

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship, for instance, supports Indian professionals with exceptional track records who want to pursue a fully funded master’s programme in the US. It covers tuition, living expenses, health insurance, and even travel.

What sets Fulbright funding apart is not just the financial support but the leadership expectation: applicants are chosen not for grades alone but for their ability to create impact in their sectors.

Variants of this programme include fellowships for doctoral research, postdoctoral research, teaching (FLTA), and even climate-focused study under the Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship.

These scholarships are highly competitive, requiring strong academic performance, a compelling statement of purpose, and often several years of professional experience, but they open doors to almost every major discipline and top US university.

Private Scholarships 

A powerful network of Indian philanthropic foundations also supports overseas study. These foundations, often created by some of India’s most respected business families, back students who have demonstrated extraordinary academic potential and who have secured admission to top-tier US institutions.

Among the most prestigious is the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarship, which funds high-achieving Indian students attending world-class universities. Inlaks funding is tailored for students pursuing specialised fields in the arts, humanities and certain sciences.

With strict age criteria and an emphasis on originality and talent, the foundation selects only a handful of students each year, making it one of the most selective scholarships available.

Other major foundations include the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation, which offers generous interest-free loan scholarships for postgraduate study, and the KC Mahindra Education Trust, which supports Indian students pursuing advanced research and postgraduate degrees abroad.

The JN Tata Endowment, one of India’s oldest international scholarship funds, offers low-interest loan scholarships that supplement other sources of aid and work well as “gap funding.”

These private foundations typically evaluate a student’s academic profile, statement of purpose, financial need, leadership potential, and university admission. Though each foundation operates with its own philosophy and focus areas, all share a common goal: enabling the most promising Indian students to access world-class education.

University-Based Funding

University-based scholarships are one of the major sources of funding for Indian students pursuing master’s and PhD programs in the US. This funding comes in the form of assistantships, institutional fellowships or tuition waivers, and is particularly abundant in STEM disciplines.

The most powerful of these is the Research Assistantship (RA). In this model, a student works under a professor on ongoing research, receives a monthly stipend, and gets a full tuition waiver.

RAs are extremely popular among Indian students in fields like computer science, engineering, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and public health. The arrangement benefits both sides: students gain academic experience while universities get skilled research support.

Teaching Assistantships (TAs) work similarly, but instead of research, students help teach undergraduate courses or labs. These are common across sciences, mathematics, economics and even certain humanities departments.

Then there are institutional fellowships, offered by graduate schools to exceptional applicants. These include Presidential Fellowships, Provost Fellowships or department-funded grants that may come with no work requirement. Such fellowships are often awarded automatically during the admissions process, especially for PhD applicants with strong research profiles.

At the undergraduate level, university funding works differently. Many top US universities offer generous need-based financial aid to admitted students, and a few — like Cornell — have donor-backed scholarships exclusively for Indians (for example, the Tata Scholarship). These awards can cover nearly all costs, provided the student meets the financial eligibility criteria.

University funding tends to be the most dependable route because universities allocate large annual budgets to support international students, and assistantships are built directly into academic departments, especially in research-heavy institutions.

Global Scholarships Open to All Nationalities

Beyond India-specific schemes and university funding, there exists another layer of global scholarships offered by international organisations and private foundations. These are open to students from across the world, including India, and they often target specific fields, demographics or talents.

For women, for example, the AAUW International Fellowship offers substantial financial support for master’s and doctoral study in the US, focusing on advancing women in academia, STEM, research and public policy.

Prestigious leadership-driven scholarships such as the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program at Stanford or the Schwarzman Scholars Program (though based in China, beneficial for US-bound students seeking leadership credentials) offer full funding and intensive mentorship. These programmes prioritise global leadership, community impact and cross-disciplinary thinking.

In the STEM ecosystem, major tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Adobe provide scholarships to students in computer science or related fields, recognising academic excellence and encouraging diversity in the technology pipeline. Similarly, professional engineering societies — IEEE, ASME, AIAA — offer grants for research, conference travel and specialised academic work.

There are also need-based global grants like the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships, offering a 50%-grant, 50%-loan model for students from developing countries pursuing postgraduate education abroad.

These global scholarships can be extremely competitive, but they are excellent opportunities for students with strong domain interest, publication records, leadership experience or community work.

The Hidden Gems Most Students Ignore

Apart from major scholarships, there is an entire layer of smaller grants that, while not widely publicised, can significantly reduce the financial burden. These include partial tuition scholarships, one-time grants, research travel funds, conference sponsorships and short-term exchange programme support.

For example, doctoral students often receive funding from international academic organisations to present research at conferences in the US. Similarly, mobility grants from agencies like DAAD, JSPS or discipline-specific foundations help students undertake short research stays, collaborative projects or lab visits.

Many Indian students underestimate these grants, but they are valuable additions, especially in research-heavy fields, helping students build networks and reduce out-of-pocket expenses.

Find A Scholarship That Fits Your Goal

The scholarship system for Indian students in the US is not a single-track path. It is a layered landscape where government fellowships meet private philanthropy; where universities offer assistantships and tuition waivers; where global foundations step in to support specific talents; and where smaller grants help bridge last-mile funding.

Identify where you fit best, whether you’re a researcher, a mid-career professional, a STEM enthusiast or a high-achieving undergraduate.

Build a multi-source funding strategy, applying simultaneously for university funding, external fellowships and supplementary grants.