Australia:
International students in Australia pay full fees for their studies, and there are several scholarships available to assist them with the cost of their education. Some major scholarships available for international students pursuing a course in Australia are Australia Awards, Destination Australia, Australian Government Research and Training Program (AGRTP), the Australia APEC Women in Research Fellowships and the John Allwright Fellowship. Universities also offer scholarships for their own courses and programs to deserving students.
Canada:
Canadian universities and the government offer several scholarships based on many criteria. However, during the application process, some ask you to provide an IELTS score. Nearly all Canadian universities accept this English proficiency test along with TOEFL. So, make sure you meet the scholarship requirements before choosing between IELTS and TOEFL. No point spending twice for an English test.
Another distinct feature about Canada is scholarships offered by their provincial governments like the Quebec Provincial Government Scholarship for students studying in Quebec and the Ontario Trillium Scholarship for doctoral students studying in Ontario. Some important scholarships include the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships and the Trudeau Scholarships and Fellowships.
New Zealand:
Scholarships for courses in New Zealand are highly competitive. Many are based on academic achievement, but some consider factors such as country of origin, area of study and leadership potential. New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA), New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships and NZ-GRADS New Zealand Global Research Alliance Doctoral Scholarship are some of the major scholarships offered to international students wishing to pursue postgraduate and doctoral courses.
United Kingdom:
Scholarships for courses in the UK are limited and are generally aimed at providing support to a specific segment of society or for a specific field of study. Many of the scholarships are from the government and charities and foundations. Some scholarships are managed by the British Council such as the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan. These are open to students of Commonwealth countries such as India.
Some of the most prestigious and popular scholarships include the Chevening Scholarship (offered to students in over 160 countries). The Rhodes Scholarship programme is the oldest international scholarship programme in the world. It provides 100 fully-funded scholarships each year for postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford. Scotland's Saltire Scholarships, which the Scottish government offers in collaboration with Scottish universities are prestigious too.
Some scholarships are specifically for Indian students such as the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships. These are aimed at Indians in the early to mid-stages of their careers. The Felix Scholarship aims at providing gifted underprivileged students from India and some other developing countries the opportunity to pursue a postgraduate course offered at three universities - the University of Oxford, the University of Reading and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). You can also explore Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation's scholarships and grants.
United States:
Most leading US universities have their scholarship programmes. In many cases, schools within the universities have their own programmes. You can go through the scholarship programs while you are researching for courses you want to do. The application for such scholarships is a different process, and you should conduct it independently and simultaneously with your application for the course.
Besides scholarships offered by US Universities, Indian students have several other options. These include government-funded scholarships such as the Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships and the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program. There are also non-government scholarships such as the AAUW International Fellowships that caters to women who plan to pursue full-time study and research in the US.
