Eight scholarships still open to Pakistani and Indian students in 2026

Scholarship hunting tends to start three weeks before applications are due, which is two months too late. Below is the realistic picture for 2026: eight named programmes still funding non-EU students, what they pay, and the conversion rate from application to award based on our caseload.

DAAD (Germany) — across the board

The German Academic Exchange Service runs more than 200 scholarship lines. The most common for South Asian master's students is the Development-Related Postgraduate Courses, paying about €934/month plus tuition. Applications open August–November each year. Conversion: roughly 1 in 8 of our shortlisted applicants get funded.

Chevening (UK) — fully funded master's

A one-year UK master's, fully funded, with a 5-year non-applicability clause after the degree (you must return home for two years). Notoriously competitive — about 4% acceptance rate globally. Open August–November, decisions May–July. We coach the four essays — strong leadership and clear career direction are non-negotiable.

Eiffel (France) — master's and PhD

Paid by Campus France via the host university. €1,181/month for master's, €1,400 for PhD. Tuition waiver in many cases. The catch: the university nominates you, not the other way around — so target programmes that have Eiffel quota.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters

Two-year joint master's degrees across multiple EU universities, fully funded at about €1,400/month. Highly competitive but enormously prestigious. Apply through the specific programme website (each has its own deadline, usually December–January).

Holland Scholarship

A one-time €5,000 grant for first-year non-EU bachelor's or master's students at participating Dutch universities. Not enough to live on, but a useful tuition offset. Apply through the host university — deadlines vary.

Destination Australia Scholarship

AUD 15,000 per year for international students at participating regional Australian universities (Charles Sturt, Federation, Southern Cross, James Cook and others). Renewable annually for the duration of the course. Apply directly through the host university — most rounds open in February–April for July intake.

Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals

Full tuition + SEK 12,000/month for master's at Swedish universities. Targets candidates with professional experience and a development-oriented profile. Deadline early February each year. About 3% acceptance rate.

Government of Ireland Scholarships

€10,000 stipend + tuition waiver for one year of study in Ireland. Open to all levels (bachelor's, master's, PhD). The deadline is usually early March each year. We track these for our Ireland-bound students who are not eligible for university merit awards.

University-specific awards (the cheat code)

Often overlooked. Many EU and UK universities run their own merit-based tuition waivers (10%–100%) that are easier to win than the named national scholarships. Examples: TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen, Sorbonne Excellence, Bocconi merit awards. Apply early to the programme itself; the scholarship review piggybacks on admissions.