Scholarships for International Students in India (2026 Complete List)

Thousands of international students overlook India for their study destination and most of them cite cost as the reason. That's an irony, because India is actually one of the most affordable places in the world to earn a degree. Undergraduate tuition at most Indian universities runs between USD 3,000 and 8,000 a year. When compared, similar programs cost USD 15,000–30,000 in Australia, USD 22,000–35,000 in New Zealand, and USD 17,000–40,000 in Singapore.

Indian government, through bodies like the ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) and the Ministry of Education, has built a surprisingly extensive scholarship infrastructure for international students. If you know which programs exist, when they open, and how to apply correctly, it's genuinely possible to cover 85–90% of your total costs.

Below we have provided a guide that will walk you through every major funding channel available to international students in 2026. It also covers the mistakes that cost students their applications, so you don't have to learn them the hard way.

Three Main Scholarship Channels in India

There are three main channels for scholarships in India: the ICCR A2A scheme, the Study in India (SII) portal, and DASA. Apart from these, universities also provide scholarships on their own merit. And the scale of this infrastructure is massive: ICCR's Atal Bihari Vajpayee General Scholarship Scheme provided 640 slots for 2025–26, available to students from over 190 countries through the A2A portal. Study in India focuses on certain geographies, including Africa, the Middle East, and SAARC, offering structured tuition waivers (G1–G4). Whereas, DASA includes NRI, PIO, OCI, and foreign national candidates based on merit.

The important thing to understand here is that ICCR and SII/DASA work very differently. ICCR offers full scholarship, where it covers tuition, gives you a monthly living stipend, and includes accommodation support. SII and DASA are primarily seat-access and fee-reduction systems. They lower your costs significantly but don't fund your living expenses.

ICCR Scholarships: The Flagship Programme

Now that you are familiar with the different scholarship channels, one thing to consider is that if you're eligible, the ICCR Africa/Asia Scholarship Scheme, known as A2A, should be your first priority. It's the most comprehensive government scholarship available to international students in India, and is genuinely competitive to get.

What the A2A Covers?

When looking for scholarships, most students focus on the tuition waiver and miss the part that matters most: the monthly stipend. Here's the full picture:

Source: Embassy of India, Kathmandu; ICCR Policy Guidelines

When you look at the broader picture, a stipend of ₹15,000/month is enough to cover rent and food in most Indian cities, comfortably. What it doesn't cover are your international flights, the S-1 student visa fee, VFS service charges, and personal expenses. Budget for those separately.

One important note for anyone considering medicine: MBBS and paramedical programs are explicitly listed as "not admissible" under the standard ICCR scheme. If that's your path, you'll need to look at the Study in India portal or embassy-backed medical seats instead.

Who Is Eligible?

To be eligible for this scholarship, you need to be a national of an African or Asian country. ICCR maintains the official list of qualifying countries on the A2A portal that updates frequently. So check the portal directly rather than relying on any second-hand list.

Other core filters:

• Age: Up to 35 years at time of application for most programs
• Undergraduate: Minimum 60% (or 3.0 GPA equivalent)
• Postgraduate: Minimum 50% in undergraduate degree; 3.5 GPA preferred
• Language: IELTS Academic 6.5+ or TOEFL iBT 79+
• Institution type: ICCR funding only applies to government-recognized central and state universities. Private universities are a hard disqualifier.
• Dependents: Scholarships are for the individual applicant only and no financial provision for family members.

How to Apply

Now that you know the eligibility, the next step is the application which is the most crucial. Here's how you can apply:

1. Check that your target university appears on the ICCR-empanelled list at a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in
2. Apply through the A2A portal and not a general admissions form
3. Upload academic transcripts (sealed, in English), passport copy, 2–3 recommendation letters, IELTS/TOEFL scores, a statement of purpose (500–800 words), and proof of financial backing
4. Save your reference number. The portal generates this on submission so don't lose it.
5. Check your email everyday. Universities take up to 4–8 weeks to assess. If you hear nothing after 10 weeks, follow up directly with your reference number.

Can You Stack ICCR With Other Awards?

Combining ICCR with a second full tuition waiver isn't permitted as they already cover tuition. But students have successfully combined ICCR stipends with university-level additions like research assistant positions, one-time merit awards, or dormitory subsidies. These are permittable as long as they are disclosed to the ICCR regional office in advance.

Study in India Portal and DASA: Deeper Dive

If ICCR isn't available to you or you've missed the deadline; then the Study in India (SII) portal and DASA scheme offer different but useful pathways.

Study in India (SII)

Launched in August 2023 by the Ministries of Education, External Affairs, and Home Affairs, the SII portal connects international students to subsidised seats at participating Indian universities. This isn't a full scholarship but a structured tuition reduction (G1–G4 tiers) at partnering institutions.

Eligible regions include Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Kuwait, and several African and Middle Eastern countries. SII covers tuition only - hostel, insurance, and living expenses are not included.

DASA

DASA (Direct Admission of Students Abroad) is specifically for NRIs, PIOs, OCIs, and foreign nationals who want entry into NITs, IIITs, and affiliated technical institutions. Foreign nationals are admitted as an addition to the standard intake which is up to 15% .

There's no financial aid within DASA itself, but it provides guaranteed access to India's top technical institutions outside the standard merit pool.

Note: SII and DASA are not substitutes for ICCR. If you need full funding, these need to be combined with a university merit award or an ICCR application.

SAARC Quota and Regional Scholarships

For students from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bhutan, Maldives, and Afghanistan have access to a dedicated SAARC Quota at central universities. This provides lower tuition rates and reserved seats separate from the general international applicant pool.

Having said that, this isn't a single unified scheme. Each institution sets its own SAARC rate. The Central University of Himachal Pradesh, for example, charges a SAARC-specific fee of INR 2,000 per semester — a detail that's easy to miss on the standard international fee schedule. NCHMCT offers tuition discounts of up to 40% for SAARC students at its Delhi and Mumbai campuses.

Bilateral Schemes: Country-Specific Opportunities

Some of the most valuable scholarships are the ones that rarely show up in general searches — bilateral schemes negotiated between India and specific countries.

Above, the Sri Lanka numbers alone show how quickly competition thins the odds. That's where university-specific scholarships become valuable as a parallel strategy: they run on independent cycles, don't compete with government quotas, and in some cases remain open even after ICCR deadlines have passed.

University-Specific Scholarships You should Know

Even if you missed every government deadline, most major Indian universities run their own international scholarship programs on independent cycles. These are worth pursuing alongside the government routes.

A few important caveats here: university scholarships at most institutions explicitly exclude Medical, Paramedical, Nursing, and Law programs. Students in those fields typically pay the full international rate unless they hold a specific embassy-backed seat.

When you contact a university's International Students Cell, ask three specific questions:

1. Which scholarships apply to your exact program and nationality?
2. Can the award be combined with government schemes like ICCR?
3. What is the department's actual review cutoff?

Try to verify directly with the university before you start gathering financial documents for your visa application.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

When applying for scholarships in India, students often make few common mistakes that can be easily avoided.

Forgetting the security deposit: Many international students budget carefully for tuition and living costs, then get caught short by the security deposit. Landlords and hostels require upfront deposit typically ₹25,000–50,000. Always get the deposit conditions in writing; verbal assurances don't hold when you leave.

Assuming hostel is guaranteed: Getting admitted to a university doesn't mean you'll get a hostel room. International student hostels have limited capacity and fill on a first-come, first-served basis. Apply for accommodation the moment your admission is confirmed.

Treating the ICCR deadline as flexible: Missing the April 2026 deadline means waiting until February 2027. There is no rolling intake, no exception process, and no way to apply mid-session.

Underestimating living costs in major cities: Students sometimes assume that cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, or Delhi are uniformly affordable. They're not. Research cost-of-living data for your specific city and neighbourhood, not just the country average.

Applying to multiple portals simultaneously: Submitting to ICCR and SII at the same time creates documentation conflicts and can jeopardize both applications. Pick your primary route, apply fully, and use alternatives only if the first option doesn't work out.

The Bottom Line

In most ways, India's scholarship scene is genuinely competitive with what's available in Western countries. In some ways its become more accessible, particularly for students from Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. The ICCR A2A scheme alone can cover full tuition plus a living stipend that handles rent and food in most cities. Stack that with a university merit award, and the remaining gap is significantly small.

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