Chevening Scholarships to Study in UK

India Education

Chevening Scholarships are provided by the Foreign Commonwealth Organization (FCO) and associated organizations. They are specifically meant for students wanting to pursue masters degrees from universities in the UK. For scholarships applications from India, Chevening appoints an independent panel in the UK and a panel at the British High Council. This article will provide all the necessary details Indian students need to know in order to apply for the scholarship and pursue their dreams of studying in the UK.

Programmes

Chevening scholarships are designed for students looking to pursue 1 year masters courses from any of the UK universities. 750 scholarships (worth Rs. 151 million in total) will be available to Indian students for 2016 – 2017 session. An overwhelming majority of courses offered at all universities within the UK are supported by Chevening Scholarships. However, students should check their country page at the Chevening website to confirm that the course they want is covered by the scholarship. Students are encouraged to choose three courses wherein one would be an ambitious one (i.e. one in which they would like to get in), one insurance course (i.e. one in which they are confident to get in) and one regular courses. These courses can all be from the same university but must be selected from the list of universities in which Chevening provides scholarships for masters courses. Also the courses must be full-time, start in the autumn and lead to a Master’s degree qualification.

A Chevening Scholarship for the India Master’s programme includes :

A monthly stipend
Travel to and from your country via an approved route
An arrival and excess baggage allowance
Grant for study material
Study travel allowance
A thesis or dissertation grant
The cost of 1 visa application
Tuition fees of university
A travel grant to attend Chevening events in the UK

There is a global limit of up to £18,000 for MBA courses. If the tuition fees of your chosen university course exceed this amount, you will be required to arrange for the rest of your tuition fees.

(Also read: 9 Reasons for Indian Students to Study in the UK)

Important Dates

The applications for the Chevening scholarship for 2015/ 2016 can be made online on the official website from 3 August until 3 November, 2015.

Other important dates:

Reading Committee assessment of applications: November, 2015
Interview: 29 February – 29 April, 2016
Select/Reject/Reserve announcement: Early June, 2015
University unconditional offers: by 14 July, 2016
English language test requirement must be met by: 14 July, 2016
2016-2017 Chevening scholars begin classes in the UK: September/ October 2016

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for the Chevening scholarship the applicant must meet the following criteria.

You should be the citizen of a nation where Chevening scholarships are offered and have the intention of returning there for at least two years after completion of the Chevening Award.
You must have a degree equal to or higher than an upper-second class (2:1) honors degree in the UK before applying.
Must have at least 2 years of work experience which can include voluntary work and paid or unpaid internships.
Fulfill the Chevening English language requirement by 14 July, 2016. (Check with your university about the test score they accept – it can be any one of IELTS/ CAE/ Pearson PTE Academic/ TOEFL iBT.
Apply to three different eligible UK university courses (unless otherwise specified in your award category).
Must have at least two references.
Not hold British citizenship or dual British citizenship, unless you are a citizen of a British Overseas Territory or hold BN(O) and are applying from Hong Kong.
Not have previously studied in the UK under a UK government-funded scholarship.
Not be an employee, relative of employee, or former employee (since July 2012) of Her Majesty’s Government (including British Embassies/High Commissions, the Department for International Development, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, UK Trade and Investment, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office), the British Council, a partner, a sponsoring UK university, or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Indian applicants can choose any course of study in UK, but the following fields would be given preference:

Energy security
Climate change
Urban development
Defence
Security
Foreign policy
Trade and investment
Economic reforms
Research and innovation

Application Procedure

Applications for the Chevening Scholarships are usually done online. However, the criteria might change according to the preference of the concerned organizations. Students should visit the Apply page on the Chevening website for a detailed account of the application process and how they can apply for the scholarships.

(Also read: List of scholarships for Indians to study in UK)

Contact

Students wanting to learn more about the scholarship can visit www.chevening.org

If they have a specific enquiry, they can send it at http://www.chevening.org/enquiry/