The University of Manchester offers 330+ scholarships for September 2026, of which 230+ are accessible to Indian applicants.The total pool crosses £6 million (INR 76.8 Crore) across UG, master’s, PhD and MBA levels. It covers merit awards, need-based bursaries and fully funded doctoral studentships.
- Standard PG tuition (Indian applicant): £30,000 to £41,000 (INR 38.4 Lakhs to INR 52.48 Lakhs) per year.
- With a Global Futures Scholarship: £20,000 to £31,000 (INR 25.6 Lakhs to INR 39.68 Lakhs) net first-year tuition.
- UG stacked (Merit + external Indian state award): up to £30,000 (INR 38.4 Lakhs) waiver across 3 years plus state top-up.
- Next Indian-applicant deadline: 26 March 2026 (UG Merit-Based Scholarship, South Asia).
Categories covered on this page:
- Merit-based UG awards (South Asia)
- Global Futures and other PG tuition discounts
- Alliance MBS MBA scholarships open to Indian applicants
- Fully funded PhD studentships (PDS, Dean’s Doctoral, CDT)
- External UK and Indian government funding routes
Currency Note: All INR conversions use the live rate of 1 GBP = INR 128 as of August 2026. A "self-funded" applicant, referenced throughout, means you are paying tuition yourself, not through a full third-party sponsor like an employer or a government agency.
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The University of Manchester Scholarships for UG Students
University of Manchester runs a single flagship undergraduate award for Indian applicants, the Merit-Based Scholarships (South Asia). It funds tuition across all three years of the degree.
| Scholarship |
Amount (per year) |
Eligibility (Indian applicants) |
Deadline (2026 entry) |
| Merit-Based Scholarships (South Asia) |
£10,000 (INR 12.8 Lakhs) x 3 years = up to £30,000 (INR 38.4 Lakhs) |
Indian domicile 3+ years; Standard XII from CBSE, CISCE, Maharashtra, WB, TN, Karnataka or Gujarat, or A-levels / IB; direct first-year entry 2026; self-funded; Manchester set as UCAS Firm choice by 25 May 2026 |
26 March 2026 |
| Undergraduate Access Bursary (Global South) |
£3,000 (INR 3.84 Lakhs) one-time on arrival |
Household income below eligibility threshold; automatic assessment after tuition deposit |
Assessed on offer acceptance |
| Faculty-Specific Excellence Awards (Engineering, Humanities, Business) |
£2,000 to £5,000 (INR 2.56 Lakhs to INR 6.4 Lakhs) |
Predicted grade profile at A*A*A / 40+ IB / 95% Standard XII; auto-considered on academic offer |
Rolling through 30 June 2026 (tentative, mirrors last cycle) |
Selection is based on predicted and achieved grades plus the online scholarship form. Notifications for the Merit-Based award are sent by 1 May 2026. Continuation into Year 2 and Year 3 needs a minimum 60% exam performance.
You cannot combine the Merit-Based Scholarship with a Faculty Excellence Award for the same tuition line. Medicine, Dentistry, Architecture and integrated foundation year courses are excluded.
Explore More: University of Manchester Admissions and Deadlines
The University of Manchester Scholarships for PG / Master’s Students
Manchester funds Indian master’s applicants primarily through the Global Futures Scholarship (South Asia). It is a one-year tuition discount stacked on top of your admission offer.
| Scholarship |
Amount |
Eligibility (Indian applicants) |
Deadline (Sept 2026 entry) |
| Global Futures Scholarship (South Asia) |
£10,000 (INR 12.8 Lakhs) one-time tuition discount |
Indian domicile 3+ years; conditional or unconditional PG offer for full-time on-campus master’s; self-funded; not on excluded course list |
24 April 2026 |
| Humanities Bicentenary Scholarships |
Full or partial tuition (up to £20,000 / INR 25.6 Lakhs) |
Offer holder in Humanities master’s programme; academic merit basis |
Tentative 30 April 2026 (annual Humanities cycle) |
| School of Engineering International Excellence Award |
£5,000 (INR 6.4 Lakhs) |
Full-time MSc offer in Engineering, Materials or Computer Science; auto-considered on offer |
Rolling through 30 June 2026 (tentative) |
| Alliance MBS Master’s Merit Scholarships |
£3,000 to £10,000 (INR 3.84 Lakhs to INR 12.8 Lakhs) |
Offer in MSc Finance, Management, Business Analytics or International Business; auto-considered |
Rolling through 31 May 2026 (tentative) |
The Global Futures award is separate from your admission form. You get the online link only after an offer letter arrives, so an early application to the course is the practical prerequisite.
MBA, MPhil, MArch, MA Architecture and Urbanism, MLA, PGCE, Clinical Medicine and Dentistry, and select Master’s by Research programmes are excluded from Global Futures. MBA candidates are routed through separate Alliance MBS awards covered in the India-Specific section below.
Reddit Insight: Most 2025 Global Futures recipients from India held a first-class UG degree with CGPA 7.5+ or 65% aggregate. They submitted the online form within 10 days of offer acceptance. Late April submitters got waitlisted even when eligible.
Explore More: Popular Master’s Programs in UK
India-Specific Scholarships at The University of Manchester
Indian applicants qualify for four dedicated categories at Manchester. The MBA route sits inside the Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) scheme, so the fee and award scale differs from the standard master’s flow.
| Scholarship |
Amount |
Indian-specific eligibility |
Deadline (2026 entry) |
| AMBS MBA Global Scholarship |
£5,000 to £25,000
(INR 6.4 Lakhs to INR 32 Lakhs) |
MBA applicants from underrepresented regions including India; assessed on academic and leadership profile in the scholarship slide deck |
All application rounds, final Round 5 tentative 31 May 2026 |
| AMBS MBA Brilliant Scholarship |
£5,000 to £25,000
(INR 6.4 Lakhs to INR 32 Lakhs) |
Outstanding MBA profile; GMAT 680+ typical band; Indian applicants eligible in every round |
All application rounds |
| AMBS Empowered (Women) Scholarship |
£12,500 to £25,000
(INR 16 Lakhs to INR 32 Lakhs) |
Female MBA applicants; India eligible; combinable with Global up to programme cap |
All application rounds |
| Manchester Alumni Bursary |
20% tuition discount
(about £5,900 / INR 7.55 Lakhs on a £29,500 master’s) |
Prior Manchester degree holder returning for a PG programme; auto-applied at enrolment |
On enrolment for Sept 2026 intake |
MBA tuition for September 2026 sits at £50,000 (INR 64 Lakhs). A strong Indian candidate stacking Global plus Empowered plus a bracket top-up can push the net tuition below £25,000 (INR 32 Lakhs).
The AMBS application funnel is different from the main university PG pool. You submit a 2 to 3 slide scholarship presentation with the Kira video assessment, so treat it as a second essay round, not a checkbox.
Explore More: The University of Manchester Rankings
The University of Manchester PhD Scholarships
Manchester funds around 100 PhD studentships per year through the President’s Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Award. International candidates, including Indian applicants, are eligible for the fully funded route.
| Scholarship |
Amount |
Eligibility (Indian applicants) |
Deadline (2026 entry) |
| President’s Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Award |
Full international tuition + UKRI stipend (about £20,780 / INR 26.6 Lakhs per year) + £1,000 (INR 1.28 Lakhs) enhancement |
First-class bachelor’s or international equivalent; conditional or unconditional PhD offer for Sept 2026 start; interdisciplinary research alignment |
Tentative 15 January 2026 (Faculty of Humanities), 12 February 2026 (Biology, Medicine and Health) |
| Dean’s Doctoral Scholarship (Alliance MBS) |
Full tuition + UKRI stipend |
PhD applicants in Business and Management; competitive academic record; research proposal aligned to AMBS themes |
Tentative 15 January 2026 |
| Faculty of Science and Engineering Studentships |
Full tuition + stipend (varies by CDT and project) |
PhD offer in a listed CDT (Centre for Doctoral Training) or funded project; Indian applicants eligible on international-rate route |
Rolling, most CDTs close January to March 2026 (tentative) |
| Bicentenary PhD Studentships |
Full tuition + stipend for interdisciplinary themes |
Applicants aligned to the 2026/27 theme on environmental challenges to human health, society and productivity |
Tentative 8 January 2026 |
PDS is Manchester’s flagship doctoral route and often the only realistic path to a fully funded PhD at international fee level. The 2026/27 cohort has five awards ring-fenced for Biology, Medicine and Health, and eight for Humanities.
You need a firm PhD offer letter before Manchester runs the studentship review. A supervisor conversation by October 2025 is the practical starting line. Late offer holders in January often miss the cut even with a strong profile.
Explore More: Full Scholarship Directory
External Government Scholarships
Indian applicants to The University of Manchester also stack external funding from the UK government, the Indian central government and select state schemes. Note that GREAT Scholarships at Manchester are ring-fenced for Bangladesh, Ghana and Pakistan in 2026, so India is not on that specific list.
| Scholarship |
Amount |
Eligibility (Indian applicants) |
Deadline (2026 entry) |
| Chevening Scholarship (UK FCDO) |
Full tuition (MBA capped at £22,000 / INR 28.16 Lakhs) + monthly stipend of about £1,093 (INR 1.4 Lakhs) + return flights + visa |
Indian citizen with 2+ years work experience; 3 UK PG course choices; return-home commitment for 2 years |
6 October 2026 (2027 entry cycle, applications from 4 August 2026) |
| Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship |
Full tuition + living allowance + flights + thesis grant |
Indian citizen; 2:1 bachelor’s or above; taught master’s applicant; age under 40 on 1 September 2026 |
Tentative 18 December 2026 (2027 cycle, mirroring last year) |
| National Overseas Scholarship (MoSJE, India) |
Full tuition + stipend (USD 15,400 / INR 12.85 Lakhs per year) + contingency + airfare |
SC, DNT or Landless Agricultural Labourer categories; family income under INR 8 Lakhs; PG or PhD abroad |
Tentative 30 March 2026 (cycle repeats annually) |
| Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence (Punjab) |
Up to 100% tuition + living cost for QS Top 1,000 UK universities including Manchester |
Punjab domicile; Class 12 with 60%+ (SC / OBC) or 70%+ (General); PG or PhD offer |
Tentative 15 May 2026 (state cycle) |
| Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship (Rajasthan) |
Full tuition + living allowance |
Rajasthan domicile; QS Top 150 offer including Manchester; family income under INR 8 Lakhs |
Tentative 30 June 2026 (state cycle) |
Reddit Insight: Indian Chevening recipients at Manchester in 2025 flagged one essay pattern that worked. The reading list task scored higher when tied to a named Manchester research group, not a broad UK theme. Naming AMBS or a Humanities centre separated interviewees from rejects.
National Overseas and state schemes need in-principle admit letters before their own portal closes. Line them up with your Manchester offer date, or the state deadline lapses even if you are eligible on paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques. What is the maximum funding stack an Indian applicant can realistically get at Manchester?
Ans. For a taught master’s, the ceiling is Global Futures £10,000 (INR 12.8 Lakhs) plus a Chevening or Commonwealth full ride. That combo zeroes out tuition and covers living cost. For an MBA, the AMBS Global plus Empowered stack peaks near £25,000 (INR 32 Lakhs), roughly half of the £50,000 tuition. For a PhD, PDS covers full tuition plus a UKRI stipend of about £20,780 (INR 26.6 Lakhs) per year. That is a de facto full ride.
Ques. When should an Indian applicant submit the Global Futures form to have a real chance?
Ans. Submit within 10 to 15 days of receiving your PG offer, ideally before end of March 2026. The final cut-off is 24 April 2026, but the university balances allocation across gender, domicile and course, so early submitters get first look. Results are notified by 1 June 2026.
Ques. Are Manchester scholarships automatic or do Indian applicants apply separately?
Ans. The Merit-Based UG award, Global Futures and Humanities Bicentenary need a separate online form sent to offer-holders. Faculty Excellence Awards, AMBS master’s merit awards and the Alumni Bursary are auto-considered on your admission profile. PhD studentships need a firm supervisor plus a live PhD offer letter before the funding decision, not a separate scholarship application.
Ques. What academic threshold do Indian applicants typically need for the flagship Manchester awards?
Ans. For UG Merit-Based, Standard XII of 90%+ (top CBSE, CISCE and state boards), A*A*A at A-level, or 40+ in IB. For Global Futures at master’s level, a 65% aggregate or CGPA 7.5 sits as the practical floor. For PDS PhD, a first-class UG plus a strong master’s and a research proposal aligned to an active supervisor is the norm.
Ques. Does the Global Futures Scholarship cover living cost in Manchester city?
Ans. No, Global Futures is a one-time £10,000 (INR 12.8 Lakhs) tuition discount only. Living cost in Manchester runs £1,050 to £1,400 (INR 1.34 Lakhs to INR 1.79 Lakhs) per month for accommodation, food and transport. That gap needs a separate funding line. Options include Chevening, family funding or a UK part-time job of 20 hours per week during term.
Ques. Can an Indian MBA applicant get GREAT or Chevening at Manchester?
Ans. GREAT at Manchester is closed to Indian citizens in 2026. Only Bangladesh, Ghana and Pakistan pass. Chevening is open for MBA but capped at £22,000 (INR 28.16 Lakhs). You still need to fund the £28,000 (INR 35.84 Lakhs) balance through personal or AMBS scholarship routes. Most Indian MBA candidates layer AMBS Global with Empowered and a bracket bump instead.
Ques. What is the one gotcha Indian students miss most often on Manchester scholarships?
Ans. The UCAS Firm choice deadline of 25 May 2026 is a hard gate for the UG Merit-Based award. Picking Manchester as Insurance choice disqualifies you. On the PG side, ticking a third-party sponsor on the scholarship form loses Global Futures eligibility. Even a partial employer top-up counts as sponsored, since the award requires you to be self-funded.
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