Finishing Class 12, or the final year of secondary school in your own country, is the point where India really opens up for foreign students. This is the stage at which the national schemes begin. A student from Nepal, Kenya, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Egypt or Peru can now look at government scholarships, merit-based tuition waivers at partner universities, and special admission channels for engineering and technical courses.
Each route has its own portal, test, deadline and rules, and the details shift from year to year. This guide walks through the main undergraduate entry routes for international students, what each one pays for, who is eligible, and the paperwork you need, from school equivalence to the visa. It also points out the limits of each scheme so you can plan with clear eyes.
Four Doors Into an Indian Bachelor’s Degree
Most international undergraduates enter India through one of four channels. Many students apply to more than one, where the rules allow it.
- ICCR scholarships: government-funded awards through the A2A portal, covering tuition and a monthly stipend at listed universities.
- Study in India (SII): a Ministry of Education programme that links students to partner institutes, which may grant merit-based fee waivers.
- DASA: the Direct Admission of Students Abroad scheme for engineering, architecture and planning seats at national institutes.
- Direct admission: applying straight to a university’s international office, paying its foreign national or NRI fee, and using any scholarship the university itself offers.
Medical study (MBBS) follows its own path through the NEET-UG exam and is covered only briefly below.
The ICCR Undergraduate Scholarship in Detail
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations runs India’s best-known fully funded awards for foreign students. Applications go only through its online A2A portal and are routed through the Indian embassy or high commission in your country.
Who Can Apply
The ICCR guidelines for 2025-26 and 2026-27 set an age range of 18 to 40 for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants, with 18 counted on 1 July of the admission year. You must have completed 12 years of schooling. Science and engineering degrees need specific subjects at the higher secondary level, such as Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry for engineering. You may list up to five universities in order of preference, and submitting more than one application can lead to disqualification.
What the Award Covers
According to the guidelines, ICCR pays tuition and compulsory fees to the university, and pays a stipend and house rent allowance to the student. Air tickets are provided where the scheme allows. ICCR’s published financial terms from 2024 list an undergraduate stipend of ₹18,000 a month, house rent allowance of ₹6,500 in larger cities or ₹5,500 elsewhere, and a yearly contingent grant of ₹5,000. Check the current year’s figures before you budget.
What It Does Not Cover
Students pay their own hostel and mess fees, electricity, caution money and health insurance with a minimum cover of ₹5 lakh. The 2026-27 guidelines also say ICCR does not admit students to medical, paramedical, fashion or law courses, five-year integrated programmes, or B.Tech at IITs, which have their own admission process.
Regional and Special Schemes
ICCR runs several schemes, some open to certain countries or regions, and an AYUSH scholarship for traditional Indian medical systems with its own terms. Your Indian mission will tell you which ones your country can use this year.
Study in India and Its Fee Waivers
The SII programme is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Education. It gives foreign students one portal to search and apply to many Indian institutes, including some well-known national institutes.
How the Waivers Work
The SII portal states plainly that Study in India itself does not give scholarships in the usual sense. Instead, partner institutes may offer tuition fee waivers to meritorious students, at their own choice, ranging from 10% to 100% depending on previous scores. When the programme launched in 2018, the government described a graded model of full, half and quarter tuition waivers for the top bands of applicants. A separate SII page also mentions a scholarship of about US$3,200 for top scorers in its entrance test. Treat these figures as guides and confirm the current rules on the portal.
The Entrance Test
India held its first Ind-SAT test for foreign students in July 2020, run by the National Testing Agency for 12 pilot countries in Asia and Africa, to shortlist candidates for scholarships under SII. Later rounds have used a test called PRAGATII. The name, format and countries covered may change, so check the portal each year to see which test applies to you.
The Link to Your Visa
Registration on the SII portal is now tied to the visa process for many students. In January 2025 the government introduced the e-Student visa for students registered on SII who hold an offer from a partner institute, plus an e-Student-X visa for their dependants.
Engineering Seats Through DASA
The DASA scheme fills seats for foreign nationals, OCI and PIO card holders and NRIs at national technical institutes. It is a paid route, not a scholarship, but it can be good value and offers a discount for some regions.
According to the DASA 2026 brochure, the scheme was coordinated by IIEST Shibpur and listed 84 institutions, including 31 NITs and 18 IIITs. Candidates needed a valid JEE Main score in the relevant paper and at least 75% aggregate (or 7.5 out of 10 CGPA) in Class 12 with the right subjects. The registration fee was US$300, and first-semester tuition was listed as US$4,000 for non-SAARC candidates and US$2,000 for candidates who passed their qualifying exam in a SAARC country. Rules for the next cycle may differ, so read the new brochure when it appears.
Comparing the Main Undergraduate Routes
This side-by-side summary shows how the routes differ. Rupee amounts come from official documents of recent years, and US dollar conversions are rough and change with the exchange rate.
| Entry Route | Money Involved | Main Condition |
|---|---|---|
| ICCR scholarship | Tuition plus ₹18,000/month (about $200) | Age 18-40, A2A portal, listed courses only |
| SII fee waiver | 10% to 100% of tuition | Merit, decided by each institute |
| SII top-scorer award | About US$3,200 (per SII page) | High score in the SII test |
| DASA engineering | US$300 fee + US$4,000 first semester | JEE Main score, 75% in Class 12 |
| DASA, SAARC passers | US$300 fee + US$2,000 first semester | Qualifying exam passed in SAARC |
| Direct admission | University’s foreign student fee | Institution’s own scholarship rules |
Everything shown here is for information only, and this site has no link with any university, ministry, testing body or council. Fees, seat counts and eligibility rules are revised every year. Check the official portal, the institution and the Indian embassy or high commission in your country before you apply or pay.
A Short Word on Medicine
MBBS and other medical degrees are not part of ICCR’s general undergraduate list. Foreign nationals who want to study medicine in India generally need to qualify in NEET-UG and then compete for foreign national or NRI quota seats through the counselling process. Fees for these seats are often high. If medicine is your goal, read the official counselling rules for your year in detail before planning anything else.
Papers You Will Need
Whatever route you take, the same core documents come up again and again. Prepare them early, because getting copies from home can take weeks.
- Passport with at least six months of validity beyond your planned arrival.
- School certificates and mark sheets for the last two years, with an explanation of the grading system.
- Equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which many institutions ask for to confirm that your school certificate matches the Indian Class 12.
- English evidence, where asked. ICCR’s guidelines say English is the medium in Indian universities, and they ask for a short essay; test scores are optional for ICCR.
- Medical fitness certificate and proof of health insurance.
- Proof of funds for self-financed students.
From Offer Letter to Campus
Getting admitted is only half the work. These are the steps that usually follow an offer:
- Accept the offer on time. ICCR’s 2026-27 guidelines give seven days to accept or reject an award.
- Apply for your visa. Most undergraduates need a student visa or e-Student visa. Fees differ by nationality.
- Book travel and share details. ICCR scholars must send flight details at least 15 days before travel.
- Register with the FRRO. ICCR’s guidelines and Indian mission pages say this must be done within 14 days of arrival, mostly online through e-FRRO.
- Open a bank account if your scheme pays a stipend. ICCR pays stipends by direct bank transfer once your account is registered.
Student visas do not allow regular paid work in India. Plan to live on your stipend, savings or family support.
Choosing the Right Route for You
Each route suits a different kind of student:
- If you need full funding and want arts, commerce, science or a general engineering degree at a state or central university, ICCR is the strongest option.
- If you have strong marks and can pay part of the fees, SII gives you access to many partner institutes with a chance of a large waiver.
- If you are set on engineering at a national institute and can sit JEE Main, DASA is the main channel.
- If you want a specific private university, apply directly and read its own scholarship policy carefully.
Applying through more than one route is often wise, but read each scheme’s rules on multiple applications first.
Errors That Cost Applicants Their Place
Every year, good students lose funding for small, avoidable reasons. Watch out for these:
Choosing a Course the Scheme Does Not Fund
A student who lists law, fashion or nursing on an ICCR form wastes a choice, because those areas are excluded in recent guidelines. Read the course list on the A2A portal before you rank your five universities.
Missing Subject Rules
If your school did not include Chemistry or Mathematics in the final two years, some science and engineering degrees will reject you, even with high overall marks. Match your subjects to each course’s entry rule.
Late or Unclear Documents
Blurry scans, missing grade explanations and unsigned forms cause delays. Scan each page clearly, name files properly and keep the originals for when you arrive.
Paying Unofficial Agents
The ICCR and SII portals are free for students to use, apart from any official fee that the portal itself shows. Nobody can sell you a guaranteed award. If someone asks for money to “secure” a scholarship, report it to your Indian mission.
Ignoring the Calendar
Application windows for Indian programmes often open months before the July or August start of the academic year, and they can close earlier in some countries because the mission needs time to review files. Note the dates for your country, not just the general dates.
Your Path From Class 12 to an Indian Campus
After Class 12, international students have real choices in India. ICCR can cover tuition and living costs for listed courses, SII partner institutes can cut tuition based on merit, and DASA opens engineering seats at a clear and published price. None of these is automatic, and each has firm deadlines, subject rules and document checks. Start a year ahead, keep your mark sheets and equivalence papers in order, and check every figure against the current official portal and your Indian mission. With patience and a good plan, a degree in India can be well within reach.
Quick Answers for Class 12 Graduates
Can I apply for both ICCR and SII in the same year?
The two schemes are separate, and many students explore both. ICCR’s guidelines forbid more than one ICCR application, and SII has its own rules. Read both sets of rules for your year, and ask your Indian mission if you are unsure.
Is DASA a scholarship?
No. DASA is an admission route with published fees. The 2026 brochure listed US$4,000 first-semester tuition for non-SAARC candidates and half that for those who passed their qualifying exam in a SAARC country, plus a US$300 registration fee.
Do I need an AIU equivalence certificate?
Many Indian universities ask for one if your Class 12 was completed outside India. It confirms that your school certificate is treated like the Indian Class 12. Ask your chosen institution whether it needs one and when.