How to study in the UK for free as an Indian student in 2025?

The UK is a perfect destination for Indian students because of its renowned educational system, extraordinary professional opportunities, lucrative post-study work options, long history of institutions, lively culture, and so on. It is the best study destination to grow, learn, and succeed. This is the reason more and more Indian students are now looking forward to choosing the UK over any other study destination, as per the statistics shared by the UK home office. A total of 1,33,237 study visas were approved for Indian students in 2023, which is a 5% growth when it compared to the 2022 Sep data. 

The UK is not only home to some of the world’s most prestigious institutions but is also known for its amazing program structure and shorter program duration. Most undergraduate degrees last three years, whereas master programs last only one year. This helps students save money and time and gives them an opportunity to be in the job market as soon as possible. 

Apart from having so many advantages to studying in the UK, there are some common challenges also faced by the students, such as higher academic requirements, tight visa regulations, and the most important factor, i.e., funds. The UK is an expensive study destination not only for tuition fees but also for living costs. To many Indian families, these expenses discourage their loved ones from suggesting the UK as their preferred study destination, but do not get disheartened; there are some ways by which Indian students can be able to study in the UK without taking on a financial burden. Yes, there are some prestigious scholarships by which Indian students can bear the nominal or no fee at all. So let’s get into the action.

1. Chevening Scholarships 
2. Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships
3. Commonwealth Scholarships 
4. Inlaks Scholarships 
5. Gates Cambridge scholarship
   

1) Chevening Scholarships

The Chevening scholarship provides an opportunity to complete the master’s program at a UK university. It allows extraordinary leaders from emerging markets from across the globe to pursue a one-year master’s degree in the UK. This scholarship is fully funded, which means you do not need to spend a single pound while pursuing your one-year master’s. 

Eligiblity

• You must be a citizen of Chevening-eligible country ( India is part of it)
• Have at least two years of work experience or 2800 hours (full-time, part-time, voluntary, internship included) 
• Hold an undergraduate degree which is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, that makes you eligible for a master’s degree in the UK 
• Commitment to return to your home country for two years after the scholarship ends 
• Should apply to three different and eligible UK university courses and receive at least one unconditional offer letter from at least one of the program choices by the references.
  

Course requirements

• The course must be full-time 
• Intake starts in the autumn term (Sep/Oct)
• Taught master program
• Based in the UK 
• Leading to a master’s degree qualification
  

What’s included 

• University Tuition Fee
• A monthly stipend
• Travel cost 
• One visa application cost 
• Travel grant to attend Chevening events in the UK 
• An arrival allowance
• A homeward departure allowance

Curious to know more about the Chevening scholarship, criteria, and program details, check the link given: https://www.chevening.org/scholarship/india/.

2) Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships

Charles Wallace is also a fully funded scholarship that covers the full tuition fee and living costs. It is mainly designed in fields related to arts and heritage, which include visual arts, literature, museum studies, conservation, architecture, etc. The Charles Wallace India Trust has created a multi-layer partnership with the University of Oxford, Ruskin School of Art. 

Eligibility 

• Must be an Indian citizen 
• Aged between 28 and 38
• Have not received a CWIT grant within the last five years
• Must have a first-class degree, diploma, or professional qualification in their specialisation. 
  

Requirements of the program 

• IELTS certificate 
• Unconditional offer letter of the applied university or evidence of progress
• Portfolio submissions, where appropriate, in an online link.

Would like to know more, Check the link given – https://www.charleswallaceindiatrust.com/scholarships

3) Commonwealth scholarship 

The Commonwealth Scholarship is a very prestigious scholarship offered by the UK government, aimed at providing opportunities to students from Commonwealth nations that including India as well to pursue further studies in the UK. The Commonwealth Scholarship is administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Education. These scholarships provide funding for postgraduate studies in a variety of subjects, mainly Master’s and doctoral degrees. The Commonwealth scholarship covers the full tuition fee, living costs, airfare, and monthly stipend also provided. 

Eligibility 

For a master’s program scholarship, the candidate must have a bachelor’s degree equivalent to the UK bachelor’s degree.

• The applicant must be Indian citizen and resident of India 
• There are no age limit criteria 
• Be available to start academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK calendar year on September 25.
• The candidate must be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship. 
• The candidate must have provided all the supporting documents in the required format.
• English language proficiency result 
  
  

Fields of study 

• Economic development and poverty reduction
• Technology and Innovation 
• Healthcare and medicine 
• Governance, public policy, and social sciences 
• Climate change and environmental protection 

Please note: MBA is not covered under the Commonwealth scholarship. 

To know more about commonwealth scholarship – https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships/commonwealth-masters-scholarships/

4) Inlaks Scholarships 

The Inlaks scholarships are prestigious awards offered by the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation. The main aim of these scholarships is to support smart and talented Indian students in pursuing further studies and research at top institutions in the UK. These scholarships have a long history by 1976, and the main object is to nurture promising young Indians in various subject fields by assisting them to gain world-class exposure and education in internationally renowned institutions. The Inlaks scholarship cover all the tuition fees, living costs, one-way travel, and health allowance.

Eligibility 

• The candidate must be a citizen of India and reside in India while applying 
• With a first-class degree from a recognized Indian university, the final-year student can apply 
• The candidate must be under 30 years old at the time of application
• The candidate must have an admission offer from the institution he wishes to attend before applying 
• For social science, fine arts, and humanities-related subjects, it requires 65%, whereas for math, sciences, and related subjects, it requires 70% in the candidate profile. 
• English language proficiency proof.
  

Fields of study 

• Fine Arts
• Music 
• Theatre 
• Film 
• Dance 
• Visual Arts 
• Public Health
• Law
• Architecture
• Enviournmental Science

Reference Link for understanding more about the scholarship: https://inlaksfoundation.org/opportunities/scholarship/

5) Gates Cambridge scholarship 

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is a renowned, fully funded scholarship offered to extraordinary international students, including Indians, to pursue a regular postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge in the UK. This scholarship was first introduced in the year 2000 with a donation of $210 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was introduced to build a global network of future leaders to enhance the lives of others. It aims to provide them with financial and non-financial support at one of the world’s leading universities and facilitate community building at and beyond Cambridge. This scholarship covers the full tuition fee of the program, living costs, and airfare, plus provides them with a generous maintenance allowance. Dependent allowance can also be offered under the same. 

Eligibility 

• This scholarship is open to all international students, including Indian students 
• It is available for master and PhD levels at the University of Cambridge. Certain degrees such as MBA and MFin, are not included in this 
• The student must have an exceptional academic record to avail of this scholarship
• The candidate must demonstrate a commitment to making a positive impact on society, aligned with the Gates Foundation’s mission to enhance global well-being.

To know more about the scholarship, check the link given – https://www.gatescambridge.org/programme/the-scholarship/

Definitely, the above scholarships are competitive in nature but the UK is an amazing study destination when it comes to quality education, high standard of living, global exposure, studying with the extraordinary and smartest people on the planet, plus welcoming people. Indian students should try for the above scholarship and avail the opportunity as much as possible

Please note – Aways consider the official website of the university for admission requirements, eligiblity requirements and scholarship opportunities.

To know about how to study in the USA for free, check out the amazing scholarships and fellowships offered by the USA

How to study in the USA for free in 2025?