These are among the various foreign scholarships available for students in the country.

Ford Fellowships

The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program provides opportunities for advanced study for exceptional candidates. Support is provided up to three years of formal graduate-level study leading to a master's or doctoral degree. Once selected, Fellows may enrol in an appropriate university programme anywhere in the world, including their country of residence. Fellowship covers financial assistance for travel, living expenses, tuition and related costs for the actual degree programme, short-term pre-fellowship training, including language study and courses in research and computer skills.

Applicants should be Indian nationals and hold a bachelor's or a master's degree from a recognised Indian university with at least 55 per cent marks. Candidates applying for Ph.D. programmes should have completed master's degree with at least 60 per cent marks, and should have at least two years' full-time work experience relevant to their proposed area of study. IFP support will not exceed three years. Fellows who wish to study overseas will have to take TOEFL or IELTS language proficiency tests.

For Information on application process, contact United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI), or Ford Foundation, International Fellowships Program, 12, Hailey Road, New Delhi - 110 001, India; Ph: 011-2335 8893. Website - www.ifpsa.org.

Commonwealth Scholarship

This scholarship is available to Indian nationals for higher studies/ research/ specialised training in the subjects mentioned below in the United Kingdom.

Assistance is for one-year master's degree, six months' clinical training/ research/ specialisation, and three year's Ph.D. course.

Master's degree may be in areas such as engineering, technology, science (pure or applied), agriculture, humanities and social sciences.

Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification, securing 55 per cent or above marks in humanities and social science group, and 60 per cent and above marks in medical, engineering and technology, science and agriculture groups are eligible.

Candidates should give a one-page write-up in support of their decision to pursue the course in the U.K. GMAT and GRE scores are must for the respective courses. For Ph.D. degree-master's degree, the requirement is 55 per cent and above marks in humanities and social science group and 60 per cent and above marks in engineering and technology, science and agriculture groups.

Value of award includes approved tuition and examination fees, a personal maintenance allowance payable monthly, to and fro airfare, a grant for expenses of approved travel within the U.K. and an initial arrival allowance, incorporating a clothing grant for scholars from tropical countries.

For married scholars selected by the Commission for awards exceeding 12 months, a marriage allowance per month is payable provided that the husband and wife are residing together at the same address in the U.K.

Contact address: ES.4 Section, External Scholarship Division, Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, A - 2/W - 4, Curzon Road Barracks, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi - 110 001.

SIA Youth Scholarship

Tenable for two years' studies in selected Singapore Junior Colleges leading to the award of the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education `Advanced' (GCE `A') Level (or equivalent) certificate. Students who perform well in the GCE `A' Level (or equivalent) Examination may apply for the undergraduate scholarships offered by the National University of Singapore or the Nanyang Technological University.

Indian nationals 16 plus - 18 plus years old, with at least an average of 85 per cent with English as first language in class X.

Contact address: Ministry of Education, 1 North Buena Vista Drive, Singapore 138675; Phone: 00 65 68722220; Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .