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Fellowship vs Scholarship: What's the Difference and Which Should You Apply For?
By Subraxo Editorial Team. Last updated 23 September 2026.
The key differences between a fellowship and a scholarship are:
- A scholarship pays for your education; a fellowship pays for your development, usually through research, training or professional work
- Scholarships are open at every level, from school to postgraduate; fellowships are mostly for postgraduates, researchers and professionals
- Scholarships usually cover tuition and sometimes living costs; fellowships usually pay a stipend and may fund research costs
- Scholarships may be based on merit, need or background; fellowships are almost always based on merit and potential
- Scholarships ask you to study and keep your grades up; fellowships often expect research output, a project or a period of service
- Scholarship applications centre on essays and grades; fellowship applications often need a research proposal or a record of work in the field
In short, a scholarship helps you pay for a course, while a fellowship invests in what you will do in your field. The line blurs in practice, because many awards use the two words loosely, so this guide also shows you how to tell what an award really is and which one fits your stage and goals.
Fellowship vs Scholarship: Key Differences at a Glance
Point of comparison | Scholarship | Fellowship |
|---|---|---|
Main purpose | Help you pay for a course of study | Support research, training or professional work in a field |
Who can apply | School, undergraduate and postgraduate students | Mostly postgraduates, PhD students, researchers and professionals |
Basis of award | Merit, need, background, talent or a mix | Merit, potential and fit with the fellowship's purpose |
What it pays for | Tuition, fees and sometimes living costs | A stipend, and sometimes research, travel and training costs |
How it is paid | Often directly to the university | Often paid to you monthly |
What is expected of you | Complete the course and meet grade conditions | Research output, project work, reports or a service commitment |
Duration | A year, a semester or the length of the course | Often one to five years, tied to a project or programme |
Competition | Varies from local to very high | Usually high, with fewer awards |
Key application documents | Essays, transcripts, recommendations | Research proposal or statement of purpose, publications or work record, recommendations |
Repayment | Not repaid | Not repaid |
What Is a Scholarship?
A scholarship is money awarded to help a student pay for their education, which does not have to be repaid. Scholarships are offered by governments, universities, trusts, companies and community organisations, and they exist at almost every level of study.
Scholarships are usually awarded for one or more of these reasons:
- Academic merit: grades, test scores, rankings or academic prizes.
- Financial need: a gap between the cost of study and what the family can pay.
- Background or category: community, region, gender or first-generation status.
- Talent: sports, music, arts or leadership.
- Subject or career: commitment to a field such as STEM, public health or teaching.
The money typically covers tuition, and some scholarships also pay for accommodation, living costs, travel and insurance. Many are paid directly to the university. For a full breakdown, read our guide to the types of scholarships for Indian students to study abroad.
What Is a Fellowship? The Word Means More Than One Thing
This is where most confusion starts. "Fellowship" is used for at least five different kinds of awards, and they work very differently.
Kind of fellowship | What it is | Examples | Closer to |
|---|---|---|---|
Graduate study fellowship | Funding for a master's or PhD, often with a stipend | Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships, university graduate fellowships | A scholarship |
Research fellowship | A stipend to carry out research, usually for a PhD | UGC-NET JRF, CSIR-UGC JRF, Prime Minister's Research Fellowship, DST INSPIRE Fellowship | A research scholarship with obligations |
Professional or leadership fellowship | A paid, full-time programme of work and training, usually for one to two years | Teach For India Fellowship, Gandhi Fellowship, SBI Youth for India Fellowship | A structured job |
Postdoctoral fellowship | A fixed-term research position after a PhD | University and research-council postdoctoral fellowships, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions | Employment |
Honorary fellowship | Recognition of distinguished work, usually with no funding | Fellowship of national academies and learned societies | An honour, not funding |
So when someone asks whether to apply for a fellowship or a scholarship, the first question is which kind of fellowship they mean. A graduate study fellowship competes with scholarships for the same purpose. A professional fellowship competes with a job offer.
Why the Name Alone Can Mislead You
Award names do not follow strict rules. The Rhodes Scholarship funds postgraduate study at Oxford for exceptional candidates, which is how many fellowships work. Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships fund a master's degree in the USA, which is what most scholarships do. The Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship funds an MBA at Stanford.
Instead of relying on the name, run any award through these five questions:
- What does it pay for? Tuition points to a scholarship; a stipend for research or work points to a fellowship.
- Who can apply? Open to undergraduates suggests a scholarship; postgraduates and professionals suggest a fellowship.
- What do you owe in return? Only good grades suggests a scholarship; research output, reports or service suggests a fellowship.
- Is there a supervisor, host or placement? If yes, it behaves like a fellowship.
- Is it tied to a degree or to a project? A degree suggests a scholarship; a project or programme suggests a fellowship.
The answers tell you how to prepare your application, what obligations you are signing up for and even how the money may be taxed.
Fellowship vs Scholarship vs Assistantship vs Grant
Two more terms often appear alongside these, especially for postgraduate study abroad.
Type of funding | What it is | Work required? | Typical stage |
|---|---|---|---|
Scholarship | Money to pay for your education | No, beyond meeting academic conditions | Any level |
Fellowship | Money to support research, training or professional development | Research, project work or service, depending on the type | Postgraduate, PhD, professional |
Assistantship | Tuition waiver and stipend in exchange for teaching or research work | Yes, a set number of hours a week | Master's and PhD, especially in the USA |
Grant | Money for a specific purpose, such as a research project, travel or conference | Deliver the funded activity and report on it | Usually researchers |
An assistantship is effectively a part-time job that pays your fees. A fellowship usually gives you more freedom, since your "work" is your own research or programme. Many PhD students combine them, holding a fellowship in some years and an assistantship in others.
How the Money Differs
Both awards are free money, but they arrive differently and cover different things.
- What is covered: scholarships focus on tuition and fees, sometimes with a living allowance. Fellowships focus on a stipend for living costs and may add research funds, travel for conferences, health insurance and training.
- Who receives it: scholarships are often paid directly to the university. Fellowship stipends are usually paid to you, often monthly.
- How long it lasts: scholarships usually match the course length or renew each year if you meet conditions. Fellowships follow the length of the research or programme, and research fellowships may step up after review, such as moving from a junior to a senior research fellowship.
- Whether it covers everything: "fully funded" is more common with fellowships and major government scholarships. Most other scholarships are partial.
Plan for the gap
Few awards cover every cost. Build a full budget of tuition, living, travel, insurance and deposits, subtract your scholarship or fellowship, and plan how you will fund the rest, whether through savings, a part-time role, an assistantship or an education loan.
Obligations and Conditions: What You Owe in Return
This is the difference students most often overlook, and it matters as much as the money.
Award type | Typical conditions |
|---|---|
Merit scholarship | Maintain a minimum grade, enrol full-time, complete the course |
Government scholarship abroad | Return to your home country for a set period after the course, stay in touch with the scholar network |
Research fellowship | Regular progress reports, research output, satisfactory reviews by a committee, attendance at the host institution |
Professional fellowship | Full-time work in the placement, training sessions, reporting, sometimes relocation to a rural or assigned area |
Postdoctoral fellowship | Research deliverables, publications, and the host institution's employment rules |
Read the award letter before accepting. Some awards require you to repay the money if you leave early or fail to meet a service or return-home commitment.
Tax Treatment: Scholarships vs Fellowships
Tax is one place where the difference between the two becomes very real.
In India
Scholarships granted to meet the cost of education have long been exempt under Section 10(16) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and this exemption continues in the schedule of exempt income under the Income Tax Act, 2025. The test is purpose: money granted to support your education or research generally qualifies, even if you do not spend every rupee on fees.
Payments that are really compensation for services are different. A professional fellowship structured as paid work, or a stipend that is essentially salary for a job, may be taxed as income. The line is not always obvious. In one recent case, a tribunal accepted that a postgraduate medical student's stipend was an educational stipend and exempt, even though the tax officer had treated it as salary. If your fellowship stipend is significant, confirm its tax treatment with a tax adviser.
Abroad
Rules vary by country. In the USA, for example, scholarship and fellowship money used for tuition, required fees and course materials is generally tax-free, while amounts used for housing and living costs, and payments for teaching or research services, are usually taxable. International students may have tax withheld and may need to file a return. Check the rules of your destination country and ask your university's international student office.
How the Applications Differ
Application element | Scholarship | Fellowship |
|---|---|---|
Core written piece | Personal or scholarship essay about you, your goals and fit with the funder | Research proposal or detailed statement of what you will do and why it matters |
Evidence | Grades, test scores, achievements, need documents | Research experience, publications, projects or professional record |
Recommendations | Teachers or employers who know your character and ability | Supervisors or experts who can judge your research or professional potential |
Supervisor or host | Rarely needed | Often required, for research fellowships especially |
Interview | Sometimes | Common, often technical or panel-based |
Timeline | Usually tied to admission cycles | Often a separate cycle, sometimes 12 months or more before the start |
For research fellowships abroad, contacting potential supervisors early is part of the application, not an optional extra. For scholarships, tailoring your essay to each funder matters most. Our guide on how to write a scholarship essay shows you how.
Which Should You Apply For?
The honest answer for most students is both, where you are eligible. But your stage and goals decide where to focus your energy.
Your stage and goal | Focus on | Why |
|---|---|---|
Class 12 student heading for an undergraduate degree | Scholarships | Fellowships are rarely open at this stage |
Undergraduate heading for a taught master's abroad | Scholarships, plus graduate fellowships where eligible | Most taught master's funding is scholarship-based |
Working professional planning a master's | Government scholarships and graduate study fellowships | Many major awards want work experience and leadership |
Applicant for a PhD in India | Research fellowships such as UGC-NET JRF, CSIR-UGC JRF, PMRF and INSPIRE | Research funding is fellowship-based |
Applicant for a PhD abroad | Funded PhD positions, research fellowships, assistantships and major scholarships | Full funding usually comes through research routes |
Graduate wanting impact experience before further study | Professional fellowships | Paid experience that strengthens later applications |
PhD graduate | Postdoctoral fellowships | The standard next step in a research career |
A simple rule of thumb
- If you want to fund a degree, start with scholarships.
- If you want to fund research or build expertise, start with fellowships.
- If you want paid experience with a purpose, look at professional fellowships.
- If a fellowship and a scholarship both fund the same degree, compare the money, the obligations and the prestige, and apply for both.
Popular Fellowships and Scholarships for Indian Students
Research and professional fellowships in India
Fellowship | Type | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
UGC-NET Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) | Research fellowship | Candidates qualifying the NET with JRF, pursuing research |
CSIR-UGC NET JRF | Research fellowship | Science candidates qualifying the joint CSIR-UGC test |
Prime Minister's Research Fellowship (PMRF) | Research fellowship | High-achieving PhD students at eligible leading institutions |
DST INSPIRE Fellowship | Research fellowship | Top-performing students pursuing a PhD in science |
Teach For India Fellowship | Professional fellowship | Graduates and professionals teaching full-time in low-income schools for two years |
Gandhi Fellowship | Professional fellowship | Young graduates working on education and development programmes |
SBI Youth for India Fellowship | Professional fellowship | Young professionals working on rural development projects |
Awards for studying abroad, and how they behave
Award | Name says | Behaves like |
|---|---|---|
Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships | Fellowship | A scholarship for a master's degree, aimed at professionals |
Rhodes Scholarship | Scholarship | A prestigious postgraduate award, similar to a fellowship |
Chevening Scholarships | Scholarship | A fully funded master's scholarship with a leadership focus |
Commonwealth Scholarships | Scholarship | A master's or PhD scholarship with a development focus |
Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship | Fellowship | A scholarship for an MBA at Stanford |
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks | Fellowship or position | A salaried PhD research role in Europe |
Always check the current eligibility, deadlines and conditions on each award's official website, as they change from year to year.
Pros and Cons at a Glance
Aspect | Scholarship | Fellowship |
|---|---|---|
Pros | Open at every level; many options, including smaller local awards; fewer obligations | Often larger, fuller funding; stipend paid to you; strong prestige and networks; builds research or professional record |
Cons | Often partial; heavy competition for the largest awards; may not cover living costs | Fewer awards and intense competition; more obligations; may need a supervisor or placement; stipend may be taxable in some cases |
Common Mistakes When Choosing Between Them
- Judging an award by its name instead of what it pays for and what it asks of you.
- Ignoring obligations, such as return-home rules, service periods or repayment clauses if you leave early.
- Sending a scholarship essay for a fellowship, when the panel wants a research proposal or a plan of work.
- Starting too late, since many fellowships close a year or more before the start date.
- Applying for only one, when you are eligible for both kinds of funding.
- Forgetting the tax angle, especially for large stipends or professional fellowships.
- Assuming "fully funded" covers everything, without building a full budget.
How Subraxo Helps You Fund Your Studies
Whether your funding comes from a scholarship, a fellowship or both, most students still face a gap. Subraxo helps you close it.
- Finding awards that fit you: our scholarship search matches you with scholarships and awards for your country, course and level of study.
- Planning around deadlines: we help you map award deadlines to your admission timeline, so early fellowship and scholarship rounds are not missed.
- Funding the gap: as an official partner of 14+ banks, Subraxo helps you compare education loan options for whatever your award does not cover.
- Keeping documents consistent: we help you align your award letter, loan sanction and visa funds proof.
- Zero service fee: Students do not pay Subraxo for this support.
[Editor: add the verified credibility line here, e.g. MeitY support, NITI Aayog recognition, AICTE MoU, number of students funded and amount disbursed. Delete this note before publishing.]
Call to action button: Find scholarships you are eligible for
FAQs on Fellowship vs Scholarship
What is the main difference between a fellowship and a scholarship?
A scholarship helps you pay for a course of study, usually covering tuition and sometimes living costs. A fellowship supports your development in a field, usually through research, training or professional work, and typically pays a stipend. Scholarships are open at all levels, while fellowships are mostly for postgraduates and professionals.
Is a fellowship better than a scholarship?
Neither is better in general. Fellowships often provide larger, fuller funding and strong prestige, but come with more obligations and fewer awards. Scholarships are more widely available and suit students at every level. The right choice depends on whether you want to fund a degree, research or professional experience.
Can undergraduate students apply for fellowships?
Rarely. Most fellowships are for postgraduates, PhD students, researchers or professionals. Some universities and organisations offer short summer research fellowships or internships for undergraduates, but for funding a bachelor's degree, scholarships are the main route.
Do fellowships have to be repaid?
No, fellowships do not have to be repaid in the normal course. However, some fellowships and scholarships require repayment if you leave the programme early, break a service or return-home commitment, or fail to meet conditions. Always read the award letter before accepting.
Is a fellowship stipend taxable in India?
Scholarships granted to meet the cost of education are exempt from tax in India, and research stipends that support education or research often qualify. Payments that are really salary for services, such as some professional fellowships, may be taxable. Treatment depends on the facts, so confirm with a tax adviser if the amount is significant.
Can I hold a scholarship and a fellowship at the same time?
Sometimes. Many awards allow you to combine funding, but some major scholarships and fellowships prohibit holding another large award at the same time, or reduce your award if you do. Check each award's terms and inform both funders before accepting.
Is the Fulbright-Nehru award a fellowship or a scholarship?
It is called a fellowship, and it is aimed at professionals and researchers. The Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships fund a master's degree in the USA, which in practice works much like a fully funded scholarship. This is a good example of why you should judge awards by what they pay for, not by their name.
What is the difference between a fellowship and an assistantship?
A fellowship funds your studies or research, usually without a fixed work requirement beyond your own research or programme. An assistantship pays a tuition waiver and stipend in exchange for teaching or research work for the university, usually a set number of hours a week. Many PhD students hold both at different times.
Which is harder to get, a fellowship or a scholarship?
Fellowships are generally harder to get, because there are fewer of them and they target high-achieving postgraduates and professionals. That said, top scholarships such as Chevening or Rhodes are just as competitive. Smaller university and local scholarships are usually the most accessible funding for most students.
What documents do I need for a fellowship application?
Most fellowships ask for a research proposal or statement of purpose, a CV, academic transcripts, recommendation letters from supervisors or experts, and evidence of research or professional work. Research fellowships often need a confirmed supervisor or host institution. Many also include an interview.
Are fellowships only for research?
No. Research fellowships are common, but there are also graduate study fellowships that fund a degree, professional and leadership fellowships that offer paid full-time work, and postdoctoral fellowships. Honorary fellowships recognise distinguished work and usually come with no funding at all.
Should I apply for scholarships and fellowships at the same time?
Yes, if you are eligible for both. Applying to a mix increases your chances of funding. Keep a tracker of deadlines, since fellowships often close earlier, and tailor each application: essays for scholarships, and research proposals or work plans for fellowships.
Conclusion
The fellowship vs scholarship question comes down to purpose. Scholarships help you pay for a degree; fellowships invest in your research, training or professional work, usually with more money and more obligations. Judge every award by what it pays for and what it asks in return, apply for both where you are eligible, and plan how to fund any gap that remains.