UK to increase grants to Indian students

British Council has announced Great Britain Scholarships-India 2015 with grants worth £1.51 million available this year.

The scholarships are available in various specialisations including engineering, law and business, art and design, and biosciences, across 57 UK institutions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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As part of the Great Britain campaign, an exhibition will be organised in the city on Saturday with participation from over 60 UK institutions, said Bharat Joshi, British Deputy High Commissioner, Chennai.

The exhibition will provide information on undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes in the UK and on student life and culture. Similar exhibitions will be held in Bengaluru, Pune, Kochi and Coimbatore, he told newspersons.

According to Andrew Soper, Minister Counsellor (political and press), British High Commission, New Delhi, nearly 21,000 Indian students are studying in the UK.

On visa to students, he said if genuine students are offered admission in a genuine university in the UK, there will not be any problem with visa issuance. In 2013, 84 per cent of Indian student visa applications were successful.

On cost, Soper said though education is a bit costly in the UK, it is lower than when compared to the US and Australia.

‘Quality education’

The high cost is for the high quality of education provided in the UK, which has four of the top six global institutions.

On Chevening scholarships offered for one year post graduate study, Soper said the UK Government will be quadrupling its funding for such scholarships for Indian students over the next two years, making India the largest recipient in the world.

It is increasing the investment to £2.4 million in 2015-16 compared with £600,000 in 2013-14, he said.

Over 2.50 lakh Indians have studied in the UK over the last ten years, says a press release from the British Coucil.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/uk-to-increase-grants-to-indian-students/article6865976.ece