Difference Between Scholarship and Fellowship

Introduction

Scholarship and fellowship words are used simultaneously, but what is the difference between scholarship and fellowship? Many get scholarships to go abroad or to study at another university. It’s a merit-based paid privilege. There are various scholarships that we need to apply for to get selected. Some scholarships are offered by universities and by the government. Around the world, several governments and organisations conduct programmes to support meritorious and underprivileged students in completing their education. The student must meet specific requirements to be eligible for these programmes. So when we speak about scholarships and fellowships, we interpret financial aid. But how exactly are these two different? Let’s find out!

Scholarship vs fellowship

In contrast to fellowships, which are intended for post-graduates, scholarships are a type of financial aid that provides money to college students to pay their tuition and fees. Need-based scholarships are granted to college students based on their family contribution, or the money the family can afford to contribute towards the student’s educational expenses. Merit-based scholarships, on the other hand, are determined by a student’s skills, interests, or past accomplishments.

A fellowship is a merit-based scholarship reserved only for post-graduates studying in an academic field by providing their fellows with a financial stipend by associations, organisations, institutions, or government support fellowships. The main difference between fellowship and scholarship funding is that fellowships do not require you to work for them. Fellowship funding requires students to participate in a study or research project to get financial aid,

Difference between scholarship and fellowship in tabular form

Parameters	Scholarship	Fellowship
Definition	From the beginning of my career	You have to work for a stipend
Based on	Merits and needs	Not applicable to an early academic career.
After effect	You have to work for stipend	From the beginning of my career
	Merit-based scholarship for postgraduate students.	Fellowships support academic research and living expenses.
Time	Not applicable to an early academic career.	It cannot be extended
Given to whom	To students	To experienced graduates
Organisations	It cannot be extended	Scholarships support higher education and tuition fees.
Extension	Can be extended	Cannot be extended

What is a scholarship?

A scholarship is a form of financial award given to students in acknowledgement of their academic achievements. It is a type of financial assistance provided to students by the government, colleges, or other organisations to support their academic progress. The criteria used to choose recipients reveal the government’s intent. The grantor specifies the application process for a scholarship. More scholarships granted by nations and states may be available to students who enrolled full-time, have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least a B, and have financial need.

The fact that these monetary incentives are not repaid sets them apart from student loans.

Merit-based scholarships are granted according to your extracurricular or academic accomplishments, such as good grades, test scores, athletic or creative achievements, or community service. These awards recognise the potential, promote achievement, and typically have strict eligibility requirements for applicants.

Need-based scholarships

On the other hand, are given out on your financial need. As a result, factors like your family’s income, assets, and other conditions that can affect your capacity to pay for college are accounted for when determining your eligibility.

Merit-based

Standardised test scores like the ACT or SAT determine the selection of recipients of academic scholarships, along with a minimum grade point average.

Athletic

A student’s athletic performance is typically accounted for when awarding an athletic scholarship and then used to attract top athletes to join the school’s sports teams.

Merit scholarships can be awarded based on several factors, such as proficiency in a particular academic topic, membership in a club, or community work.

Student-based scholarships

These are awards for which candidates must be eligible based on criteria specific to each applicant, such as gender, race, religion, family background, and medical history. The most frequent prizes in this category are minority scholarships.

Career-specific scholarships

Career-specific scholarships are offered by a college or a university to those who want to pursue research in an area of study. The most significant scholarships frequently go to those who opt for employment in fields of high demand, like teaching or nursing.

College-specific

Colleges and universities provide highly qualified candidates with college-specific scholarships. These grants are issued based on the recipients’ academic and personal achievements.

Brand

A company funds these scholarships to promote its brand or a charitable cause. These awards are referred to as branded scholarships.

Creative Scholarships

Creative Scholarships provides funds to students based on their innovative submissions in a contest. Scholarships for contests, sometimes known as mini-projects, allow students to submit entries based on original and creative concepts.

Some of the notable scholarships are

• Chevening scholarship
• Erasmus Mundus
• Commonwealth Scholarship
• Coca-cola scholarship
• Gates Cambridge scholarship

Benefits of a scholarship

• Regardless of where you are in the world, higher education is quite expensive, even while it considerably improves your prospects of living a better life. The possibility to bridge the funding gap between your higher education budget and rising tuition costs by scholarships.
• A scholarship is necessary since it might ease the stress of achieving your higher education goals. The majority of families may not be able to afford to send their kids to college, but anyone who fulfils the requirements for a scholarship can attend college.
• Many scholarship recipients have established long-lasting, mutually beneficial connections.

Notable scholarships in India

• The Inlaks scholarship is one of the most well-known undergraduate grants for Indian students. Students who wish to enrol full-time in esteemed American, British, and European universities are eligible for these scholarships.
• Chinese Government Scholarships:

Indian students may apply for full-time courses at Chinese colleges through the Chinese-Indian cultural exchange initiative. To be eligible to apply for these scholarships, students must have completed their 12^th grade and passed the entrance exams.

• For Indian students, Wilfrid Laurier University provides several international scholarships. To be eligible to apply for the award, students must have passed their 12^th-grade exams. However, there are strict requirements, including a class 12 grade of at least 80% and exceptional results on English language proficiency tests.

• The Commonwealth Scholarship is open to overseas students from Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, and Belgium. The British Council provides the merit-based Commonwealth Scholarship.
• Students must be citizens of a Commonwealth nation to be eligible to apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship. The financial aid provided by the Commonwealth Scholarship is accessible for the whole length of the course.
• Around 1,400 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in various fields and from all nations receive yearly financial aid from the Heinrich Boll Foundation scholarships in Germany. It provides all students pursuing academic degrees at German universities or art/applied science universities.

What is a fellowship?

Fellowship means a financial reward provided to academics to support their academic endeavours. For advanced study in an academic field, fellowships are often merit-based scholarships.

Graduate students or post-graduate scholars typically compete for fellowships, and fellows are chosen based on their potential to make a significant, effective contribution to their academic discipline.

Types of fellowships

Graduate fellowships

These fellowships provide graduate students to help cover expenses like tuition that connect to their studies. The cost of living, health insurance, and occasionally costs associated with professional development are all additional benefits that fellowships may entail.

Medical fellowships

Physicians who have finished medical school and a residency in their field of medicine are only eligible for these fellowships. Doctors interested in pursuing more training in a particular specialisation, so they can become experts in that field are known as medical fellows.

Postdoctoral fellowships

These fellowships are intended for people who just received their doctorates but would like more time to spend on learning and researching. Some postdoctoral fellowships offer money for in-depth courses in a particular academic field.

Depending on the type of fellowship and the guidelines of the sponsoring institution, an academic fellowship may end after different periods. A fellowship will run for at least a year, if not longer; some year-long fellowships are renewed if the fellow still meets the eligibility standards after the fellowship year has ended.

How to find fellowships?

Professors

Your instructors will be one of the best sources of information on fellowship programmes. Ask them if they are aware of any fellowship opportunities and if you may be a good fit.

Academic Counsellors

They have likely guided several students through internships and fellowships. Start establishing a rapport with your college counsellor so you may benefit from their connections to employers.

Benefits of a fellowship

• The purpose of a fellowship is to provide post-graduate students with financial aid so they can follow their intellectual goals. These students have the chance to engage in research or study that may advance their field of study. Fellows may be able to use additional research facilities or get financial aid that may not be available through other scholarship programmes.

• Furthermore, fellowships go beyond financial needs and enable students to pursue graduate studies, training, or research without any financial restrictions, in contrast to scholarships, which are often only used for tuition.
• The fund from fellowships is used to further their studies or research. Grants provide financial assistance to people as well. However, grant funds are solely usable for students’ educational expenses.
• You can use cutting-edge equipment and technology if you receive a fellowship.
• You will benefit from this expertise throughout your career, regardless of how long the project you apply for is expected to last.
• There are both free and paid fellowship options. Getting paid to do what you love might be a bonus, even though unpaid opportunities are unquestionably worthwhile for the experience.

Demerits of a fellowship

• It’s essential to be well-organized and to have a solid work ethic.
• Fellowships have specific rules and procedures that must be followed, so if you tend to put things off, this opportunity might not be for you.

Popular fellowships

• Knight-Hennessy Scholars Fellowship Stanford University provides up to 100 graduate degree programmes that are fully financed, along with joint and dual degrees. A living and academic stipend is given to Knight-Hennessy Scholars.
• The Govern for America (GFA) Fellowship is a two-year opportunity for recent graduates to work in high-impact positions in government organisations across the country.
• Ashoka University’s Young India Fellowship. It is to encourage experiential learning by making use of a variety of real-world projects from various industries. It is a residential 1-year PG liberal studies programme.
• The four-year competitive, Global Leadership Fellows Programme, is offered by the World Economic Forum. It was developed in partnership with six renowned groups, including Columbia School of the Arts, INSEAD, and London Business School. Every year, more than 6,000 applications are submitted for the fellowship programme, and only 20 are chosen. The fellowship specifically intends to support people who can help with the present issues facing a global community.
• The German Chancellor Fellowship for Tomorrow’s Leaders gives an intriguing opportunity to work on a project in cooperation with a host in Germany, specifically for people from the USA, India, Brazil, China, and Russia.

Main differences between scholarship and fellowship in points

• A scholarship is a financial aid provided to students, whereas a fellowship is provided to graduates and postgraduates to support their research.
• There are two types of scholarships; merit-based and need-based. Fellowships are only merit-based.
• The key distinction between fellowship and scholarship funding is that, unlike scholarships, stipends from fellowships do not require you to work for them.
• Only individuals who have earned an undergraduate degree are eligible for fellowships.
• Fellowships are only awarded to graduates with specific academic accomplishments or experience, whereas scholarships might be competitive.
• While some scholarships may require students to teach while they are in school, fellowship money demands that recipients participate in a study or research project to receive the fund.
• Scholarships often cover only tuition costs, however, fellowships go beyond financial needs and allow students to attend graduate school, train, or do research.

Conclusion

Scholarships and fellowships are both financial help. These help students and post-graduates to pursue their academic endeavours. Higher education is costly, so these help people to go further without their financial situation holding them back. Scholarships and fellowships in a way contribute to scientific achievements. Encouraging individuals with financial help motivate them to work harder and achieve their goals, which helps the world to make amazing discoveries.