What are the government funding options, scholarships, or financial aid available for Indian students pursuing a master's program in the UK, and what do they typically cover?

Chevening and the Commonwealth Master's Scholarship can realistically fund your entire UK master's, while GREAT and most university awards are partial, so the funding strategy that works depends on which tier you actually qualify for.

Fully Funded UK Government Routes

• Chevening: requires at least 2 years of eligible post-undergraduate work experience; for the 2027 to 2028 intake, applications for India opened 4 August 2026 and closed 6 October 2026. Covers tuition, a monthly living allowance and travel.
• Commonwealth Master's Scholarships: open to Indian citizens; currently lists a stipend of £1,712 a month, or £2,000 for London universities, alongside full tuition and airfare.
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarships: for selected one-year courses at participating universities, covering tuition, airfare, a living stipend and certain allowances.

Partial but Valuable Funding

The GREAT Scholarship, jointly funded by the UK government and participating universities, offers Indian students £10,000 toward tuition for eligible one-year taught postgraduate courses across more than 60 participating universities, with over 140 scholarships available in 2026 to 2027. You will typically still need to fund the remaining tuition, living costs and travel yourself.

Do Not Overlook Indian-Side Funding

India's National Overseas Scholarship for 2026 to 2027 covers master's and PhD study abroad for eligible applicants from specific categories, including Scheduled Castes and landless agricultural labourers, with 125 fresh awards subject to funding. Some Indian states also run their own overseas scholarship programmes, and the UK government has Chevening partnerships with states including Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Nagaland and Karnataka.

This Information Is Also Available On

GOV.UK's Chevening scholarship announcement, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission's Master's Scholarships page, and Study UK's GREAT Scholarships page.

My Advice

Apply to Chevening or Commonwealth first if you meet the work-experience or eligibility bar, since a full-funding outcome changes your entire university shortlist. Do not wait for a scholarship decision before applying to universities directly, since GREAT and most university-specific awards are assessed alongside, not after, your admission application.