We can't deny the fact that studying in the US is an expensive affair, where the aspirants have to bear the burden of high tuition fees and lavish living expenses. Optimum students with international education dreams go on to take either an education loan or borrow money from others which they are entitled to pay including a good amount of interests. In fact, a degree from a US university can be that expensive, that sometimes even US citizens need access to scholarships and education loans to be able to afford an education at a reputed US university.

For an international student, factors like as airfare, visa, boarding and lodging expenses, and so on, also add on to their overall expenses. But to cope up with such financial crisis, thankfully there are a number of scholarship programs that Indian students can benefit from. Below we have listed down some important scholarships offered to Indian students, dreaming of pursuing a degree in the US-

1. Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships – For obtaining this fellowship, the applicants must demonstrate leadership skills and a track record of community service, along with a good command over the English language. This fellowship is specially designed for highly motivated graduates and post-graduates from India who wishes to pursue their post-graduate studies in the United States and the selected scholars are supposed to receive visa support, airfare, tuition fee, living costs, and accident and sickness coverage, as part of the award for the scholarship.

2. Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships – Funded by the United States India Educational Foundation, this Fulbright Fellowship is designed for Ph.D. Scholars from India. Selected scholars are invited to the United States for a 6 to a 9-month fellowship where they carry out pre-doctoral level research at a US institution. Apart from the travel costs, the award also includes a monthly stipend for the Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Fellows.

3. Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship – Meant for Ph.D. Scholars with relevant research in the field, especially in relation to identifying resources in the US and India, where the applicants must be registered for a Ph.D. program at an Indian institution, for doctoral research, or must have already obtained their Ph.D., for post-doctoral research. Under this fellowship, J-1 visa support, round-trip economy class air travel between India and the U.S., a monthly stipend, Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges per U.S. Government guidelines, a modest settling-in allowance, and a professional allowance will be provided.

4. JN Tata Endowment Fund – The JN Tata Endowment for Higher Education of Indians provides another useful resource for financing your education in a US university in the form of the JN Tata Endowment Fund. Indian students who are below the age of 45 and are willing to pursue full-time Postgraduate/Ph.D./Postdoctoral studies abroad in any field are eligible to apply. The Endowment Fund offers a scholarship loan of INR 10 Lakhs at a nominal interest rate of 2 percent, which can also be waived off if the student repays the loan timely.

5. SN Bose Scholars Program – A joint initiative by the Department of Science & Technology (India), the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), and WINStep Forward, this scholarship is open for Indian students who are pursuing a bachelor or master's degree in India in any of the prescribed courses, which include Atmospheric and Earth Sciences; Chemical Sciences; Engineering Sciences; Mathematical and Computational Sciences; and Physical Sciences. As part of the scholarship, each of the selected scholars gets an opportunity to experience world-class research facilities in top U.S. institutions during a 10 to 12-week program. The award covers airfare, health insurance, as well as a stipend of USD 2000 for the selected scholars.

6. Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship – Set up by the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation – a not-for-profit organization; the scholarship is especially for Indian students looking to pursue a postgraduate degree from a reputable and prestigious institution in India or abroad. Candidates must be below 30 years of age at the time of application and be pursuing their postgraduate studies in the fields of Pure Sciences, Applied Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, Law, Architecture or Management. The scholarship provides financial assistance to the tune of INR 20 Lakhs to each selected scholar.

7. Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship – This prestigious fellowship is offered by Reliance Industries in the name of its founder. The fellowship is solely for Indian nationals residing in India who have been admitted to the MBA program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, one of the most reputed MBA programs in the world. Under the fellowship, 80 percent of tuition and associated fees of the selected fellows are covered.

The Scholarships programs discussed above are only the handful of the numerous scholarships that are there especially for the Indian students. With in-depth searching, you will find hundreds of other scholarship options. It is rightly said, if there is a will, there is a way just that you need to have the urge to find out the directions which can lead you to the path of completion of your dreams. Also, not to forget that scholarships are incredibly competitive and hence, you need to focus on creating a strong application and apply to as many scholarships as you can, on time of course!

Want to to know more about the US education system? Then read at: Why USA will always be the Holy Grail for Indians to Study abroad?