GREAT India Scholarships – A Guide for 2025

The British Council’s GREAT Scholarships for Indian students offer funding for talented postgraduates to study a taught Masters at selected universities. This funding is worth at least £10,000, depending on the institution and programme.

GREAT Scholarships are also available for students from 13 other countries in 2025-26, but this page focuses on the Indian section of the scheme. We’ve covered advice on applications, eligibility, deadlines and more.

GREAT India Scholarships are part of the GREAT Scholarships programme administered by the British Council, an organisation that promotes cultural and educational opportunities around the world. Each academic year the precise nationalities and universities involved in the scheme change, but Indian students are almost always eligible for funding.

In 2025-26, the GREAT Scholarships provide funding for Indian students to study a Masters in a range of subjects at 24 UK universities.

There are a few key eligibility criteria that you’ll need to satisfy in order to apply for a GREAT India Scholarship. In addition to having been accepted onto a taught Masters programme at a participating university, you should:

• Be an Indian citizen
• Meet the English language requirements of your prospective university
• Engage with the UK, both in an academic and an extra-curricular sense
• Be motivated and interested in your subject

You’ll also need to attend various activities and sessions associated with the GREAT Scholarships and the British Council, both before and after your Masters. This could involve networking events with other scholars or speaking to future candidates about your experiences in the UK.

GREAT Scholarships are available at universities across the universities. At some institutions you’ll need to have applied for a specific Masters (or a programme in a particular department), but at others the funding is offered for programmes in all subject areas.

The table below shows all the participating universities for GREAT India Scholarships, as well as their deadlines and subject requirements (if there are any).

Along with the scholarships listed above, there are also a number of £10,000 GREAT Scholarships for Justice and Law available to Indian students at several universities.

The first step in the GREAT Scholarship application process is to apply for an eligible Masters at a participating university. You’ll need to have received a letter of acceptance from your preferred institution before you can apply for a GREAT Scholarship.

Bear in mind that scholarship applications are handled by the universities themselves – not the British Council. This means that the process differs slightly from institution to institution. Generally speaking, you’ll need to supply the university with the following details:

• A personal statement covering your motivations and goals, as well as how you’ll be an ambassador for the GREAT Scholarships
• Information on your academic achievements
• Any relevant extracurricular activity

Each university has its own application form and procedure – you’ll be able to find these by following the links in the tables above.