Scholarships for a master's abroad
A taught master's is the hardest level to fund fully and the easiest to fund partially. Full scholarships exist and are few; partial awards are plentiful and are what most funded students actually hold.
At a glance
| Awards we list in this group | 85 |
|---|
Aim at the realistic category
Two partial awards of 25% each are worth more than a fully funded award you are unlikely to win, and you can pursue both. The mistake is spending the whole application season on three fully funded schemes and submitting nothing else.
- Apply to the big ones — Chevening, Commonwealth, DAAD, Erasmus Mundus — if you are genuinely competitive.
- Apply to every university award at every institution you applied to.
- Check departmental pages, which carry awards the central office does not list.
- Check destination-independent funding — Indian trusts and government schemes fund master's study wherever you go.
Timing
- The fully funded schemes typically close about a year before the course starts.
- University awards usually follow admission, so applying for admission early is itself a funding decision.
- Several awards require an offer in hand, which fixes the order you must do things in.
Where a partial award leaves a gap, an education loan covers it — and a sanctioned loan is also accepted as proof of funds on several visa routes. The two decisions are connected, not sequential.
Master's-level awards we list
Showing 12 of 85, most searched first. Each one carries its own deadline, eligibility and the source we read it from.
Master's scholarships — FAQs
2 questions
Yes, through schemes such as Chevening, Commonwealth, DAAD and Erasmus Mundus. They are very competitive, so pursue partial university awards alongside rather than instead.
A PhD, substantially. Research degrees carry far more funding, often including a living stipend.
Want help shortlisting? A counsellor matches your marks, course and budget to the awards you can actually win — free.
Sources
Checked against these sources on 1 October 2026.