Cardiff University offers 15+ scholarships, of which 7 Cardiff-issued awards are accessible to Indian applicants.
That count spans undergraduate, taught postgraduate and PhD schemes, plus two major India-specific tuition discounts. Cardiff issues most awards automatically after enrolment, so Indian students do not submit a separate scholarship form for tuition discounts.
- Standard PG tuition (2026-27): £32,450 to £34,700 per year (INR 41.53 to 44.40 Lakhs)
- Net PG cost after £6,000 India Scholarship: £26,450 to £28,700 per year (INR 33.85 to 36.72 Lakhs)
- Full-cost cover route: combine Chevening (UK government, opens 04 August 2026) with a Cardiff Master’s offer
- Next actionable deadline: Chevening closes 06 October 2026 for September 2027 entry; Cardiff India Scholarship 2027 tentative deposit deadline 31 July 2027
Currency Note: All INR conversions use the live rate of 1 GBP = INR 127.97 as of August 2026. Cardiff issues most awards as tuition-fee discounts, meaning the amount is deducted from the invoiced fee rather than paid to the student as cash.
Cardiff University Scholarships for UG Students
| Scholarship | Award (GBP / INR) | Eligibility | Application | Deadline (2027 entry, tentative) |
| Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarship | £10,000 (INR 12.80 Lakhs), 9 awards | New international UG students on selected programmes; excludes Dentistry, Medicine, Healthcare | Invited by email after offer; separate form required | 03 April 2027 (annual cycle) |
| Cardiff University India Scholarship (UG) | £5,000 (INR 6.40 Lakhs) | India-domiciled UG applicants holding an offer for an eligible programme | Automatic on enrolment, no separate form | 31 July 2027 (deposit) |
| Vice-Chancellor’s Undergraduate International Scholarship | £3,500 to £5,000 (INR 4.48 to 6.40 Lakhs) | International UG students from eligible countries | Automatic consideration after paid deposit | 31 July 2027 (deposit) |
Indian undergraduates should first check whether their programme sits in the Excellence Scholarship list. The £10,000 award is the largest UG tuition cut on offer at Cardiff.
The Excellence application form goes only to offer-holders. Submit a Cardiff UG application well before the April cycle to receive the invitation link on time.
The £5,000 India Scholarship applies automatically after enrolment, so no extra paperwork is needed once the deposit clears. Both UG awards cover only the first year of study, not the full three-year degree.
Cardiff University Scholarships for PG / Master’s Students
| Scholarship | Award (GBP / INR) | Eligibility | Application | Deadline (Sept 2027 entry, tentative) |
| Vice-Chancellor’s Postgraduate International Scholarship | £4,000 (INR 5.12 Lakhs) standard tier; up to £10,000 (INR 12.80 Lakhs) for select countries | International PGT students on selected taught programmes; India receives the £4,000 tier | Automatic consideration after paid deposit | Apply by 31 July 2027; deposit by 20 August 2027 |
| Cardiff University £6,000 India Scholarship (PGT) | £6,000 (INR 7.68 Lakhs) | India-domiciled PGT applicants holding an offer for an eligible programme | Automatic on enrolment | 31 July 2027 (deposit) |
| Master’s Excellence Scholarship | £3,000 (INR 3.84 Lakhs), typical range | Home and international Master’s applicants in specific schools | School-level route; varies by department | Rolling; check school page |
For Indian Master’s applicants, the Vice-Chancellor’s and India scholarships are usually mutually exclusive. Applicants should compare which route gives the higher net discount for their chosen programme.
The £6,000 India Scholarship generally outperforms the £4,000 Vice-Chancellor’s tier for India-domiciled students on eligible courses. Popular Indian-student programmes like MSc Data Science and Analytics, MSc Cybersecurity and the LLM feature on the annual India Scholarship list.
Reddit Insight: PG applicants on r/IndianStudentsUK flag that Cardiff’s automatic India Scholarship requires no separate form. However, the discount only appears on the student portal once the deposit clears, so paying early avoids a stressful wait.
India-Specific Scholarships at Cardiff University
| Scholarship | Award (GBP / INR) | Level | Duration | Deadline (2027 entry, tentative) |
| Cardiff University £5,000 India Scholarship | £5,000 (INR 6.40 Lakhs) | Undergraduate | First year only, tuition discount | 31 July 2027 (deposit) |
| Cardiff University £6,000 India Scholarship | £6,000 (INR 7.68 Lakhs) | Postgraduate Taught | Programme year, tuition discount | 31 July 2027 (deposit) |
Both India Scholarships apply as tuition-fee discounts, not cash, and Cardiff cannot use them to satisfy the required upfront deposit. Indian applicants must first pay the deposit as invoiced, then the scholarship value is subtracted from the balance shown on the enrolment page.
Programme eligibility for both awards is set annually by Cardiff. Indian students should confirm their intended course sits on the current India Scholarship list before assuming the discount applies.
Indian applicants should keep the following ready before the deposit deadline:
- Cardiff offer letter naming an India Scholarship eligible programme
- Valid Indian passport that documents India domicile
- Deposit payment confirmation (typically £2,000, INR 2.56 Lakhs)
- UK CAS statement issued after deposit clearance
Cardiff University PhD Scholarships
| Scholarship | Award (GBP / INR) | Eligibility | Application | Deadline (2027 entry, tentative) |
| EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) | Full tuition plus £20,780 per year stipend (INR 26.60 Lakhs) | UK and international PhD applicants in Engineering, Physical Sciences, Computer Science | Project-based; apply via school | 09 January 2027 (tentative, annual) |
| UKRI Research Council Studentships (BBSRC, ESRC, NERC, AHRC) | Full home-fee tuition plus RCUK stipend; Cardiff covers home-international fee gap | PhD applicants in relevant council remit; capped international slots per year | Consortium or school-level route | Varies; most January to February 2027 |
| President’s Research Scholarship | Full tuition plus RCUK-level stipend | Outstanding PhD candidates across all disciplines | School nomination after PhD offer | Rolling, tied to PhD offer cycles |
Cardiff covers the fee gap for UKRI-funded international students, so a successful applicant pays no additional tuition beyond the home rate the council funds. However, UKRI limits international recruitment to a fixed cap each year, and once the cap fills, remaining slots reopen only for UK-based candidates.
Indian PhD applicants should approach a specific supervisor with a strong project fit before the January EPSRC cycle. Waiting until after that window generally means a full-year delay because most research councils operate a single annual competition.
Cardiff University External Government Scholarships
| Scholarship | Funder | Award | Level | Deadline (relevant intake) |
| Chevening Scholarship | UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | Full tuition plus stipend, airfare and visa | One-year Master’s | Currently open: 04 August to 06 October 2026 (for September 2027 entry) |
| Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship | Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (UK) | Full tuition, stipend, return airfare | One-year Master’s | Tentative September to November 2026 |
| Commonwealth PhD Scholarship | UK FCDO via CSC | Full tuition, stipend, research allowance | PhD | Tentative October to December 2026 |
| Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship | Inlaks India Foundation | Up to USD 100,000 (INR 87 Lakhs approx) | Master’s, PhD, MFA | Tentative April 2027 |
| JN Tata Endowment Loan Scholarship | JN Tata Endowment, India | INR 1 to 10 Lakhs loan scholarship | Master’s, PhD | Tentative March 2027 |
| KC Mahindra Scholarship | KC Mahindra Education Trust, India | Up to INR 10 Lakhs interest-free loan scholarship | Postgraduate | Tentative March 2027 |
Chevening is the highest-value route for Indian Master’s applicants planning Cardiff for September 2027 entry. It covers tuition, airfare, visa and monthly stipend against Cardiff’s £32,450 to £34,700 (INR 41.53 to 44.40 Lakhs) PG fee band. Applicants need two years of full-time work experience by the November 2026 assessment window.
Reddit Insight: Indian Chevening awardees on r/Chevening consistently rank Cardiff among their three chosen universities. Cardiff processes offers quickly and issues the unconditional letter Chevening requires by mid-July, avoiding the summer-crunch scramble that other top UK research universities cause.
India-based scholarships from Inlaks, JN Tata and KC Mahindra can be combined with Cardiff’s automatic India Scholarship. External Indian funders do not restrict layering with a Cardiff tuition discount. Applicants should still declare all funding sources on both applications.
Explore More: Cardiff University Overview | Admissions | Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship | Ranking
Cardiff University Scholarships: Frequently Asked Questions
Ques. What is the maximum funding an Indian student can stack at Cardiff University?
Ans. An Indian Master’s applicant can combine the UK Chevening Scholarship with a Cardiff programme offer. That package covers full tuition, airfare and monthly stipend, worth roughly £45,000 (INR 57.59 Lakhs) for a one-year Master’s. Cardiff’s £6,000 India Scholarship is generally not layered on top of Chevening, since Chevening already pays tuition in full.
Ques. When should Indian applicants submit Cardiff scholarship applications for September 2027 entry?
Ans. Chevening applications close on 06 October 2026, so complete the online form and reference invitations by late September 2026. Cardiff’s own India Scholarship needs a Cardiff offer plus paid deposit by 31 July 2027 (tentative). Cardiff processes offers fastest between January and April 2027.
Ques. Do Indian students need to fill a separate form for Cardiff University scholarships?
Ans. No separate form is required for the £5,000 UG or £6,000 PG India Scholarship, both apply automatically once the deposit clears. The Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarship (£10,000) does require an emailed application form, sent only to offer-holders after March each year.
Ques. What academic score do Indian applicants need for Cardiff University scholarships?
Ans. Cardiff sets no separate scholarship GPA threshold. Applicants must meet the published entry requirement for the chosen course, typically a 60 percent aggregate from a recognised Indian university for most Master’s programmes. Competitive Excellence Scholarship shortlists usually score at 70 percent and above with a strong personal statement.
Ques. How does the Cardiff University £6,000 India Scholarship compare to the Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship?
Ans. India-domiciled students receive the £4,000 Vice-Chancellor’s tier by default, since India is not on the £6,000 or £10,000 country lists for that award. The India Scholarship at £6,000 is £2,000 higher for eligible programmes, and Cardiff auto-applies whichever route is more valuable for the student.
Ques. Does the £6,000 India Scholarship cover Cardiff University living costs?
Ans. No, the £6,000 (INR 7.68 Lakhs) India Scholarship is a tuition-fee discount only and does not cover rent, food or transport. Cardiff’s official living-cost estimate is £1,216 to £1,250 (INR 1.56 to 1.60 Lakhs) per month. Indian students should budget separately for accommodation and daily expenses.
Comments