Guide on Scholarship for PhD in USA 2025

Planning to pursue PhD in USA but puzzled about your finances? Then scholarships are the ideal choice for you to reduce your financial burden. A PhD in USA requires a great deal of financial commitment and costs about 30,000 USD-60,000 USD per year. With options like education loans, scholars have to be worried about repayment and interest obligations. This is where scholarship for PhD students in USA comes into play to help alleviate the financial burden of pursuing a PhD.

In the following blog, you will find detailed information on top PhD scholarship in USA for Indian students with the application process, deadlines, amount offered, and more.

Types of PhD Scholarships in USA for Indian Students

Various scholarships are awarded to Indian students for pursuing PhD in USA including merit-based scholarships, need-based scholarships, program-specific scholarships, and more. 

1. Merit-based scholarships: The most popular among students are merit-based scholarships that are awarded based on excellence in academics, research, extracurricular participation, etc. These scholarships may be awarded at the time of entry or as a full scholarship for PhD in USA.
2. Need-based scholarships: Although limited universities provide students with scholarships based on the financial need demonstrated in the application process.
3. Diversity scholarships: Various universities promote diversity by awarding PhD scholarships in USA for developing countries. These include country-specific scholarships that are awarded by the government to attract researchers in various fields from around the world.

Apart from the types of scholarships mentioned above, students may also consider program-specific or subject-specific scholarships that are usually awarded based on academic and professional achievements in their respective fields.

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Top Scholarships for PhD Programs in USA

Now that we have discussed the types of scholarships, let’s take a look at some popular scholarships for Indian PhD students in USA:

• Fulbright Foreign Student Program

• AAUW International Fellowship

• IBM PhD Fellowship Award Program

• Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships

• National Overseas Scholarship

Let us take a look at some key details to apply for PhD scholarship in USA:

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is the most renowned scholarship program globally that offers opportunities to international students to pursue graduate programs or undertake research.

• The scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. government and is open to students from more than 160 countries.
• Around 4,000 scholarships are awarded to international students to study in the U.S.
• Students applying to any course and demonstrating strong academic records, leadership potential, and English proficiency are eligible for this award.
• The scholarship provides full funding covering all expenses related to tuition fees, living expenses, health insurance, and travel allowance among other benefits.
• To apply for the scholarship, the applicant must pass the GMAT or GRE.
• After completing the program, the student must return to their home country for a minimum period of 2 years.

• AAUW International Fellowship

The AAUW International Fellowship is awarded by the American Association of University Women to support women in pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral studies in the U.S.

• The scholarship aims to promote gender equity and help women realize their full potential and contribute to their home country.
• The fellowship offers partial funding ranging between 25,000 USD to 50,000 USD to cover tuition fees, living, health, and travel expenses.
• Recipients for the award are selected from over 140 countries based on academic excellence and potential for leadership.
• The fellowship can be availed at any of the U.S. institutions.
• The application period for the fellowship is between August 1 to November 15 every year.

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IBM PhD Fellowship Award Program

The IBM PhD fellowship award aims to attract PhD candidates from around the world in the fields of engineering, technology, data science, computer science, mathematics, and related fields.

• The value of the fellowship is 40,000 USD for universities in the U.S. and ranges between 6,000 USD to 25,000 USD for universities in other countries.
• To become a recipient of the award, the student must be nominated by a doctoral faculty.
• The recipients will be chosen based on academic merit, publication record, research excellence, and nomination by the faculty.

Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships

The Inlaks Shivdasani scholarships to Indian students pursuing master's, PhD, and post-doctoral programs at U.S., UK, and European institutions. The applicants for the scholarship should be citizens of a country other than the U.S.

• The scholarship provides full funding including tuition fees, living expenses, and one-way airfare.
• The application deadline for the Inlaks Shivdasani scholarship is March 31, 2025.
• Selected students will be eligible to receive a total of 100,000 USD.
• The selection process has three stages starting from the application review followed by an online preliminary interview and a final in-person interview.

National Overseas Scholarship

The National Overseas Scholarship is one of the scholarships for Indian PhD students in USA. The scholarship is awarded by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Indian government to support students from marginalized communities in India to pursue master’s and PhD courses abroad.

• The scholarship covers tuition fees, maintenance, and other expenses.
• Applicants must demonstrate financial need and academic merit to be selected for the award.
• About 30% of the scholarships are reserved for female candidates.
• To apply for the scholarship, the student must secure at least 55% in the master’s level examination and be below 35 years of age.
• Students who have already secured admission to an international university will be given preference in the selection process.
• The application deadline for the scholarship is usually March 31 every year.

University-specific Scholarship for PhD Students in USA

Several top US universities offer highly competitive, fully funded PhD to international students. Take a look at the brief overview of university-specific PhD scholarships in the USA for international students.

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Requirements to Apply for PhD Scholarship in USA

The requirements to apply for PhD in USA for Indian students with scholarship can vary depending on the university, program, area of study and scholarship availed. However, the basic criteria that applicants are typically required to fulfill are mentioned below:

• Academic requirements: Applicants must hold a master’s degree in the relevant discipline to apply for PhD in USA. The academic transcripts must demonstrate strong academic performance to be eligible for a full scholarship for PhD in USA. Standardized test scores: Most U.S. universities require applicants to submit GMAT or GRE scores. English language proficiency: International students are required to demonstrate English language proficiency by taking tests such as TOEFL or IELTS. Research experience: Demonstrated research experience is an important criterion to apply for PhD programs. Research experience may include publications, presentations at conferences as well as letters of recommendation.
• Academic requirements: Applicants must hold a master’s degree in the relevant discipline to apply for PhD in USA. The academic transcripts must demonstrate strong academic performance to be eligible for a full scholarship for PhD in USA.
• Standardized test scores: Most U.S. universities require applicants to submit GMAT or GRE scores.
• English language proficiency: International students are required to demonstrate English language proficiency by taking tests such as TOEFL or IELTS.
• Research experience: Demonstrated research experience is an important criterion to apply for PhD programs. Research experience may include publications, presentations at conferences as well as letters of recommendation.

• Research proposal: All applicants for PhD programs are required to submit a research proposal outlining their research interests, goals, and reasons supporting the choice to pursue PhD in the given field.

• Letter of recommendation: LORs from professors, research supervisors, or other professionals who can provide detailed and positive assessments of your academic abilities and potential to conduct research add value to the application.

How to Secure PhD Scholarship in USA for Indian Students?

Securing a PhD scholarship in USA for Indian students can be highly competitive, but several steps can increase your chances of success. Some of these steps are:

• Research scholarship opportunities: The first step to secure a scholarship for PhD students in USA is to start by researching scholarship opportunities specifically tailored for international students. Look into government-funded scholarships, university scholarships, private foundations, and organizations that offer funding to pursue PhD in USA for Indian students with scholarship.

• Prepare application materials: It is best to prepare all required application materials, including academic transcripts, standardized test scores, language proficiency test scores, SOP, LORs, and any other supporting documents specified by the scholarship program after carefully reviewing the eligibility criteria for the scholarship program you are interested in.