Fellowship vs Scholarship: Differences, Eligibility & How to Apply

Are you one of those who is wondering what is the difference between a Fellowship and a Scholarship? How are they different? Then, hold back, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will compare Fellowship and Scholarship.

The terms Fellowship and Scholarship are often misunderstood. Many candidates think that Fellowship and Scholarship are the same terms but they are different from each other. You will get to know about the differences in this article.

There are different types of scholarships i.e. merit-based (awarded to meritorious students), need-based (awarded to poor and needy students) and category based (awarded to the candidates belonging to a specific category). On the contrary, the fellowship only merit-based i.e. those students who are selected as research fellows can avail fellowship.

Fellowship vs Scholarship

Getting a degree by studying in foreign countries is a privilege as it presents you with innumerable opportunities and career choices. However, it can likewise cost you a tremendous sum of cash and due to this many talented students have to settle for something that may not associate with the career goals they wish to achieve. To avoid this from happening, various scholarships and fellowships are being introduced so these students have an equal opportunity to reach their goals and not let finance be a cause of hindrance in their path. There has been a lot of confusion surrounding the difference between a scholarship and a fellowship. While both of these help students out with finances, there are some critical differences between the two. 

Scholarship

Scholarships provide students with financial aid by either covering a part of or the whole amount of the academic fee which includes the amount for the books, tuition, and other academic materials. These scholarships are awarded to students of all grades starting from school and go up to the university level.  Various scholarships offered by the government and other autonomous managements help students overcome the financial crisis and continue to pursue their career. The students do not have to repay the scholarship amount. The government pays the scholarship at one time or monthly or annually.

The chief characteristic of a scholarship is that it is not refundable dissimilar to an educational loan. The management providing the scholarship handles all the finances. Some of the various types of scholarships awarded to students in India and coming in from foreign countries are mentioned below

• Inspire Scholarship
• Ratan Tata Scholarship for Engineering Students
• MHRD Scholarship
• Jio Scholarship
• DMS Scholarship
• MIT Scholarship
• Vidya Samunnathi Scholarship
• Colgate Scholarship
• NSF Scholarship
• Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarship
• Scholarship in Canada for Masters
• Aga Khan Scholarship
• NMMS Scholarship

Different types of Scholarships 

Scholarships are usually based on the function they serve, the career the student is pursuing and the university they wish to join. Given below are the different types of scholarship that are usually offered are mentioned below

1. Scholarships that are based on merit or exam
2. Sports Scholarships
3. Scholarships that are made for Minority students.
4. Talent and Creativity based scholarships
5. Scholarships that are based on the university.

Fellowship

In the case of a fellowship, the key difference between a scholarship and a fellowship is that a fellowship is financial aid offered to students pursuing their career in the field of research. Getting a bachelor’s degree is an eligibility criterion to be awarded a fellowship in any program. Fellowships are mainly awarded on the basis of merit. When it comes to a fellowship less prominence is laid upon the shortage of finances. Similar to a scholarship, a fellowship also covers the finances required to get an admission in an educational institute. Nonetheless, not all fellowships give direct financing to the students awarded. The money related help can be in other non-financial structures as well, contingent upon the conditions relating to that specific fellowship. These fellowships aim to promote research among talented students wanting to pursue in this field. Some of the renowned fellowships are mentioned below:

• Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) 

Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) is a fellowship granted with the aim to improve the quality of research in higher educational institutes in the country. This fellowship program attracts the best candidates for research and innovation.

• LAMP Fellowship

LAMP Fellowship is the Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament Fellowship. This fellowship allows Indian youth to gain knowledge about law-making and public policy. The students are mentored by a Member of Parliament (MP) and they work full-time with the MP during a respective year.

• Gandhi Fellowship

Keeping in mind Mahatma Gandhi’s thought, ‘Be the change you wish to see in this world’, Piramal Foundation came up with an initiative of Gandhi Fellowship. Under the Gandhi Fellowship, the candidates have to undergo a residential 2-year Fellowship and they live by the motto of “Build Self, Build Nation”. The candidates work in various areas such as Public Health, Education, and Water.

• Teach for India Fellowship

In the year 2008, Teach For India was founded. The fellows under Teach For India have to complete a two-year Fellowship. They are entrusted with the responsibility of educating and transforming the personality of students. The fellows in Teach for India Fellowship come from different backgrounds, fields, and age groups from more than 500 colleges and over 300 organisations. If you become a fellow under this fellowship, then you will be positioned as a full-time teacher in an English medium government school.

• Kothari Fellowship

Kothari Fellowship is named after Dr D.S. Kothari. It is also called Dr D.S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme. Kothari Fellowship is for post-doctoral researchers who wish to pursue a research career in various disciplines. A monthly amount of INR 46,500 is given to the fellows along with HRA and other benefits.

• Ramanujan Fellowship
• SBI  Youth for India Fellowship

Different types of Scholarships 

A key difference between scholarships and fellowships are its different kinds. Given below are the different types of fellowships that are usually offered are mentioned below:

1. Fellowships offered to students by non-governmental and non-profit institutes
2. Ph.D./ Research Fellowships
3. Stream fellowships or fellowships based on specialisation

Basis of difference	Scholarship	Fellowship
Factors	Scholarship is determined by various factors such as merit, necessity, and others.	Fellowship is determined on the basis of the student’s merit or excellence.
Purpose	The main purpose of the scholarship is to provide helps the students in their studies.	The main purpose of the fellowship is that the scholars give grants on specific topics.
Education	Scholarship is provide financial help to the students which help them in their studies.	Normally, fellowship is a merit-based fellowship.
Coverage	Scholarship amount is used to pay the tuition fees.	It provides internships or other opportunities to the students.

Note: The main difference between the scholarship and fellowship is the scholarship is used to pay the tuition fees because benefits are given in the terms of financial aid whereas in the fellowship benefits are not given in terms of financial aid. It means benefits are in other forms.

Summary of Differences between Fellowships and Scholarships

• Scholarships are awarded to students of all levels starting from high school all the way to the master’s level studying any subject area whereas fellowships are rewarded students pursuing research.
• The eligibility criterion for a scholarship is based on the need for financial resources and fellowships are based on merit
• The financial aids provided in a scholarship cover books, tuition and other academic materials whereas not all fellowships give direct financing to the students awarded, the money related help can be in other non-financial structures as well. 

Fellowship program in India 2024

Following is the list of the fellowship program in India. Students must research more about these programs if interested.

• The Barbro Klein Fellowship Programme
• Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology IIIT-Delhi Teaching Fellow Positions
• TWAS-ICCBS Postgraduate Fellowship Programme
• Jackson Wild Summit Fellowship 2024
• Sewa Fellowship Offered By Sewa International
• National Institute of Technology Silchar Junior Research Fellow (JRF)
• ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship 2024-25
• The Ahimsa Fellowship
• M.K.Bhan Young Researcher Fellowship Programme 2024-MKB-YRFP

Scholarship program in India 2024

The list which is given below consists of the popular scholarship programs in India. If you want to apply for any of them, you can research the programs in detail. 

Research about the eligibility criteria, benefits, application process, etc. The list given below consists of some of the scholarships but there are numerous scholarships available for you.

FAQs

What are scholarships?

Scholarships aim to provide financial help to students from low-income backgrounds, high merits, minorities, backward caste, etc. There are several types of scholarships depending on various factors.

What are fellowships?

Fellowships provide grants to students based on merit for research purposes. Internships and other activities are conducted in fellowships.

Major difference between fellowship and scholarship ? 

Scholarship can be considered as a gift received by the government of the scheme during the academic year the candidate doesn’t need it to repay. 

Fellowship means the amount which one gets after their education is done for the research terms or in the internship period. 

Can I get a fellowship for my Ph.D. ? 

Yes, one can apply for a fellowship only after their graduation degree. They can get a fellowship for their masters degree or for the PHD studies or more higher than that.