Study in UK articles highlights various aspects of Top Universities, courses, scholarship etc in UK and helps an individual to understand various important aspects about UK Scholarships.

The United Kingdom has always been a regal land for Indians. Ever since the British rule, the Indian elite has been opting for the UK as their major destination for higher education. Many Indian leaders have completed their higher education from England and later led our country towards Independence.

Moreover, UK-based universities are known to be quite prestigious and are famous for their high-quality teaching methods. Out of the top six universities in the world, four are present in the UK. It ranks second best in the university-industry collaboration.

The United Kingdom offers numerous courses in varied fields of education to choose from.BIS Tracking International Graduate Outcomes showed that approximately 88% of the total international students pursuing higher education in the UK are satisfied with the quality of education. The UK also records the lowest number of dropouts till date.

Study in UK Article is divided into following

• Eligibility to study in UK
• Top Universities in UK with their ranking
• Educational System in UK
• Scholarships to study inUK- In detail description
  • Scholarships offered by British Government
  • Scholarship offered by British Council/ Universities
  • Scholarships offered by others

Study in UK Eligibility 

International students who plan to pursue higher education in the UK for undergraduate, postgraduate, research and Ph.D. courses have to consider the eligibility criteria for admission. The eligibility criteria for higher education in the United Kingdom differ from college to college. 

Colleges have separate Eligibility Criteria: Since, each college is likely to have separate eligibility criteria for admission, students are required to apply to each college/university directly in order to check the eligibility status. 

However, all international students have to take the basic English Language Test like IELTS in order to check their fluency in English. This will be also be considered a criterion for eligibility in every university in the UK.

GREAT Campaign

GREAT campaign is launched by the Government of Britain to promote the UK as the ultimate destination for education, business and travel throughout the world. The government works in partnership with the British Council for carrying out its promotional work. The Campaign works towards exhibiting UK's strengths in English language, arts and education.

Various scholarships are also offered to international students under the Campaign including GREAT Scholarships Programme in order to promote higher education in the UK for international students. The government of UK has aside 2 million pounds and the British Council is providing 1 million pounds in order to fund the higher education of international students in the UK. 

Through the Campaign, the UK government aims to achieve the following factors in education:

• The GREAT Campaign helps UK in highlighting the reputation and profile of  the education status in the UK in order to encourage international students to choose UK-based universities for pursuing higher education.
• Under the Campaign, education marketing campaigns are being carried out in countries like India, China and the USA.
• The Campaign also works to promote the learning and teaching of English worldwide via stimulus materials on LearnEnglish and TeachingEnglish websites.

The GREAT Campaign has also launched GREAT mobile app for students who are learning English.

Where to Study in UK

Every international student faces the dilemma of choosing the right college to study overseas. Since there is no first-hand knowledge, students look for expert opinion or opinion from advisors/agents in choosing the best college suited to them. Here is a way to solve the problem. Given below is a list of top 20 colleges in the United Kingdom ranked under QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education Ranking.

List of Top 20 Universities in the UK 

Apart from these universities, there are many other prestigious UK-based institutions which provide quality education. The above is a list of the top 20 universities which are included in the world ranking list.

Educational System in UK

The educational system in the United Kingdom is handled by the Department for Education and Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The UK-based education system is divided in the following manner:

• Nursery: Nursery is for students aged between 3 and 4 years.
• Primary Education: is for students aged between 4 and 11 years.
• Secondary Education: After completing primary education, students between the age of 11 and 18 years have to go for secondary education.
• Tertiary Education: Tertiary Education in India begins from the age of 18 years. Students can opt for college/university education after completing their secondary education.

Cost of Study in UK

The main problem international student’s face while applying for education in the UK is funding. Financing their education becomes a big issue. However, students can also work part-time in order to fund their studies. The basic cost, on an annual basis, for studying in the UK is as follows:

UK Scholarship

Since funding is a huge obstacle in the way of obtaining a good quality education at reputed institutes, there are various scholarships provided to international students. Meritorious, need-based students can obtain these scholarships which cover their tuition fees, living and travel expenses, among others.

The scholarships can be provided by the Indian government, UK government, Trusts and Foundations in India and UK-based universities.

The scholarships offered by the Government of Britain include:

• British Chevening Scholarships for International Students
• Common Wealth Scholarship for Indian Students

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

The Scholarships programme is conducted by Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) for only Postgraduate studies in the UK. Students from Commonwealth countries, refugees and British protected persons can apply for this scholarship.

The scholarship covers the complete tuition fees, accommodation charges and travel expenses of the student. The scholar will also receive an allowance during the scholarship period.

For more detailed information, go to Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Commonwealth Scholarships for Master’s and PhD

The Scholarships programme is conducted by Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) to the citizens of developing Commonwealth countries to pursue  Master’s and a Ph.D. course in any university of UK. Students from Commonwealth countries, refugees and British protected persons can apply for this scholarship.

The scholarship covers the complete tuition fees, accommodation charges and travel expenses of the student. The scholar will also receive an allowance during the scholarship period.

For more detailed information, go to Commonwealth Scholarships for Master’s and PhD

Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan

The Scholarships programme is conducted by Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) is for students of Commonwealth Countries including India to pursue 1 year taught master’s courses or equivalent degree and Doctoral degree of up to 3-years duration in any of the U.K. University or Institution. Students from Commonwealth countries, refugees and British protected persons can apply for this scholarship.

The scholarship covers the complete tuition fees and examination fees, Personal maintenance allowance, arrival allowance, travel expenses and many more. The scholar will also receive an allowance during the scholarship period.

For more detailed information, go to Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan

Commonwealth Professional Fellowship

The Scholarships programme is conducted by Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) individuals with minimum 5 years of work experience for undergoing a professional development program with a host organisation in the UK. Students from Commonwealth countries, refugees and British protected persons can apply for this scholarship.

For more detailed information, go to Commonwealth Professional Fellowship

British Chevening Scholarships for International Students

The scholarships programme is offered by the Government of Britain for Master’s degree in the UK. It is offered to Chevening-eligible countries, out of which India is one. About 150 scholarships are offered every year to eligible candidates from India.

Most of the scholarships cover the complete tuition fee, accommodation costs, living allowance, travel expenses and other charges of the candidate. Some Chevening scholarships may not cover the full expenses but pay for the only partial cost of studying in the UK, which will include only tuition fees and allowance.

For more information, go to Chevening Scholarships

GREAT Scholarship Programme

GREAT Scholarships Programme in India is conducted by British Council which offers 400 scholarships amounting to approximately Rs 15 crores. About 57 UK-based institutes are included under the Programme. Students can apply for scholarships for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The Programme offers scholarships 83 undergraduate and 318 postgraduate courses in Engineering, IT, Law, Biosciences, Art & Design, Business.

The scholarship amount is 1.5 million pounds which cover the tuition fee and other expenses of study.

Go to GREAT Scholarship Programme for detailed information.

The scholarships offered by the British Council/ British Universities include:

• GREAT Scholarship Programme
• The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India Scholarships (OCSI Scholarships)
• Gates Cambridge Scholarships for International Students
• Rhodes Scholarships at University of Oxford
• India Master’s Scholarships
• Others

The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India Scholarships (OCSI Scholarships)

The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India Scholarships are jointly awarded by the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge for pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes for any course of study. Students can apply for this scholarship for study at either University of Oxford or University of Cambridge.

It offers a partial scholarship which includes the following:

• One OCSI Scholarship at Cambridge University/ Oxford University: Rs 4,00,000
• One OCSI Scholarship at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge: Rs 1,00,000
• One OCSI Scholarship AT St.Hilda’s College, University of Oxford: Rs 1,00,000

Some other benefits are also inclusive under the scholarship. For more information, visit the OCSI Scholarships Page.

Gates Cambridge Scholarships for International Students

The Scholarship is offered by the University of Cambridge for Master’s degree course to outstanding international students for pursuing postgraduate studies in the Cambridge University. Approximately 4,000 candidates fight for only 95 scholarships each year, thus making it extremely competitive.

The scholarship offers the full tuition fee of the course, maintenance allowance, living expenses, travel expenses and other costs.

Rhodes Scholarships at University of Oxford

Rhodes Scholarships are offered by the Oxford University to 83 scholars each year. It covers all the college and university fees of the scholars. Students planning to Master’s/Ph.D. courses at Oxford University can apply for this scholarship.

The University provides a living stipend of $13,658 along with medical insurance during the scholarship period. It also provides the travel airfare to and from the university to the host country.

Rhodes Scholarships 2015 has been won by 5 Indian students, out of which two are from the University of Delhi.

For more information, go to Rhodes Scholarships

India Master’s Scholarships

India Master’s Scholarships are offered by King’s College London for pursuing a full-time postgraduate degree at King’s College London.

Under the scholarship, students will be rewarded 5000 pounds towards tuition fee of the course. The duration of the scholarship is 12 months.

Other scholarships to study in UK are:

• Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarships for Doctoral Programme in UK
• Inlaks Scholarships
• Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship
• K C Mahindra Scholarships

• Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship

• Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship Programme 
• Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships
• TOEFL® Scholarship Program in India 

• London Metropolitan Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship

• Queen Mary University of London
• LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY
• Goa Education Trust Scholarships
• Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards
• University of West London International Ambassador Scholarships
• University of West England Global Student Scholarships
• University of Westminster International Scholarships 
• Sheffield Hallam University Transform Together Scholarships
• The university of Nottingham at Developing Solutions Scholarships
• London Metropolitan ISH Scholarship Scheme
• Felix Scholarships
• University of East Anglia Development Scholarships 
• Cardiff University Elite International Scholarships
• Bristol University International Office Scholarships
• The university of Birmingham Scholarships for International Students