The cost of higher education is skyrocketing across various countries and students who come from less favourable backgrounds are now finding it more and more hard to experience top-notch education that don’t cost a small fortune. With that said, the plethora of scholarships that students can avail is trying to bring back balance into the higher education realm by bridging the gap between top-notch higher education and its accessibility for students from all walks of life. Looking from an Indian students’ perspective, there are different scholarship options that will help the students to not only get top-notch education in India but in foreign countries as well. So, if you are an aspiring student who are looking at the various international and Indian scholarships that Indian students can avail, then some of the scholarships mentioned below will be of help.

1. Inspire Scholarship: This scholarship is an initiative which is run by the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India to provide financial assistance to the students that are pursuing programs in both natural and basic sciences. When it comes to the eligibility criteria, students who are ranked in the top one percent in the board examination of 12^th standard and are admitted to any B.Sc. or integrated M.Sc.  can apply for this scholarship. Apart from that, students who are included in the top 10,000 ranks in either of the JEE Mains or Advanced and NEET are also eligible to avail this scholarship if they choose to pursue courses in natural and basic sciences. 10,000 students are selected every year for this scholarship and selected students will receive 80,000 rupees each year. Owing to the fact that there is no separate entrance exam for this scholarship, this is one of the most unique scholarships that students can avail.

As mentioned before, scholarships provide students who comes from different walks of life the opportunity to experience world-class education and these above-mentioned scholarships will help students to realize their higher education aspirations

2. Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY): This is yet another National Fellow Scholarship that was created to help students who wants to pursue their career in science as well as research. Like the previous mentioned scholarship, KVPY is also an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India. Students who are in the science stream from class 11^th to the first year of graduation are eligible to apply for this scholarship. To get selected for the scholarship, students should pass the aptitude tests that are conducted by IISC, Bangalore. It is also crucial that you perform well academically to renew the scholarship on a yearly basis. The scholarship amount that students receive will vary according to the courses they pursue and every year 300 to 700 students are offered this scholarship.

3. Foundation for Academic Excellence and Access (FAEA): FAEA is an initiative which is run by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and the scholarship is aimed to provide financial assistance to students who comes from financially backward communities. Students who come from economically weaker backgrounds in the SC, ST, and BPL category who have passed 12^th or are in the first year of college can apply for this specific scholarship. The scholarship will cover the entire cost of education of the students and per year, 50 students are offered the scholarship.

4. Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship: This is one of the most popular international scholarships that Indian students can avail and students who are pursuing Masters’ and PhD programs in the UK can apply for this scholarship. With that said, there are multiple other eligibility criteria including – the candidate should be a citizen of India, the medium of education should be English, and students should have good academic track record. Deserving candidates will be selected after preliminary interviews. The scholarship will cover the students’ tuition fee and some other miscellaneous expenses.

5. Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships: This is a unique scholarship that is offered to students for pursuing their education in Universities in the UK, USA and Europe. Indian students who have an undergraduate degree that is from a recognized University in India and at least two years of work experience are eligible to avail this scholarship. The scholarship will cover both the tuition fees and living expenses of the student.

As mentioned before, scholarships provide students who comes from different walks of life the opportunity to experience world-class education and these above-mentioned scholarships will help students to realize their higher education aspirations.