The Chevening Scholarship is the UK Government’s international scholarship for emerging leaders, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and partner organisations. The India award supports eligible Indian citizens to complete a one-year master’s degree at a UK university.
Recipients study in person in the United Kingdom and join Chevening’s professional and alumni network. Scholars must return to their home country for at least two years after the award ends.
Benefits & funding
- Payment of tuition fees.
- Economy travel to and from the recipient’s country of residence by an approved route.
- An arrival allowance, departure allowance, visa application cost, travel top-up allowance, and up to £75 toward required TB testing.
- A monthly living stipend, with the rate determined by whether the university is inside or outside London.
Eligibility
- Be an Indian citizen applying through the India award and intend to support the country of award.
- Because India is an ODA-eligible country, be resident in an ODA-eligible country when applying; this need not be India.
- Hold an undergraduate degree that qualifies the applicant for a UK master’s programme and have completed undergraduate study at least two years before the application deadline.
- Have at least two years, or 2,800 hours, of work experience gained after completing the undergraduate degree.
- Apply to three different eligible UK master’s courses and obtain at least one unconditional offer by 8 July 2027.
- Commit to returning to the home country for at least two years after the scholarship ends.
- British or dual British citizens are ineligible except for the stated British Overseas Territory and BN(O) exception; other exclusions on prior UK government funding, UK residence, refugee status, and specified employment relationships also apply.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
India
Residence required
Afghanistan · Angola · Bangladesh · Benin · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · DR Congo · Djibouti
+ 129 more
Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Kiribati · Laos · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mozambique · Myanmar · Nepal · Niger · Rwanda · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tuvalu · Uganda · Yemen · Zambia · North Korea · Syria · Algeria · Bhutan · Bolivia · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Egypt · Eswatini · Ghana · Honduras · India · Iran · Jordan · Kenya · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Micronesia · Mongolia · Morocco · Nicaragua · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · São Tomé and Príncipe · Sri Lanka · Tajikistan · Tokelau · Tunisia · Ukraine · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Vietnam · Zimbabwe · Albania · Argentina · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belize · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · China · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Fiji · Gabon · Georgia · Grenada · Guatemala · Guyana · Indonesia · Iraq · Jamaica · Kazakhstan · Kosovo · Libya · Malaysia · Maldives · Marshall Islands · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Montenegro · Montserrat · Namibia · Nauru · Niue · North Macedonia · Palau · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Saint Helena · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Serbia · South Africa · Suriname · Thailand · Tonga · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Venezuela · Wallis and Futuna · Palestine
Education required
Bachelor
Experience required
≥ 2 yrs
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Application process
- 1Review the India award page and the complete Chevening eligibility rules.
- 2Open the online application system from the India page, register an email address and mobile number, and pass the eligibility checker.
- 3Save the unique access code issued by the system.
- 4Complete the form with personal, citizenship, education and work history; three UK master’s course choices; two referees; and four essays.
- 5Submit the application by 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC, then apply separately to the selected universities and secure an unconditional offer by the stated deadline.
Program timeline
Applications open.
4 August 2026, 11:00 UTC
Application deadline.
6 October 2026, 11:00 UTC
Interview shortlist announced.
Mid-February 2027
Interviews take place.
March to April 2027
Results begin to be announced.
Mid-June 2027
Unconditional university offer deadline.
8 July 2027, 17:00 BST
Studies begin in the UK.
September or October 2027