Felix Scholarships

Thanks to the generosity of the Felix Scholarship Trust, Felix Scholarships are available to Indian nationals with first class degrees to pursue postgraduate studies at SOAS University of London. 

The Felix Scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees, living costs and a return air fare.

Eligible programmes

Any full time PhD programme or taught masters programme. Part-time programmes are not eligible. 

Candidate criteria

Candidates must:

• Be Indian nationals not currently living or studying outside of India.
• Have at least a first class bachelors degree from an Indian university or comparable institution. We may give priority to applicants with a higher first class bachelors degrees.
  • Exceptionally, those with an upper second-class degree at the bachelors level may be considered if they hold a first class degree at the masters level.
• Demonstrate financial need.

Candidates must not:

• Have previously studied for 1 year or more outside India.
• Hold degrees from universities outside India.
• Hold a masters degree if applying for a masters degree scholarship.
• Hold a PhD if applying for a PhD scholarship.
• Have already taken up a scholarship to pursue PhD studies at an Indian University.

Felix Master's alumni who have obtained a distinction at masters may apply for a PhD Felix scholarship. Graduates are expected to return to work in their home country.

Candidate assessment

Candidates will be assessed on academic merit. Financial need will also be taken into consideration.

You will need to have a firm (unconditional) offer for your programme by the time the Scholarship Panel meet. If your offer is conditional on English, please arrange your English test and ensure you meet the English requirements as soon as possible. (Please note that this scholarship does not cover funding for pre-sessional courses.)

Application deadline

You must submit your application no later than 12 noon UK local time on 2 March 2026. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

You must submit a complete online application to your programme of study as soon as possible and then submit an electronic application for the scholarship.

Applicants applying for scholarships must also submit an application for admission well in advance. Please note that complete applications for admission can take up to 4 weeks to be considered by the department, although this duration can vary depending on the time of year. You should be prepared to wait up to 6 weeks in busy periods.

Notification of results

The Scholarships Office will notify only those who have been shortlisted by the SOAS Panel by March 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview with members of Felix Trust between April and May 2026. Please note that these interviews are not conducted by SOAS.

Successful candidates will be notified of the outcome by June 2026.

About the donor

The donor for the Felix Scholarship wishes to remain anonymous. The administration of the scholarship is conducted by the three partner universities (SOAS University of London, University of Oxford and University of Reading), with the support of the Felix Trustees and their agents in London.

The Felix Scholarships Trust website provides information on the scholarships and allows Felix alumni to stay in touch.