Fellowship vs Scholarship: Know All The Differences

With the world gradually recovering from the pandemic, there is an even greater need for investment in the coming generation through quality education. This however is beyond the reach of many students due to financial constraints as they do not possess enough resources to further their education. 

In such a situation, students think of taking an education loan to fund their higher studies. Scholarships and fellowships are another valuable financial aid to such students as it doesn't increase their liability. Before getting started with any of your applications, make sure you know your options so you’ll be in a better position to choose the financial aid program that is a good fit for you.

Difference between Scholarship and Fellowship

Students may get confused between both the term but there is a slight difference between scholarship and fellowship.

What is a scholarship?

The scholarship refers to a type of grant provided by the government, universities, or any other organization to the students who deem eligible according to the eligibility parameters set by the granting authority for the scholarship. These scholarships are mostly partially-funding in nature.

You can apply for as many scholarships as you desire, there are three types of scholarships you can apply for  

• Need-based Scholarships - These scholarships are given to students considering the financial condition of their family whose income is extremely low and unable to support the higher education degree of their kin. To be considered eligible for these scholarships, the educational qualification of the students may also be taken into consideration by the scholarship providers.
• Merit-based Scholarships - These scholarships are solely awarded on the basis of student merit. It includes their academic marks, quality of prior internships, papers they have published, work experience, and other co-curricular track records. Most of the scholarships which students come across are merit-based scholarships.
• Special Scholarships - Students who aim to pursue a special subject or students with a special ability can win these scholarships. For example, sports scholarships for excellence in sports, scholarships for pursuing a research course, etc

What is a fellowship?

Fellowship refers to the financial assistance mostly given to scholars who are willing to do further research in a particular field on a specific subject after they pass the prescribed examination. In layman's terms, a fellowship is typically a merit-based scholarship for the advanced study/ research of any particular academic subject.

Comparison Chart: Fellowship vs Scholarship

The key differences between fellowship vs scholarship

• In a scholarship, an awardee always receives financial aid, conversely, a fellowship may or may not include any financial aid. A fellowship is more like a status first followed by financial aid. In a fellowship, scholars get the availability of other resources like access to a research lab/equipment, library, etc. 
• Most scholarships are awarded based on past achievements, while all fellowships are awarded to students based on their future potential.
• Scholarships are awarded to students up to Master's level, and fellowships to only research fellows who undergo research activities at Institutes or universities in a particular discipline.
• Scholarships can be need-based (awarded to poor and needy students), merit-based (awarded to meritorious students), and special scholarships ( awarded to students with a special ability like sports scholarships). Whereas, the fellowship is merit-based only, i.e. candidates who have been selected as research fellows can only avail the fellowship.
• Scholarships are backed by the government, schools/colleges/universities, Individual donors/ philanthropists, or any other organization. As against, fellowships are offered by Government, universities, research organizations, private companies, etc.
• Scholarships are awarded to support students in their basic studies. In contrast, fellowships are given to scholars to conduct research on a specific subject.
• While applying for fellowship vs scholarship there will be different eligibility criteria accordingly that students have to check for themselves.

Few examples of Scholarship and Fellowship

So, most of the scholarships which you'll come across will be merit-based, as there are numerous scholarships and fellowships students can apply for, here are the few popular ones 

• Nehru Master’s scholarship 
• Education Future International Scholarship
• Rotary Peace fellowships 
• Fulbright fellowship

We've covered the above scholarships in one of our earlier blogs under the topic: ways to fund US education, which you can refer to know in detail regarding the above-mentioned scholarships/ fellowships. 

The Fulbright program is one such program that awards approximately 8,000 fellowships annually. In fact, Nehru Master's scholarships come under the umbrella of Fulbright fellowship. There are various fellowships listed under the Fulbright Nehru fellowship. 

There is practically not much difference between Fulbright fellow vs scholar. There are multiple sources online which provide a deep comparison between the two, or you can visit the official website of the Fulbright program to know more about Fulbright fellow vs scholar.

These scholarships and fellowships are very competitive in nature, making it difficult for students to obtain one. Most of these scholarships and fellowships are partially funded, for which students have to arrange the rest of the necessary finances on their own. Education loans turn up as a viable source to fund the rest of the amount. This is where WeMakeScholars can also help you out. We have extended the funding options by launching education loan assistance to all those who need an education loan, who are not eligible to apply for scholarships or miss out on one.

Note: WeMakeScholars is an organization funded and supported by the Government of India that focuses on International Education finance. We are associated with 10+ public/Pvt banks/ NBFCs in India and help you get the best abroad education loan matching your profile. As this initiative is under the Digital India campaign, it's free of cost. The organization has vast experience dealing with students going to various abroad education destinations like the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, New Zealand, France among others.