What’s the Difference Between a Fellowship and a Scholarship?

Quality education is one of the most powerful tools for building a strong future, yet it often comes with a high financial cost. Many students dream of pursuing higher studies, but limited resources can make it difficult for them to take the next step. As a result, understanding the financial aid options available becomes a crucial part of planning one’s academic journey.

Students today rely on different forms of support, such as scholarships, fellowships, and education loans, to reduce the burden of tuition and living expenses. Each option works differently and is designed for a specific purpose. Before starting any application, it’s important to know what each type of aid offers, who it benefits, and how it aligns with your academic goals. With the right information, students can make confident decisions and choose the financial support that fits their needs.

Difference between Scholarship and Fellowship

Students may get confused between the terms, 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 organisation to students who are deemed eligible according to the eligibility parameters set by the granting authority for the scholarship. These scholarships are mostly partially funded 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 is unable to support the higher education degree of their kin. To be considered eligible for these scholarships, the educational qualifications 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 the Eligibility for a Scholarship?

• As we previously discussed, there are various types of scholarships, and these are offered based on different eligibility criteria. Each scholarship has a different purpose of providing scholarships, based on which the eligibility depend. 
• For example, to secure a merit-based scholarship, students have to demonstrate excellent academics. Or outstanding performance in other fields such as sports, etc.
• For need-based scholarships, the financial background of students has to be demonstrated. 
• However, students ' basic eligibility consists of completing a graduate or postgraduate degree. Providing the required documents.

When to apply for a Scholarship? 

• Usually, scholarships are offered for every academic year. However, it is recommended for students to research and apply for scholarships at least 8 to 12 months before. Considering the heavy competition and the limited number of scholarships, applying as early as possible is crucial.

How to apply for scholarships?

• The application process for each scholarship may vary. The student has to visit the official website of the college/university/organisation offering the scholarship, check the eligibility criteria. Ensure that to meet the eligibility criteria mentioned by the scholarship provider and proceed with the application process. 
• Visit the WeMakeScholars scholarship portal and use the filter to find the relevant scholarship options.

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.

What is the eligibility for a Fellowship?

• Each fellowship has a different set of eligibility criteria. You need to meet a set of eligibility criteria and demonstrate outstanding skills to be considered eligible to secure a scholarship. However alongside, students have to display a strong interest in the research field. 

How to apply for a Fellowship?

• If you want to apply for a fellowship start by researching the fellowship opportunities. Make sure that you choose the fellowships that align with your career objectives, academic field and research interest. Visit the official websites of the university/college/institution, check for eligibility and make sure to meet to be considered for the fellowship.
• Students can also visit the WemakeScholars scholarship portal to explore fellowship options. Use the filters to choose fellowships based on country, interest, course, etc.

Comparison Chart: Fellowship vs Scholarship

The key differences between a fellowship and a 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 have access to other resources like 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 organisation. In contrast, fellowships are offered by the Government, universities, research organisations, private companies, etc.
• Scholarships are awarded to support students in their basic studies. In contrast, fellowships are given to scholars to research a specific subject.
• While applying for a fellowship vs scholarship, there will be different eligibility criteria accordingly that students have to check for themselves.

A few examples of Scholarship and Fellowship

• So, most of the scholarships that you'll come across will be merit-based, as there are numerous scholarships and fellowships students can apply for. Here are a 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 the Fulbright fellowship. There are various fellowships listed under the Fulbright Nehru fellowship. 
• There is practically not much difference between a Fulbright fellow and 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 the Fulbright fellow vs scholar.
• These scholarships and fellowships are very competitive, making it difficult for students to obtain one. Most of these scholarships and fellowships are partially funded, and 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 who miss out on one.

Conclusion

Scholarships and fellowships offer incredible financial aid to students who want to pursue higher education abroad. Understanding the difference between the two can help students know what they actually need and what to apply for. In this blog, we have clearly discussed the key differences between a scholarship and a fellowship, helping students to make informed decisions on choosing a scholarship or a fellowship.