Scholarships to study in USA
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Indian students fund US degrees through four channels: Indian foundations such as Fulbright-Nehru (full tuition, living and airfare for a master's in listed fields), Inlaks (up to $120,000, about ₹1.15 crore) and the JN Tata Endowment loan scholarship; US fellowships such as AAUW ($20,000 for a master's) and Knight-Hennessy at Stanford (full funding for up to three years); university merit scholarships that discount published tuition at private universities; and graduate assistantships that waive tuition in exchange for part-time teaching or research work. Deadlines cluster between September and January for the following Fall.
How does funding for international students work in the USA?
The US has no government scholarship scheme for Indian students in the way the UK has Chevening or Australia has its Destination scholarships. Funding is decentralised: the Fulbright-Nehru programme run by USIEF in New Delhi is the closest thing to a national award, and everything else comes from Indian trusts, US foundations, and above all from the universities themselves. That last channel is the largest by far. Graduate departments at research universities fund PhD students almost entirely through assistantships and fellowships, and many fund thesis-track MS students the same way; private universities discount their published tuition heavily through merit scholarships.
Understanding the vocabulary saves time. A "scholarship" or "fellowship" is a gift. An "assistantship" is a job: part-time teaching or research work (weekly hours are set by each university) in exchange for a tuition waiver (often the entire non-resident rate) and a monthly stipend. A "tuition waiver" or "in-state tuition award" reduces the rate you are charged without paying you. "Need-based aid" exists for international undergraduates at only a small group of wealthy universities; most public universities give international undergraduates little or nothing based on need.
Every dollar of confirmed funding also does visa work. Study in the States lists financial aid and scholarship letters among the acceptable evidence of financial ability, so an assistantship offer or a Fulbright award reduces the amount of family money you must show for the I-20 and at the consular interview. Apply for funding at the same time as admission, not after, because most university awards are decided from the admission file and most external deadlines fall before US admission decisions arrive.
Scholarships for Indian students in the USA 2026-27: amount, eligibility and deadline
Figures and dates are as published by each awarding body on 26 September 2026. Where the next cycle's date was not yet posted, the most recent cycle's date is given and marked as such.
| Scholarship | What it pays (USD → INR) | Who can apply | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowship (USIEF) | Tuition and fees, living costs, round-trip economy airfare, accident and sickness cover, J-1 visa support, for up to two years; no dependant support; USIEF notes funding may not cover all costs | Indian citizens with a US-equivalent bachelor's at 55%+ (four-year degree, or a master's / full-time PG diploma if the bachelor's is three years), at least 3 years' full-time paid work experience, leadership and community service; no prior US degree; not Government of India employees; fields: economics, environmental science, higher education administration, international legal studies, journalism and mass communication, public health, sustainable development, urban and regional planning | 14 May 2025 for 2026-27 (the most recent cycle on the USIEF page); USIEF had not posted a later Master's cycle at the time of checking, so watch the USIEF page |
| Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship | Monthly stipend, airfare, insurance, allowances for 6–9 months of US research | Registered for a PhD at an Indian institution on or before 1 Nov 2025, thesis submission at least 3 months after the grant ends | 1 July 2026 for 2027-28 (closed) |
| Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarship | Up to $120,000 (≈ ₹1.15 crore) covering tuition, living, travel, visa and health allowance | Indian passport holders resident in India, born on or after 1 Jan 1996 (2026 round), degree from a recognised Indian university with 65% (social sciences, humanities, law, fine arts) or 70% (sciences, mathematics), admission already in hand; excludes business, finance, CS, engineering (except Imperial College London), MBA, medicine, dentistry, fashion, hospitality and most music | Applications for 2026 closed; interviews in May. Next round expected to open early 2027 |
| JN Tata Endowment Loan Scholarship | Loan scholarship of up to Rs 20 lakh (not all candidates qualify for the maximum) for postgraduate, PhD or postdoctoral study abroad, at simple interest of 2% a year (Trustees may grant an exemption or rebate at their discretion), repayable in equal instalments from the 3rd to the 7th year after disbursement; plus a criteria-based travel grant and gift award from Tata Trusts | Indian citizens not older than 45 on 30 June 2026, graduates of a recognised Indian university with 60%+; final-year students may apply without an admission letter; not for undergraduate or online study | The 2026 round (Fall 2026–Spring 2027) ran 5 Jan–15 Mar 2026, with an aptitude test on 27 April, interviews in May–June and awards in mid-July; the window closes in March and admission is not required to apply, so watch the Endowment site from January |
| AAUW International Fellowship | $20,000 (≈ ₹19.2 lakh) for a master's or first professional degree; $25,000 (≈ ₹24 lakh) for a doctorate | Women who are not US citizens or permanent residents, pursuing full-time master's, academic doctoral or professional doctoral study in the US in a degree programme classified as STEM (AAUW uses the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List); see AAUW for the academic requirements | Opens 17 Aug 2026, closes 17 Sep 2026 (5 pm ET); awards notified March 2027 |
| Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford) | Fellowship covering tuition and fees, a living and academic stipend, an annual travel stipend and a one-time relocation stipend, for up to three years of any Stanford graduate degree | Applicants to any full-time Stanford graduate programme (MBA applicants must apply in Round 1) | 6 Oct 2026, 1 pm PT for the 2027 cohort; Stanford programme application by the programme deadline or 1 Dec 2026, whichever is earlier |
| University graduate assistantship (typical) | Waiver of most or all tuition (e.g. Purdue's standard 2026-27 international graduate flat rate of $29,194, ≈ ₹28 lakh; its Computer Science & Engineering rate is $30,318, ≈ ₹29 lakh) plus a stipend for part-time teaching or research work (hours set by the university) | Admitted PhD and thesis MS students, awarded by the department on academic record, GRE where used, and research fit | Same as the funded admission deadline, usually 1 Dec–15 Jan |
| University merit scholarships (typical) | Fixed awards or tuition discounts, set by each university; private universities discount their published tuition heavily (College Board: about $45,000 published against about $16,910 average net tuition and fees paid by first-time full-time students at private nonprofit four-year institutions in 2025-26) | Decided from the admission file; some require a separate scholarship essay | Priority admission deadlines, often 1 Nov–1 Feb |
Sources: USIEF Fulbright-Nehru Master's and Doctoral pages; Inlaks scholarships page; JN Tata Endowment eligibility page; AAUW International Fellowships page; Knight-Hennessy funding and deadlines pages; Purdue graduate fee table 2026-27, all read 26 Sep 2026. $1 = ₹95.8.
Which scholarships in the USA fit which Indian student?
Working professionals in the social sciences, public health, environment, law, journalism, planning or economics with three or more years' experience should build their plan around Fulbright-Nehru. It is the only award that also handles placement: IIE applies to four US universities on your behalf, you travel on a J-1 rather than an F-1 (the SEVIS fee for J-1 is $220 and government-sponsored exchange visitors pay no visa application fee), and the grant covers tuition, living and airfare. The catch is the two-year home-residency expectation that comes with J-1 sponsorship and the absence of dependant funding.
Fresh graduates in humanities, sciences, fine arts, law and social sciences under 30 should look at Inlaks, which requires an admission letter in hand and explicitly excludes computer science, engineering, business, finance, MBA and medicine. Women planning a master's or doctorate in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) should mark the AAUW window in August and September of the year before they start; business and other non-STEM programmes are not eligible. Exceptional applicants to Stanford in any discipline apply to Knight-Hennessy in October alongside the degree application.
Engineering and computer science students, the largest Indian cohort, are mostly outside the foundation schemes and rely on university money: assistantships for research-oriented MS and PhD applicants, merit scholarships and tuition discounts at private universities, and, for everyone, an education loan. The JN Tata Endowment loan scholarship, open to all disciplines for postgraduate study, is the main Indian trust that covers this group.
How to apply for scholarships in the USA from India: timeline for Fall 2027
Scholarship deadlines run ahead of admission deadlines, and several require an admission letter you will not have until spring. The sequence below fits both constraints.
Watch the USIEF page: Fulbright-Nehru Master's cycle
The USIEF Master's page still lists the 2026-27 competition (deadline 14 May 2025) as its latest cycle. USIEF had not posted a later Master's cycle at the time of checking, so watch the USIEF page for the next announcement and prepare your work history, references and statement in advance.
August–September 2026: AAUW and other early external windows
AAUW International Fellowships accept applications from 17 August to 17 September 2026. Have your transcripts, CV, statement and recommenders ready in July; the window is four weeks long.
October 2026: Knight-Hennessy and university priority deadlines
Knight-Hennessy closes on 6 October 2026. Many private universities open scholarship consideration with their earliest admission rounds in October and November; MBA Round 1 deadlines fall in early September.
December 2026–January 2027: funded admission deadlines
Apply to graduate programmes by their funding deadlines (often 1 or 15 December, or 15 January). Tick every box for assistantship and fellowship consideration in the application; write to potential research supervisors with a specific one-paragraph pitch before the deadline.
February–April 2027: offers, negotiation and Inlaks
Compare admission offers on net cost, not sticker price, and ask departments whether an assistantship or tuition scholarship is possible if a competing offer is funded. Once you hold an admission letter, apply to Inlaks (its 2026 round required prior admission and closed before the April reviews). Do not wait for an admission letter to apply to the JN Tata Endowment: its 2026 window ran 5 January to 15 March, so watch for the next round from January 2027.
April–June 2027: I-20 and visa with funding letters
Send the DSO your assistantship, fellowship or scholarship letters so they are reflected on the I-20 and reduce the family funds you must show. Carry the same letters to the visa interview. Remit any remaining fees under the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme.
After arrival: departmental and second-year awards
Many universities reserve funding for continuing students: TA positions that open once you have taken the course, research grants, and in-state tuition awards for high GPAs. Ask the graduate coordinator in your first month what opens up in year two.
How do you maximise your chances of a US scholarship as an Indian applicant?
- Apply early and to the funded deadline, not the final deadline. Assistantship pools are allocated from the first review round.
- Target departments, not universities. A mid-ranked public university with a large funded engineering school gives out more assistantships than a famous private university with a small master's cohort.
- Contact professors with a short, specific email: their paper, your related project, one question. Research assistantships are personal decisions by faculty with grant money.
- Report percentages honestly and let the university convert them. Fulbright-Nehru asks for 55%, Inlaks for 65–70% and JN Tata for 60%; for AAUW, follow its published academic requirements. Do not self-convert to a 4.0 scale unless the form asks.
- Prepare one strong personal statement and adapt it. Fulbright, AAUW, Knight-Hennessy and Inlaks all weigh leadership, community impact and a plan to use the degree, not marks alone.
- Use the funding letter twice: once to cut the amount of family money on your I-20, and again at the visa interview, where an assistantship or fellowship is a strong answer to "how will you pay".
- Keep an education loan sanction as the backstop. SBI's Global Ed-Vantage, for example, sanctions before the I-20 and lends above ₹7.5 lakh up to ₹3 crore, collateral-free up to ₹50 lakh for select institutions; the loan and the scholarship can sit together, with the scholarship counted in the margin.
Scholarship offers that should make you pause
Frequently asked questions
Which scholarships can Indian students get to study in the USA?
The main named awards are the Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowship (full tuition, living and airfare in eight listed fields), the Inlaks Scholarship (up to $120,000, about ₹1.15 crore, excluding engineering, CS and MBA), the JN Tata Endowment loan scholarship, the AAUW International Fellowship ($20,000 for a master's) and Knight-Hennessy at Stanford. Most Indian students, though, are funded by university assistantships, merit scholarships and loans.
Can I get a fully funded scholarship in the USA for a master's?
Yes, through three routes: Fulbright-Nehru (tuition, living, airfare and insurance for up to two years, for candidates with 55% marks, three years' work experience and a listed field), Knight-Hennessy at Stanford (full funding for up to three years), and departmental assistantships or fellowships that waive tuition and pay a stipend, mostly for PhD and thesis-track MS students in science and engineering.
What is the Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowship deadline and eligibility?
The 2026-27 cycle closed on 14 May 2025, and USIEF had not posted a later Master's cycle at the time of checking, so watch the USIEF page for the next announcement. You need an Indian bachelor's with at least 55% (four-year, or a master's or PG diploma on a three-year degree), at least three years of full-time paid work experience, and a field among economics, environment, higher education administration, international legal studies, journalism, public health, sustainable development or urban planning.
Are there scholarships in the USA for Indian students in engineering or computer science?
Foundation awards mostly exclude them: Inlaks bars CS and engineering (except at Imperial College London) and Fulbright-Nehru does not list them. Engineering and CS students are funded instead by research and teaching assistantships that can waive tuition such as Purdue's $30,318 international graduate rate for Computer Science & Engineering (about ₹29 lakh a year), by merit scholarships at private universities, by the JN Tata Endowment loan scholarship, and by education loans.
Do US universities give scholarships to international undergraduate students?
Some do. Private universities routinely offer merit scholarships that reduce their $45,000-plus published tuition, a small number of wealthy universities meet full financial need for international undergraduates, and many public universities offer fixed merit awards or partial tuition waivers to high scorers. Need-based aid at public universities for international undergraduates is rare, so budget for the full out-of-state rate.
Does a scholarship help with the US student visa?
Yes. Study in the States lists scholarship and financial aid letters among acceptable evidence of financial ability, so a confirmed award reduces the family funds you must show for the I-20 and at the consular interview. A tuition waiver plus a stipend can cover most of the cost of attendance, leaving only living costs or a small gap to document from savings or a loan.
What is the JN Tata Endowment scholarship and who is eligible?
It is a merit-based loan scholarship from the Tata Trusts for full-time postgraduate, PhD or postdoctoral study abroad in any discipline, with a possible travel grant and gift award for selected scholars. For 2026-27 applicants must be Indian citizens not older than 45 on 30 June 2026 with at least 60% in their Indian undergraduate or postgraduate degree; final-year students may apply before receiving an admission letter.
Can women get extra scholarships for studying in the USA?
Yes, for STEM fields. The AAUW International Fellowship pays $20,000 (about ₹19.2 lakh) for a master's or first professional degree and $25,000 for a doctorate to women who are not US citizens or permanent residents and study full time in a US master's or doctoral programme classified as STEM. Applications for the 2027-28 year run from 17 August to 17 September 2026, with decisions in March 2027.
Official sources used on this page
- USIEF — Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships (2026-27 cycle: benefits, eligibility, fields, timeline) — United States-India Educational Foundation · checked 26 September 2026
- USIEF — Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships 2027-28 — United States-India Educational Foundation · checked 26 September 2026
- Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation — Scholarships — Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation · checked 26 September 2026
- JN Tata Endowment — Eligibility criteria (2026-27) — J N Tata Endowment for the Higher Education of Indians · checked 26 September 2026
- AAUW — International Fellowships — American Association of University Women · checked 26 September 2026
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars — Funding — Stanford University · checked 26 September 2026
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars — Application deadlines (2027 cohort) — Stanford University · checked 26 September 2026
- Study in the States — Financial ability (scholarship letters as evidence) — US Department of Homeland Security · checked 26 September 2026
- Purdue University Bursar — Graduate tuition and fees 2026-27 — Purdue University · checked 26 September 2026
- College Board — Trends in College Pricing 2025: highlights — College Board · checked 26 September 2026
- SBI — Global Ed-Vantage overseas education loan — State Bank of India · checked 26 September 2026
- ICE SEVP — I-901 SEVIS fee (J-1 $220) — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement · checked 26 September 2026
- Wise — USD to INR mid-market rate — Wise · checked 26 September 2026
Official sources
Visa rules change. Always confirm the latest requirements for United States on the government portals below before you apply.
- U.S. Department of State — Student visa (F-1 / M-1) — official immigration authority for international students
Last reviewed: September 2026
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