Top 4 Scholarship for SC students to study abroad

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Pursuing higher education abroad needs a lot of money. It is pretty impossible to bear all the expenses like course fees, accommodation, traveling, etc., especially for economically weaker students. Many deserving students in India from SC, ST, OBC, and other backward classes can do well if provided financial support. So, the Indian government has scholarships for studying abroad for SC students and other economically weaker students.

In this guide, we will discuss the top 4 scholarships for studying abroad for SC students and economically weaker students.

National Overseas Scholarship

National Overseas Scholarship is a central sector scheme to facilitate low-income students from Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers, and Traditional Artisans category to pursue Master's Degrees, Ph.D., and Post-Doctoral courses abroad. It provides financial assistance to the selected candidates pursuing Master's level and Ph.D. courses in recognized foreign universities. The scholarship does not cover any bachelor’s level courses in any discipline.

Under this scheme, 125 candidates are awarded scholarships each year, subject to funds availability - 115 to Scheduled Castes, 6 to Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, and 4 to Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans. 30% of these scholarships are reserved for women candidates. There are two selection rounds to award this scholarship. In the first selection round, candidates with an offer letter from the top 500 QS Ranking universities. In the second selection round, the following priority is given:

• Candidates with an offer letter from the top 500 QS Ranking universities applying in the second cycle.
• Candidates with an offer letter from other QS ranking universities who applied in previous years or the current year.
• Candidates with an offer letter from other recognized universities who applied in previous years or the current year.

Eligibility criteria for applying for the scholarship

The candidate must satisfy the following condition to be eligible to apply for the National Overseas Scholarship scheme.

• The candidate should not be more than 35 years old.
• The candidate must have scored a minimum of 60% in the qualifying examination. The Bachelor's degree is the qualifying examination for the Master's Degree course, and the Master's Degree is the qualifying examination for the Ph.D. courses.
• The family income from all sources should be less than INR 8,00,000 in the previous financial year.
• The scholarship can be awarded to a maximum of two family members.

TS Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarship

TS Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarship is a scholarship program for SC/ ST students willing to study abroad. Every year the Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi scholarship is sanctioned to 500 SC students to pursue Postgraduate studies abroad. 33% of these scholarship awards are reserved for women candidates. This scholarship over the years has encouraged many SC students to complete professional courses and other graduate courses from international universities.

A state-level screening committee constituted by the Govt. conducts the selection process. The screening committee comprises five members: The principal secretary of Social Welfare, the secretary of AP State Council of Higher Education, the vice-chancellor of JNTU, the commissioner of Technical Education, and the commissioner of Social Welfare.

The scholarship covers the tuition fee of up to INR 10 lakhs, payable in two installments. The first installment of INR 5 lakhs is payable on producing the immigration card, and the second installment of INR 5 lakhs is payable on the first-semester result. In addition, the candidate will get a one-way air ticket, reimbursement of the total visa fees, and is also eligible for an educational loan of INR 5 lakhs from any Nationalized bank.

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Eligibility criteria for applying for the scholarship

The candidate must satisfy the following condition to be eligible to apply for the TS Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarship scheme.

• The candidate's family income from all sources should not exceed INR 2 lakhs per annum.
• The candidate should be less than 35 years of age.
• The candidate must have scored at least 60% in the qualifying examination.
• Only one child in the family can avail of this scholarship. 
  The candidate should have a valid Indian passport and TOEFL/IELTS & GRE/GMAT scores.
• The candidate should have secured admission to an accredited foreign university.

Padho Pardesh

Padho Pardesh is a scholarship scheme introduced by the Government of India for meritorious students from minority communities to pursue higher studies abroad. The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements the Padho Pardesh scheme to provide interest subsidies on educational loans for overseas studies to minority students. The scheme aims to provide these students with better opportunities for higher education abroad and improve their employability. The Selection Committee selects the deserving candidates to be awarded this scholarship, and its decision will be final. No appeal can be filed against the Selection Committee's decision.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs does not give educational loans under this scheme; instead, the scheme provides 100% reimbursement of interest accrued on the education loan from the bank up to the moratorium period ( i.e., the course period + 1 year after completion of the course or six months after getting a job, whichever happens earlier). The student can take an educational loan from any bank that is a member of IBA, whether it is a private bank, public sector bank, commercial bank, or cooperative bank.

Eligibility criteria for applying for the scholarship

In order to avail the benefits of the Padho Pardesh scheme, the candidate must

• Have secured admission to the University Abroad to pursue a Postgraduate Diploma, Master, M.Phil, or Ph. D level courses
• Have an annual family income of less than INR 6.00 lakh.
• Take a loan from any bank belonging to the Indian Banks Association.
• Have a self-declared minority certificate.
• Inform the lending bank of his eligibility for the scheme, which in turn, will feed the candidate’s information into the Portal of Padho Pardesh scheme.

Also read: How to get a 100% scholarship to study abroad?

Government of Kerala Scholarship to SC/ST Students

The government of Kerala provides merit-based scholarships to students belonging to SC/ST categories to pursue their higher studies abroad. The scholarship provides financial assistance to talented and meritorious SC/ST students to pursue Post Graduate Degrees, M Phil, and Ph.D. programs in international universities. The Scholarship is limited to courses in the first five hundred ranked universities as per Times Higher Education World University ranking.

The scholarship covers the tuition fee, visa charges, return air ticket, accommodation, living expenses like food, local travel, medical insurance premium, and non-refundable expenses to the institution depending upon the candidate's family income.

• If the candidate's family income is less than INR 12 lakhs, he will get a full scholarship to meet all the expenses mentioned above.
• If the candidate's family income is between INR 12 lakhs and INR 20 lakhs, he will be eligible for tuition fees, visa charges, airfare, medical insurance premium, and 50% of accommodation and living expenses.
• If the candidate's family income is more than INR 20 lakhs, he will only be eligible for tuition fees.
• There is no family income limit for ST candidates.

Eligibility criteria for applying for the scholarship

The candidate must satisfy the following condition to be eligible to apply for the scholarship. The candidate must

• Be a resident of Kerala and belong to the SC or ST of Kerala.
• Have secured at least 50% marks in the qualifying examination if the candidate belongs to the ST and at least 55% marks if the candidate belongs to the SC.
• Be below 35 years of age.
• Possess the mandated grades in IELTS/GRE/TOEFL or other relevant tests.
• Have received an offer letter from the institution confirming admission to the course.

Summary of the Top 4 Scholarships for Studying Abroad for SC Students

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any scholarships for SC or ST students for studying abroad?

Yes, there are many scholarships for SC or ST students for studying abroad, like the National Overseas Scholarship, TS Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarship, Padho Pardesh, Government of Kerala Scholarship to SC/ST students, etc.

Are OBC students eligible for National Overseas Scholarship?

Yes, OBC students are eligible for National Overseas Scholarship. Students from economically weaker and socially disadvantaged backgrounds can avail of this scholarship.

How much tuition fee is covered in the TS Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarship?

 The TS Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarship covers the tuition fee of up to INR 10 lakhs, payable in two installments. The first installment of INR 5 lakhs is payable on producing the immigration card, and the second installment of INR 5 lakhs is payable on the first-semester result.