British Council announces GREAT Scholarships India 2017

According to Mei-Kwei Barker, Director of South India, British Council, “The UK welcomes the brightest and best international students to our world-class universities. It is home to some of the oldest and most respected universities in the world, and some of the very best. The UK has excellent offers for international students and genuine students are always welcome. We offer one of the largest number of scholarships to the students who are planning to study in the UK universities.’’ 

Students who opt to study in the UK will also get the opportunity to work in the country provided that they fit certain criteria. To highlight the prospects of studying in the UK, MeiKwei Barker said, “Irrespective of the course they opt for, the UK continues to have excellent offers for international graduates wishing to work in the UK. Those with an offer of a graduate-level job, paying a graduate salary can take up sponsored employment through Tier 2.

Over 28,000 employers are licensed Tier 2 sponsors.  If graduates apply from within the UK, the resident labour market test is waived and they are not subject to the annual limit on Tier 2 numbers. There are also provisions for switching to Tier 5 for those graduates wishing to undertake a period of professional training or a corporate internship related to their qualifications, before pursuing a career overseas,” she said. The UK also offers provisions for students who plan on starting entrepreneurial ventures. 

“There is a Tier 1 route for graduate entrepreneurs. Those who have been identified by their higher education institution or UK Trade & Investment can stay on for up to two years to develop their business in the UK before switching to Tier 2 or the main Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route. PhD students can stay in the UK for an extra year, under the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme, to look for work or start their own business,’’ adds Mei-Kwei Barker. 

While many Indian students might be reluctant to choose the UK as a destination for further studies due to restriction on working in the country, Mei-Kwei Barker says the restrictions are in place to streamline the process to ensure that only the most deserving students make it to the UK. 

She said, “The UK government is reforming the student visa route to tackle abuse and ensure those using it come to study at universities rather than to work in unskilled jobs. The UK has an excellent offer for international students, and Britain remains the second most popular destination for international higher education students.’’ 

Apart from the GREAT scholarship, the British Council also offers a slew of other grants for Indian students looking to pursue higher education in the UK. Chevening is the British government’s flagship global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and partner organisations. The India programme is now the world’s largest with a budget of £2.6 million for 2016-17 with 130 scholarships being offered. 

Commonwealth Scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries are offered for Master’s, PhD, and split-site (PhD) study in the UK. These scholarships are funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). On an average, 60 Indian students are supported by the Commonwealth programme each year.