Checked 29 September 2026. Scholarship terms are from archived Study in India pages (2021–2025); fee-waiver and living-cost figures from the live Study in India FAQ, checked 29 Sep 2026; fees from GGSIPU and University of Allahabad 2026-27 notices. Institutes change fees every year.
Two different things have both been called a "Study in India scholarship", and most of the confusion online comes from mixing them up. The first was a government scholarship awarded on PRAGATII scores: USD 3500 a year in 2020-21, USD 3200 for 2022-23, paid to your institute, and — according to the official page of November 2022 — awarded to new students only for 2022-23, with no new scholarships from the next year (awards already made could be renewed for up to three years). The second is the tuition fee waiver that partner institutes grant themselves: the G1–G4 tiers of 100%, 50%, 25% and 0%, which never needed PRAGATII and which the live Study in India site now describes as ranging from 10% to 100% at each institute's discretion. This guide separates the two, prints the official numbers where the pages disagree, and ends with a calculator for what a year in India would actually cost you.
Status on 29 September 2026
No PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) has been held since 31 July 2022, and no official page has announced another. The official PRAGATII exam page now redirects to the Study in India home page. Nothing in this guide describes a 2026 sitting; where we give current information, it is about the routes that still exist.
Archived Study in India pages (Oct 2021, Nov 2022, Sep 2023); live Study in India FAQ.
The PRAGATII scholarship: 2020-21 against 2022-23
| Term | 2020-21 (and 2021 pages) | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of scholarships | 2000 scholarships offered (the pages give no count actually granted) | Not stated |
| Value | USD 3500 each, or the actual cost if lower ("up to USD 3500 per year") | USD 3200; any institute charge above it paid by the student |
| What it covered | Tuition, accommodation (room and boarding), food/canteen and admission fee | Not itemised; the amount went to the institute |
| Who received the money | Paid to the institute, not the student | Paid to the institute; "no amount will be paid to any student" |
| How long | 5 years integrated UG; 3 or 4 years UG; 2 years PG; no PhD or M.Phil | 3 years or the course length, whichever is less; no PhD |
| How awarded | On PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) scores, with a country-wise quota | On PRAGATII scores |
| Renewal each year | Promotion to the next year, no disciplinary action, 75% attendance | Same three conditions |
| Changing institute | Scholarship not transferred or renewed; revoked on withdrawal | Same; a course change within the institute must keep the same duration |
| Future years | — | "Awarded only for AY 2022-23 and no scholarship shall be granted from next year" — read with the renewal rule, this ends new awards; 2022-23 awards could be renewed for up to 3 years or the course length |
Sources: the archived scholarship pages of 2021 and November 2022. The two ministries named as funders in 2020-21 were the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Read together, the 2022 rows mean AY 2022-23 was the last stated year for new awards, while a student awarded in 2022-23 could keep it for up to three years or the course length, whichever was less, if the renewal conditions were met. The 2022 page also warned that receiving the scholarship did not guarantee admission: the institute still made the final admission decision on its own criteria.
One conflict is worth printing in full. The official FAQ archived in April 2024 still said Study in India "offers scholarships up to USD 3200 to meritorious students through PRAGATII Exam", and a programme page archived in October 2025 said the same. Neither gives a year, a deadline or an exam date, and both sit beside an exam page that had not changed since the 31 July 2022 sitting. The November 2022 page is the only one that dates the award, and it dates it to 2022-23 alone.
The fee waiver: G1 to G4
| Tier | Share of tuition waived | Tuition you pay | Accommodation and food |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | 100% | 0% | You pay |
| G2 | 50% | 50% | You pay |
| G3 | 25% | 75% | You pay |
| G4 | 0% | 100% | You pay |
This is the official table as printed on the Study in India pages of 2021, November 2022, September 2023 and October 2025. The pages say the waiver is a concession on tuition by the partner institute, that the number available differs from one institute to another, and that it does not cover accommodation or canteen costs. The 2021 fee-waiver page added the key sentence for anyone who missed PRAGATII: appearing for PRAGATII was not compulsory to get a tuition fee waiver.
The tier structure goes back to the 2018 design of the programme. In March 2018 the government told the Rajya Sabha that the top 25% of admitted students would get a 100% tuition waiver, the next 25% a 50% waiver, the next 25% a 25% waiver and the rest none, with the cost borne by the institutes. That is exactly G1, G2, G3 and G4.
How the official numbers have moved
| Page (date) | Tiers stated | Scale stated |
|---|---|---|
| PIB, Rajya Sabha reply (Mar 2018) | 100 / 50 / 25 / 0% for top 25%, next 25%, next 25%, rest | Borne by institutes; 10–15% supernumerary seats |
| SII scholarship page (2021) | 100%, 50% and 20% | Around 9,500 fee waivers across 108 institutes |
| SII scholarship sub-page (2021) | 100%, 50% and 25% | More than 90,000 fee waivers across 125+ institutes |
| SII fee-waiver sub-page (2021) | G1–G4 (four categories) | More than 90,000 fee waivers across 164 institutes |
| SII scholarship page (Nov 2022) | G1–G4 | More than 90,000 across 164 institutes |
| SII "Institute Scholarship" page (Sep 2023) | G1–G4 | More than 90,000 across 164 institutes |
| SII programme page (Oct 2025) | "Fee Waiver ... across 3 categories" | 160+ institutes |
| SII FAQ (live, Sep 2026) | "can range from 10% to 100%", at the institute's discretion, on previous academic scores | 600+ institutes and 8000+ courses (home page: 1200+ institutes, 24000+ courses) |
We print these side by side rather than choose one. Two of the disagreements have an innocent explanation — "3 categories" in 2025 counts only the three tiers that waive something (G1–G3), and 20% against 25% in 2021 looks like a typing slip on one page — but neither is confirmed by the ministry. The bigger shift is the live 2026 wording: a range from 10% to 100% decided by each institute, instead of four fixed tiers. If you are offered a waiver, the offer letter from the institute is what counts, not any of these pages.
What does a year actually cost?
| Item | Indicative cost per month (USD) |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | 150 |
| Food and housekeeping | 100 |
| Personal expenses | 50 |
| Transport | 45 |
| Stationery | 30 |
| Laundry | 15 |
| Mobile | 10 |
| Total (excluding tuition) | 400 |
Total about USD 400 a month, excluding tuition. Big cities cost more; smaller towns often less.
Tuition is set by each institute and varies far more than living costs. Two published examples for 2026-27 show the range. GGSIPU in Delhi prices international students in US dollars, rising each year; the University of Allahabad prices in rupees and gives students from SAARC countries a 50% concession on its registration and university fees.
| Institute (2026-27) | Published fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GGSIPU — "All undergraduate programmes except B.Tech., BA (LLB), and BBA (LLB)" | USD 2500 in year 1, then 2650, 2800, 2950, 3100 | Per year. BA (LLB) and BBA (LLB) fees are not given in the brochure's fee table |
| GGSIPU — "All B.Tech. and B.Arch. programmes" | USD 3000 in year 1, then 3150, 3300, 3450, 3600 | Per year. B.Arch. also falls under the first row's wording; confirm its fee with GGSIPU |
| GGSIPU — Master's programmes such as M.A. (English), M.A. (Economics), MAMC | USD 2500, then 2650 | Per year |
| GGSIPU — M.Tech., MBA, MCA | USD 3000, then 3150 | Per year |
| University of Allahabad — UG | ₹20,000 once + ₹1,00,000 a year | SAARC students: 50% concession on registration and university fee |
| University of Allahabad — PG | ₹25,000 once + ₹1,20,000 a year | Same concession |
| University of Allahabad — PhD | ₹50,000 once + ₹1,60,000 a year + ₹30,000 once | Same concession |
| Calculator defaults (ours) | USD 2500 first-year tuition rising USD 150 a year; USD 400 a month for 12 months; 3 years; no waiver | Change any of them |
What would your course cost? Fee-waiver calculator
Enter the first-year tuition your chosen institute publishes, how much it rises each year, and the waiver percentage in your offer. The live Study in India FAQ says institute waivers range from 10% to 100%, so type the exact figure your institute quotes; the old G1–G4 tiers are kept as presets. The FAQ puts average living cost at about USD 400 a month, excluding tuition. Add today's rupee rate from your bank if you want a rupee figure — we do not pre-fill one.
Our arithmetic. The defaults are GGSIPU's published 2026-27 fee for most UG programmes: USD 2500 in year 1, rising by USD 150 a year. "Your waiver %" is used only when "Your offer" is selected. The waiver is applied to each year's tuition; confirm with your institute whether it is renewed every year. Fee waivers cover tuition only — never accommodation or food.
A worked example with the calculator's defaults, all our arithmetic: USD 2500 first-year tuition with no waiver plus USD 400 a month for 12 months is USD 7,300 for year 1. Over three years at GGSIPU's published steps, tuition is USD 2,500 + 2,650 + 2,800 = USD 7,950 and living cost USD 14,400, so USD 22,350 in all — not 3 × USD 7,300. A G2 waiver takes USD 1,250 off; a G1 waiver takes the whole USD 2500 off. Even a full waiver leaves the living cost — which is why the old PRAGATII scholarship, which paid accommodation and food as well in 2020-21, was worth so much more than a waiver.
| Case (our arithmetic) | Tuition paid (USD) | Living, 12 months (USD) | Year total (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| G4 — no waiver | 2,500 | 4,800 | 7,300 |
| G3 — 25% waived | 1,875 | 4,800 | 6,675 |
| G2 — 50% waived | 1,250 | 4,800 | 6,050 |
| G1 — 100% waived | 0 | 4,800 | 4,800 |
| Three years, no waiver (our arithmetic) | Tuition (USD) | Living (USD) | Total (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 2,500 | 4,800 | 7,300 |
| Year 2 | 2,650 | 4,800 | 7,450 |
| Year 3 | 2,800 | 4,800 | 7,600 |
| Course | 7,950 | 14,400 | 22,350 |
Scholarship against fee waiver, at a glance
| Question | PRAGATII scholarship (to 2022-23) | Institute fee waiver (today) |
|---|---|---|
| Who paid for it? | Government of India, paid to the institute | The institute, as a concession on its own tuition |
| Did you need PRAGATII? | Yes — awarded on PRAGATII scores | No — decided on previous academic scores |
| What did it cover? | In 2020-21: tuition, accommodation, food and admission fee, up to USD 3500 | Tuition only |
| Open to NRIs? | No — the live FAQ says NRIs are not eligible for the SII Scholarship | Depends on the institute |
| PhD? | No | Depends on the institute |
| Available in 2026-27? | No official page offers a new award for 2026-27; FAQ and programme pages of 2024 and 2025 still repeated undated "up to USD 3200" wording | Yes, described on the live FAQ |
Where other pages get this wrong
Getting a Study in India fee waiver never depended on PRAGATII.
Commonly published instead: pages saying PRAGATII is "mandatory" for any Study in India financial help, or that a scholarship goes to everyone above the 90th percentile.
The official 2021 fee-waiver page said appearing for PRAGATII was not compulsory for a tuition fee waiver, and the scholarship was allotted by PRAGATII score within country-wise quotas, not by a percentile cut-off.
Practise it, don't just read it
Our quizzes practise the three areas on the historical PRAGATII syllabus — verbal ability, quantitative aptitude and logical reasoning.
The ProSyllabus PRAGATII library has ten topic quizzes across the three old sections: Verbal (sentence correction, reading-comprehension inference), Quantitative (percentages, averages, time-speed-distance, simple and compound interest, number series) and Logical (syllogisms, coding-decoding, blood relations).
How much was the Study in India scholarship?
USD 3500 a year in 2020-21, covering tuition, accommodation, food and admission fees, and USD 3200 for 2022-23. It was paid to the institute, not the student.
Is the USD 3200 scholarship available in 2026?
No official page offers a new award for 2026-27. The November 2022 page said it would be awarded only for 2022-23 and not from the next year; FAQ and programme pages of 2024 and 2025 still repeated undated "up to USD 3200" wording, but gave no year or deadline. The live site describes institute fee waivers instead.
What are G1, G2, G3 and G4?
The fee-waiver tiers printed from 2021 to 2025: G1 waives 100% of tuition, G2 50%, G3 25% and G4 nothing. The live FAQ now says waivers range from 10% to 100% at each institute's discretion. Accommodation and food are always paid by the student.
Do I need PRAGATII for a fee waiver?
No. The official fee-waiver page said PRAGATII was not compulsory for a tuition waiver; the live FAQ says institutes decide waivers on previous academic scores.
Does a fee waiver cover hostel costs?
No. Every official version of the fee-waiver page says accommodation and canteen costs are paid by the student.
Can NRIs get the Study in India scholarship?
No. The live FAQ says NRIs can apply to the programme but are not eligible for the SII Scholarship.
How much does it cost to live in India as a student?
The Study in India FAQ gives about USD 400 a month excluding tuition: roughly USD 150 accommodation, USD 100 food and the rest on transport, personal costs and supplies.
Was the scholarship available for PhD?
No. Every version of the scholarship page limited it to UG and PG courses.
More in this series
- Is PRAGATII still held? 2020–2026
- PRAGATII pattern and the official mock
- Study in India portal: steps and dates
- Who could sit PRAGATII: countries, NRI, OCI
- After PRAGATII: Study in India vs ICCR vs DASA
- PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) news and alerts
- PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) exam alerts and updates
- Parental advice for PRAGATII preparation
- PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) previous year papers
Sources
- official — Study in India — Scholarship and fee waivers 2020-21 (Wayback, 16 Oct 2021)
- official — Study in India — Scholarship sub-page (Wayback, 2021)
- official — Study in India — Fee Waiver sub-page (Wayback, 2021)
- official — Study in India — Scholarship and fee waivers, USD 3200 (Wayback, 28 Nov 2022)
- official — Study in India — Scholarship and fee waivers, G1–G4 only (Wayback, 24 Sep 2023)
- official — Study in India — FAQ (Wayback, 6 Apr 2024)
- official — Study in India — "Study in India" programme page (Wayback, 28 Oct 2025)
- official — Study in India — Fee waivers page (Wayback, 17 Oct 2025)
- official — Study in India — FAQ (live, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- official — PIB — Study in India programme, Rajya Sabha written reply (23 Mar 2018)
- official — Study in India — Partner institute scholarship, "not offering" notice (Wayback, 20 May 2022)
- official — Study in India — PRAGATII exam page, 31 July 2022 schedule (Wayback, 28 Nov 2022)
- official — GGSIPU — admission brochure for international students 2026-27
- official — University of Allahabad — international students admission notice 2026-27
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
