University College London offers over 200 scholarships, of which 20+ are accessible to Indian applicants. Awards range from £5,000 in tuition support to fully funded PhD studentships worth INR 50 Lakhs per year. This guide covers every University College London and UK government scholarship an Indian student can realistically win in 2026 to 2027.
- Standard overseas postgraduate tuition at UCL: INR 33 to 51 Lakhs per year (£26,000 to £40,000, subject varies).
- Effective tuition after the UCL India Excellence Scholarship: INR 27 to 45 Lakhs per year.
- Effective tuition after the UCL Global Master’s Scholarship (£15,000): INR 14 to 32 Lakhs per year.
- Next major deadline: Chevening Scholarship, 6 October 2026 (for the 2027-28 intake).
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Currency Note: All INR conversions use the live rate of 1 GBP = INR 128 as of August 6, 2026.
University College London Scholarships for UG Students
Only one central UCL award is open to Indian undergraduates: the UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship. It gives 33 awards each year, split into a full-cover tier and a tuition-only tier.
| Scholarship |
Value |
Awards |
Indian Eligibility |
Next Deadline |
| UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship (Full Cover tier) |
Full overseas tuition + maintenance + visa and Immigration Health Surcharge |
10 |
Any nationality outside the UK; low household income (indicative UCL guide: £42,875 or below); UCL fee status confirmed |
5pm BST, tentative 27 April 2027 (2026-27 cycle closed 27 April 2026) |
| UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship (Tuition Only tier) |
Full overseas tuition only |
23 |
Same as above |
Same as above |
| Faculty and Department bursaries (Engineering, Bartlett, Arts) |
£1,500 to £5,000 (INR 1.92 to 6.40 Lakhs) |
Varies |
Programme-specific merit; usually declared with the offer letter |
Rolling; check individual offer letter |
You do not need a full UCL offer to apply, but your fee status must be confirmed by admissions first. Shortlisted candidates submit financial evidence around mid-May. Awards renew each year if you keep good academic standing.
Explore More: UCL Admissions and Deadlines
University College London Scholarships for PG / Master’s Students
Master’s applicants have the widest UCL scholarship pool. The UCL Global Master’s Scholarship pays £15,000 (INR 19.20 Lakhs) and ring-fences 5 of its 85 awards for Indian students. The UCL India Excellence Scholarship adds 33 awards worth £5,000 (INR 6.40 Lakhs) each.
| Scholarship |
Value |
Awards |
Indian Eligibility |
Next Deadline |
| UCL Global Master’s Scholarship |
£15,000 (INR 19.20 Lakhs); split 50-50 across 2-year programmes |
85 total (5 ring-fenced for India) |
Overseas fee-payer; lower-income family; full-time on-campus taught Master’s |
5pm BST, tentative 7 May 2027 (2026-27 window closed 7 May 2026) |
| UCL India Excellence Scholarship |
£5,000 (INR 6.40 Lakhs) for one year; 50% each year for 2-year programmes |
33 |
Indian domicile; UK first-class equivalent bachelor’s from an NIRF Top 100 institution |
5pm BST, tentative 26 February 2027 (2026-27 cutoff was 26 February 2026) |
| Faculty bursaries (Bartlett, IOE, SSEES, Engineering) |
£3,000 to £10,000 (INR 3.84 to 12.80 Lakhs) |
Varies by department |
Programme-specific; usually merit-based |
Rolling; declared in the offer letter or department page |
Both Global Master’s and India Excellence are automatic: you are considered for them once your admission application (including references) is submitted before the cutoff. There is no separate scholarship form. NIRF here means the Government of India’s National Institutional Ranking Framework, published annually by the Ministry of Education.
Reddit Insight: Indian applicants on r/UKvisa and r/ucl repeatedly flag that a delayed reference, not weak grades, is the top reason Indians miss the India Excellence award. UCL only shortlists complete files by the 26 February cutoff.
Explore More: UCL Master’s Programs and Fees
India-Specific Scholarships at University College London
The UCL India Excellence Scholarship is the only award UCL created exclusively for Indian nationals. It backs 33 Master’s students per year at £5,000 (INR 6.40 Lakhs) each.
Money is applied to tuition first. Any residual balance is paid to the recipient in three equal instalments across the academic year to help cover rent and living costs in London.
Eligibility snapshot for the 2027-28 intake:
- Indian passport and permanent domicile in India.
- Charged the Overseas (not Home) fee rate at UCL.
- Completed bachelor’s, or currently in the final year, at an institution ranked in the NIRF Top 100 (India’s Ministry of Education ranking list).
- Academic profile equivalent to a UK first-class degree (broadly a 70%+ average or 8.0+ CGPA on a 10-point scale, depending on the institution).
- Holding a conditional or unconditional UCL offer on a full-time taught Master’s (distance learning excluded).
Indicative timeline for 2027-28 (based on the 2026-27 cycle):
- By late February 2027 (tentative): submit your UCL admission application with references.
- April to June 2027: shortlisting and results announcement window.
- September 2027: scholarship activates on registration and offsets your first tuition instalment.
The India Excellence award can be held alongside the UCL Global Master’s Scholarship in principle, subject to UCL confirmation at offer stage. In that stacked case, an Indian PG student could receive up to £20,000 (INR 25.60 Lakhs) in direct funding.
University College London PhD Scholarships
Doctoral funding at UCL is deeper than Master’s funding. The UCL Research Excellence Scholarship (UCL-RES) funds 40 candidates across any faculty; UK Research Council awards (EPSRC, AHRC, ESRC) cover discipline-specific projects.
| Scholarship |
Value |
Awards |
Indian Eligibility |
Next Deadline |
| UCL Research Excellence Scholarship (UCL-RES) |
Full tuition (Home or Overseas) + UKRI-rate maintenance stipend + research costs |
40 |
Any nationality; outstanding research proposal and supervisor endorsement required |
Tentative 8 January 2027 (2026-27 closed on 9 January 2026) |
| UCL EPSRC Doctoral Studentships (Science and Engineering) |
Full fees + stipend of at least £23,466 (INR 30.04 Lakhs) for 2026-27, rising each year |
Varies by department; capped international quota |
STEM PhD applicants; project must fit an EPSRC theme |
Rolling by supervisor; core round tentative January 2027 |
| LAHP AHRC Studentship (Arts and Humanities) |
Full fees + stipend near £20,780 for 2026-27 + research training grant |
Limited international quota (roughly 30% of awards) |
Arts and humanities PhD via UCL partner departments |
Tentative early January 2027 |
UCL-RES uses a single January cutoff and demands your PhD admission file (proposal, transcripts, supervisor confirmation) is complete by that date. Departments nominate; you cannot self-apply. If you plan a September 2027 start, aim to line up your supervisor by October 2026.
Explore More: Popular Scholarships for Indian students to study in UK
External Government Scholarships at University College London
Three UK-side government awards work at UCL for Indian applicants: Chevening, the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, and the Commonwealth PhD Scholarship. All three are fully or near-fully funded.
| Scholarship |
Value (per year) |
Coverage |
Indian Eligibility |
Next Deadline |
| Chevening Scholarship |
Full tuition + stipend of £1,093/month (INR 1.40 Lakhs) + return flights + UK visa |
1-year taught Master’s at any UK university |
Indian passport; 2+ years post-degree work experience; commit to returning to India for 2 years |
6 October 2026 (for the 2027-28 intake) |
| Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (nominated by UCL) |
Full tuition + stipend of £1,781/month for London (INR 2.28 Lakhs) + return airfare + warm clothing allowance |
1-year taught Master’s on a development-linked subject; MBA not funded |
Indian citizen; first or upper-second degree; unable to fund study without support |
Tentative early December 2026 (2026-27 window closed 9 December 2025) |
| Commonwealth PhD Scholarship |
Full tuition + stipend of £1,781/month for London (INR 2.28 Lakhs) + airfare + thesis grant |
3-year PhD in a development-linked field |
Indian citizen; strong research proposal aligned to CSC themes |
Tentative mid-October 2026 (2026-27 window closed 14 October 2025) |
Chevening’s stack works differently: you apply first to Chevening, then use the conditional funding letter to secure your UCL offer. The Commonwealth Shared route needs the reverse; you must have an active UCL admission application by 20 January before decisions are released.
Reddit Insight: Indian awardees in 2025 flagged that the first stipend lands on the 1st of the month. That is too late to cover the initial London rent deposit, so most Indians bring INR 2 to 3 Lakhs as an arrival buffer.
Explore More: UCL Acceptance Rate for Indian Students
UCL offers Indian students a wide range of funding options, from the £5,000 UCL India Excellence Scholarship and £15,000 UCL Global Master’s Scholarship to fully funded PhD awards and UK government scholarships such as Chevening and Commonwealth.
For 2027-28 applicants, the key is to start early, submit a complete UCL application before scholarship cutoffs, and secure references and supervisor support well in advance. With the right academic profile and timely application, these awards can significantly reduce the cost of studying at UCL and, in some cases, cover tuition, living expenses and travel almost entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques. What is the maximum scholarship funding an Indian student can receive at University College London?
Ans. An Indian PG student may combine the UCL Global Master’s Scholarship (£15,000) with the UCL India Excellence Scholarship (£5,000), subject to UCL confirming both at offer stage. Combined, that reaches INR 25.60 Lakhs of direct UCL funding per year. Doctoral candidates on the UCL Research Excellence Scholarship receive full overseas tuition plus a UKRI-rate stipend.
Together that totals over INR 50 Lakhs per year for a London-based PhD. Chevening and Commonwealth Master’s awards deliver a fully funded package, but you cannot combine either with the two UCL awards above.
Ques. When should I apply to University College London to maximise scholarship consideration?
Ans. Submit your UCL admission application and both references by mid-January for a September start. This clears the earliest deadlines (UCL Research Excellence, LAHP) and gives referees time before the 26 February India Excellence cutoff. The Global Master’s award closes on 7 May, so a file locked in by end of January covers every UCL scholarship in the same cycle.
Ques. What academic profile do I need for the UCL India Excellence Scholarship?
Ans. You need a bachelor’s degree from an NIRF Top 100 institution (India’s Ministry of Education ranking) with a grade equivalent to a UK first-class degree. In Indian terms that is broadly a 70% aggregate or 8.0+ CGPA on a 10-point scale, though UCL confirms equivalence institution by institution. You must also hold a conditional or unconditional UCL offer for a full-time taught Master’s before the shortlist closes.
Ques. How exactly does the UCL India Excellence Scholarship application work?
Ans. UCL considers every eligible applicant automatically once they submit an admission application with references before the annual cutoff. That deadline was 5pm BST, 26 February in the 2026-27 cycle, and is tentatively 26 February 2027 for the next round. There is no separate scholarship form.
Awarded funds first reduce tuition. Any residual amount is paid into your UK bank account in three equal instalments across the year to support living costs.
Ques. Do University College London scholarships cover London living costs?
Ans. Only the UCL Research Excellence Scholarship, the UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship (Full Cover tier), Chevening, and both Commonwealth awards include a maintenance stipend. UCL India Excellence and UCL Global Master’s are tuition-first awards. Any surplus after fees flows to living costs, but the amount rarely covers full London rent. Average student rent in central London runs INR 1.80 to 2.20 Lakhs per month. Most Indian students budget an additional INR 15 to 20 Lakhs of personal funds even with a scholarship.
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