Malaysia International Scholarship: Options for Indians

17 min read · Published on August 12, 2026 · Updated on August 12, 2026

India qualifies for the Malaysia International Scholarship, or MIS, but its 2026 application round is closed, and many current university scholarships only reduce tuition. An Indian applicant needs to match the award to the study level and then separate tuition support from cash that can pay rent, food and arrival costs. A 30% tuition waiver still leaves 70% of tuition and the complete living budget with the family.

Malaysia also has the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme Scholarship, or MTCP. It isn’t MIS under another name. MTCP is a separate master’s award run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and its 2026 round is also closed. As of 12 August 2026, the usable deadlines are mainly at individual universities.

Are MIS and MTCP open to Indian students in 2026?

Indian citizens are eligible for both government schemes, but neither is accepting 2026 applications now. The MIS portal marks its cycle closed, while the MTCP 2026 guidelines gave an application period from 4 May to 12 June 2026. No official 2027 dates were available on 12 August 2026.

The matrix below is a shortlist by study level, not a promise of selection. It shows whether the award gives money for living costs or only changes the tuition invoice. A separate column shows whether a scholarship application is needed, because an admission offer alone doesn’t create funding.

Which scholarship fits your stage now?Checked 12 August 2026. Green has a usable application route, amber needs a later cycle or narrower fit, and red is not an Indian entry award.

Award	Study level and applicant stage	Status on 12 August 2026	Tuition support	Living cash and timing	Funding action
MIS 2026	New or current full-time master’s and PhD student with at least two semesters left	Closed	Full tuition during sponsorship	RM1,500 per month, released every four months after a progress report	Separate MIS application
MTCP 2026	New full-time master’s student for the September or October 2026 intake	Closed	Full tuition during sponsorship	Monthly allowance to a Malaysian bank account, amount not stated in the 2026 official documents	Separate MTCP application after starting the university application
UPM International Graduate Student Scholarship	New or first-semester international PhD student	Open until 31 August 2026	30% to 50% for up to six semesters	No stipend stated	Portal application with supervisor and faculty support
USM Graduate Scholarship	New international research PhD student with a full offer and no registration yet	Open until 1 September 2026 at 5 pm	First and second semester tuition, approved one semester at a time	No stipend stated	Separate scholarship application
UM and Pearson PTE Scholarship	Current or prospective international UM student	Open until 31 December 2026	£3,000 contribution towards tuition	No stipend stated	Competition entry with two written answers
Taylor’s Research Excellence Scholarships	Research master’s or PhD applicant, with scheme-specific academic and publication rules	Applications accepted throughout the year, subject to admission and scholarship cut-offs	Up to 100% tuition for the stated normal period	RM1,500 to RM3,200 per month under Schemes B, A and A Plus. Scheme C has no stipend	Separate scholarship application and interview
Nottingham Malaysia taught postgraduate Excellence Scholarship	New full-time taught master’s student with the required academic result	Automatic consideration with an eligible offer	20% for the full programme	No stipend	No separate form
Nottingham and Monash ASEAN awards	Nationals of the named ASEAN countries	Not available to Indian nationals	Not applicable	Not applicable	Do not shortlist for an Indian passport

The live university dates above come from the UPM first-semester 2026/27 call, USM’s 2026 notice, the Pearson and UM award page, and Taylor’s research scholarship page. A closed award can still guide the documents for its next edition, but its 2026 dates must not be copied into a 2027 plan.

UPM’s International Graduate Student Scholarship is the clearest live public-university entry route in the matrix. It is for PhD students, and South Asia is an eligible region. The award is partial rather than complete, so the offer remains expensive unless the family can pay the unwaived tuition and every living cost.

USM’s Graduate Scholarship is narrower again. It accepts an international applicant only for a research PhD, requires a full admission offer and says the student must not have registered. Its 1 September deadline is therefore useful only when the admission decision and supervisor evidence are already in place.

The UM and Pearson award can help a wider set of international students, but £3,000 is a fixed tuition contribution. It isn’t a substitute for the full tuition invoice or a living allowance. Taylor’s research schemes can cover both categories, although the exact cash support depends on which scheme the project and academic record qualify for.

Who qualified for the Malaysia International Scholarship in 2026?

India qualified through the Commonwealth country group, but MIS 2026 was limited to full-time master’s and PhD study at 24 named institutions. It wasn’t an undergraduate scholarship. The official MIS 2026 guidelines allowed new applicants and current full-time postgraduates who still had at least two semesters remaining.

Eligibility item	Master’s route	PhD route	What the Indian applicant had to provide
Age at application	Not more than 40	Not more than 45	Certified passport copy with at least six months’ validity
Academic result	CGPA 3.00, Second Class Upper or higher at bachelor’s level	CGPA 3.00 or excellent results in a related master’s	Certified transcripts and an official grading-system document if the transcript lacks CGPA, marks or percentile information
English evidence	IELTS 6.0, TOEFL PBT 550 or equivalent, or an official letter confirming English as the medium of instruction for the previous degree		Certified result or university declaration
Research proposal	At least 1,000 words for a master’s by research	At least 1,000 words	Proposal relevant to the intended field
Other documents	Two referee letters, CV, admission letter if already admitted or studying, and certified English translations where needed		One complete PDF-based portal file

The institution list matters as much as the nationality list. MIS 2026 named 20 public universities and only four private institutions, UTP, UNITEN, MMU and INCEIF. A foreign branch campus in Malaysia didn’t become MIS-eligible because its parent university is well known. The exact institution had to appear in the scholarship guideline.

The English-medium route is also evidence-based. An Indian applicant whose degree was taught in English needed an official declaration from the awarding university. A personal statement or a general assumption about Indian higher education didn’t replace that document. Research applicants had another substantial task because the proposal had to reach at least 1,000 words and fit the intended field.

Current students had to read the calendar carefully. A student with one semester remaining didn’t meet the two-semester rule, even if every academic condition was satisfied. The remaining study period was therefore an eligibility condition, not merely an administrative detail.

It is the responsibility of the scholars to confirm their admission to the university.
Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, MIS 2026 guidelines

MIS also excluded medicine, nursing and pharmacy from its Health and Welfare priority area. Applicants could choose other accredited courses, with preference given to the listed fields and to strong academic, co-curricular and research evidence.

What did MIS pay, and which costs stayed with the student?

MIS paid tuition and a living allowance, but it did not publish a complete arrival-cost package. Tuition went directly to the university after the Ministry received an invoice. The living allowance accrued at RM1,500 a month and was paid in four-month blocks after the scholar submitted a progress report.

RM 1,500.00 per month will be paid to the scholars every four (4) months.
Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, MIS 2026 guidelines

Four months of MIS allowance equals RM6,000, but that isn’t the same as having RM1,500 in the bank on arrival. A scholar needs enough cash for rent, food and local transport until the first block is released. The award terms don’t list airfare, the Student Pass, medical screening, insurance, accommodation, a personal bond or dependant support as benefits.

Universiti Malaya’s international student living-cost page gives a broad RM1,500 to RM2,600 monthly estimate outside tuition. MIS therefore sits at the bottom of that official Kuala Lumpur range before flights, visa costs or emergencies are added. A scholar living near the higher end needs family funds or another permitted source of support.

MIS arrival reserve = visa and EMGS costs + travel + housing deposit + living costs until the first RM6,000 block

A student spending RM2,000 a month would need RM8,000 for four months of living before adding the visa, travel and housing deposit. This is a planning calculation, not an MIS rule. The award letter’s actual payment date decides how much of that reserve is needed.

How was MTCP different from MIS in 2026?

MTCP was a separate master’s-only award with flight support and a different application sequence. India appeared in the official recipient-country list. The award covered a 24-month coursework master’s or a 36-month mixed-mode or research master’s for the September or October 2026 intake.

Decision	MIS 2026	MTCP 2026
Study level	Full-time master’s or PhD	Full-time master’s only
University document at submission	Admission letter if already admitted or currently studying	Full offer, conditional offer or proof of university application by the deadline. A valid full offer was needed for the award
Tuition	Paid directly to the university	Paid directly to the university
Living support	RM1,500 monthly, paid every four months after progress reporting	Monthly allowance to a Malaysian bank account. The 2026 official documents did not state the amount
Flights	Not listed as a benefit	One economy flight to Malaysia and one return flight after completion
Costs named as the applicant’s responsibility	Visa and medical compliance	University application fee, visa and related expenses, and the medical examination
Other sponsorship	Award conditions apply	Applicants could apply for MIS too, but an MTCP scholar could not keep more than one sponsor

The official MTCP FAQ said applicants could upload a conditional offer or proof of application when the full offer was still pending. The full offer still had to arrive within the scholarship process. A document received after the 12 June deadline could not simply be added later.

This made MTCP possible to pursue before the university finished its decision, but it did not remove admission from the process. The applicant paid each university application fee and carried the risk of rejection. Only one valid full offer from a supported university was needed to complete the award requirement, even if the student had applied to several institutions.

The flight benefit changes the family budget in a way MIS doesn’t. MTCP named one economy journey from the nearest international airport to Malaysia at the start and a return journey after completion. The award didn’t say that every local connection, baggage charge or travel cost before ticketing would be reimbursed.

No. All application fees are borne entirely by the applicant.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia, MTCP 2026 FAQ

The monthly MTCP allowance amount is absent from the 2026 official guideline and FAQ. An applicant should use the amount written in the scholarship offer, not a figure copied from an older or third-party page.

How should admission and scholarship applications run together?

Admission and funding are two linked applications, and waiting to finish one before starting the other can miss a deadline. The university decides whether the student can join the course. The sponsor decides whether it will fund that admitted or prospective student.

Step	University admission action	Scholarship action	What changes next
1	Shortlist the exact programme, campus and intake	Match nationality, study level, field, institution and applicant stage	Ineligible awards and unsupported campuses leave the shortlist
2	Prepare transcripts, English evidence, proposal and application fee	Prepare referee letters, CV, sponsor forms, medical report or embassy letter where required	Both files can move before either decision arrives
3	Submit the programme application and record the offer expiry	Submit by the scholarship cut-off using the offer, conditional offer or proof permitted by that scheme	The funding file enters selection without losing the admission deadline
4	Resolve admission conditions but avoid registering early where the award forbids it	Attend any interview and disclose other funding	Award rules decide whether registration or another sponsor changes eligibility
5	Accept the course and complete EMGS and university registration by their deadlines	Accept the award and submit bank, visa or enrolment evidence needed for payment	Tuition can be credited and stipend processing can begin
6	Maintain enrolment and academic progress	Submit progress reports, publication evidence or renewal documents on time	The next semester or payment remains active

The route changes by award. Nottingham’s taught postgraduate award is considered automatically with admission. USM requires a full offer but no registration before its Graduate Scholarship. At Taylor’s, an international student who enrols before the scholarship decision must pay that semester’s fees. These differences make the official scholarship action more important than the word “automatic” or “available” on a university overview page.

The first three steps often happen together. A research applicant may contact a supervisor, submit the course application and prepare scholarship referees during the same week. The scholarship deadline controls when the funding file closes, while the offer expiry controls when the university expects acceptance or payment.

Visa timing can make the gap between those dates expensive. The Taylor’s scholarship guidance tells international applicants to allow 8 to 12 weeks for visa processing before the intake begins. If the scholarship result arrives after a student enrols, the student must bear that semester’s fees. A late funding decision can therefore create a real payment before travel even when a later award reduces tuition.

Registration is not a harmless final step. It changes eligibility for USM’s entry award, starts fee liability at Taylor’s if the scholarship decision is pending, and can be necessary before a current-student scheme such as UMSS becomes available. The student needs the exact award’s registration wording in writing before paying a non-refundable amount.

The final two steps decide whether the published benefit arrives. An international UM research assistant needs validated visa and pass documents before stipend payment. MIS needs a progress report before each four-month allowance block. A successful selection email is therefore the beginning of the payment process, not proof that money has reached the student’s account.

The application calendar needs three dates from the start, the scholarship closing date, the programme offer expiry and the university’s latest safe visa-submission date. When the scholarship allows proof of application, as MTCP did, there is no reason to wait for the final offer before preparing the funding file. When the award forbids registration, as USM does, paying early creates the opposite problem.

Which university scholarships fit each study level?

The strongest university fit depends on whether the student is entering after Class XII, taking a taught master’s, or building a research career. The awards below were open to international applicants or did not exclude them on the current official terms. Status and figures were checked on 12 August 2026.

Undergraduate and taught postgraduate awards

Award	Indian applicant fit	Published tuition benefit	Living allowance	Continuation or limitation
Nottingham Malaysia High Achiever’s Scholarship	New foundation or undergraduate applicant meeting the published school-result band	Foundation tuition reduction of 10% to 25%, or undergraduate first-year reduction of 15%, 20% or 25%	None	Automatic entry award. The undergraduate award covers the first year, not the full degree
Nottingham Malaysia taught postgraduate Excellence Scholarship	New full-time taught master’s applicant with a strong upper second-class equivalent result	20% for the full programme	None	Automatic consideration, satisfactory progression, and no recognised-prior-learning exemption
APU International Students Scholarships and Merit Awards	New international applicant with a listed school-leaver qualification	10%, 20% or 30% tuition reduction at the published A Level, O Level or IB bands	None stated	First come. The visible table does not publish Indian-board equivalents
UM and Pearson PTE Scholarship	Current or prospective international UM student	£3,000 towards tuition	None stated	Competition closes 31 December 2026 and is a contribution, not complete funding

The Nottingham scholarship policy calls its awards tuition-fee reductions and says they provide no stipend or allowance. The same rule prevents a large percentage from being mistaken for money that can pay the monthly cost of living in Malaysia.

Nottingham’s High Achiever award changes between study levels. Its foundation reduction can run from 10% to 25%, while the undergraduate award gives 15%, 20% or 25% for the first year. A student progressing into later undergraduate years cannot treat the first-year percentage as a whole-degree benefit.

The APU international merit page uses published A Level, O Level and IB result bands for its 10%, 20% and 30% awards. The live table does not show how an Indian board percentage maps to those bands. An Indian Class XII applicant therefore needs a written equivalence result from APU before entering a rebate in the budget.

The taught master’s option at Nottingham is simpler to understand. A qualifying offer triggers consideration for a 20% reduction across the programme, subject to the academic rule and progression. It still leaves 80% of tuition, every immigration charge and the full living budget.

Research master’s and PhD awards

Award	Applicant stage	Published funding	Normal funded period	Condition that can change the value
Monash University Malaysia GEMS	New PhD applicant for an advertised research topic	100% tuition, RM2,950 monthly in Malaysia, and RM9,000 for visa, insurance and travel	Tuition up to four years, stipend up to 42 months	RM200 registration and RM100 amenities each semester remain payable
Sunway Doctoral Studentship	PhD applicant with an unconditional full-time research offer	100% tuition including registration and resource fees, plus RM3,000 monthly	36 months	Year-one research milestones and satisfactory progress decide continuation
Taylor’s Scheme A Plus	PhD applicant in selected science, medical science, pharmaceutical science, engineering or computer science programmes	100% tuition, RM3,200 monthly and up to RM3,000 conference support	36 months	Two Scopus or Clarivate-indexed articles must be accepted before graduation. Enrolment and visa-related fees remain
Taylor’s Scheme B	Research master’s or PhD applicant meeting the scheme’s academic rules	100% tuition plus RM1,500 monthly for master’s or RM1,900 for PhD	24 months for master’s, 36 months for PhD	One indexed article must be accepted before graduation
Taylor’s Scheme C	Research master’s or PhD candidate accepted into a funded project or needed for teaching or tutoring	100% tuition only	24 months for master’s, 36 months for PhD	No stipend. One indexed article is required before graduation
MMU Achievers Research Scholarship	Research master’s or PhD applicant with a full offer but no registration	Named registration, programme, student-development, subject and thesis-examination fees	Two years for master’s, three years for PhD	No living, visa or miscellaneous allowance, no extension, and satisfactory progress each cycle

The Monash GEMS page, Sunway doctoral funding page, Taylor’s July 2026 scholarship brochure, and MMU’s 2026 international postgraduate schedule support those figures. Research funding is usually stronger than a taught-course discount, but it also brings project, supervisor, milestone or publication conditions.

Monash GEMS is the most complete itemised research package in this set. It covers tuition for up to four years, pays RM2,950 a month in Malaysia for up to 42 months and sets aside RM9,000 for visa, insurance and travel. It still names RM200 registration and RM100 amenities each semester as student costs, which shows why even a strong package needs an exclusions column.

Sunway’s Doctoral Studentship pairs RM3,000 a month with tuition, registration and resource fees for 36 months. The university checks more than a yearly grade. Its continuation conditions expect early doctoral progress, including proposal defence, ethics approval where applicable and the start of data collection during the first year.

Taylor’s offers several benefit levels within one research family. Scheme A Plus reaches RM3,200 a month but is limited to named science and technology fields and has a two-publication requirement. Scheme B covers research master’s and PhD study with a lower stipend. Scheme C pays tuition only and is tied to a funded project or a teaching or tutoring need.

MMU’s Achievers Research Scholarship covers a wide list of institutional fees, which makes it stronger than a bare tuition percentage. It publishes no living, visa or miscellaneous allowance, and it ends after two years for a master’s or three years for a PhD. A delay beyond that normal period belongs in the student’s own research reserve.

A current student has other routes. The Universiti Malaya Scholarship Scheme offers a grant-funded Graduate Research Assistant appointment with at least RM1,000 a month and possible tuition support for qualifying research students. An international student’s stipend starts only after validated visa and pass documents are received, and a file that misses payroll cut-off moves to the next payment cycle.

USM’s Graduate Horizon Scholarship is also a later-stage award. It offers up to RM5,000 for a one to three month overseas research attachment by an active research student. It does not fund entry tuition or ordinary monthly living costs.

That distinction separates entry funding from opportunities earned after enrolment. An applicant cannot use Graduate Horizon as proof that first-semester tuition is covered. A student can consider it later, after active registration, an eligible host invitation and the required institutional arrangement are in place.

Research applicants should also compare the funded period with the likely project period. A 36-month stipend stops after 36 months even when the thesis continues, unless the terms name an extension. Publication conditions add another dependency because graduation may require an accepted paper. The safest comparison records tuition duration, stipend duration and output conditions in separate columns.

Which study costs remain after a scholarship is awarded?

The unfunded amount is the student’s real affordability figure. A tuition waiver reduces the university invoice, while a stipend pays living costs. The two amounts cannot be combined as though they were one discount on the full cost of study.

Cash still needed = uncovered tuition + upfront study costs + living costs until first payment + monthly living shortfall

Take a UPM student awarded a 30% tuition waiver. The family still funds 70% of tuition, all living costs, visa charges, insurance, travel and deposits because IGSS publishes no stipend. If the same student receives a 50% waiver, only the tuition balance changes. Both cases need a living-cost plan.

Cost category	Why it can remain payable	Official example	What belongs in the family budget
University application fee	It is paid before selection and may be non-refundable	MTCP explicitly excludes application fees	Each university’s current application charge
Student Pass, medical and insurance	A tuition benefit does not pay immigration charges	MTCP excludes visa and related expenses. MIS does not list them as benefits	Current EMGS and university invoice
India personal bond	It is separate from normal processing charges	The EMGS bond schedule lists RM750 for India	Refundable cash with the exact return conditions
Flight	Only awards that name airfare pay it	MTCP names arrival and completion flights. MIS does not	Ticket cost and any payment or reimbursement gap
Registration and student fees	They can sit outside tuition	Monash GEMS leaves RM200 registration and RM100 per-semester amenities	Every non-tuition line on the offer invoice
Accommodation deposit and first rent	Housing is often due before a stipend starts	MIS releases allowance in four-month blocks after progress reporting	Deposit, first rent and the pre-payment living period
Research and repeat costs	Normal scholarship duration and first-attempt coverage can end	MMU gives no extension. Taylor’s excludes repeat subjects and thesis examinations	Delay, repeat and thesis reserve where the rules allow such charges

The Malaysia Student Pass and EMGS process determines when those immigration costs are due. The programme invoice and accommodation offer supply the remaining amounts. A scholarship email without both documents is not a complete first-year budget.

Arrival costs are unusually easy to miss because several are paid to different bodies. The university can collect its own fee, EMGS processes the Student Pass file, the insurer supplies medical cover, and the landlord can require a deposit. A tuition sponsor may never see those invoices.

The timing reserve must also use the award’s payment method. MIS needs a four-month view. UMSS can move a stipend to the next payroll cycle when documents arrive after cut-off. MTCP sends the allowance to a Malaysian bank account, so the student may need cash before the account and first payment are ready.

A family comparing the full study in Malaysia route should keep four columns in its budget, uncovered tuition, upfront charges, monthly shortfall and time until payment. A benefit entered in the wrong column can make a funded offer look affordable when the student still cannot pay the first rent.

Can a Malaysian scholarship be combined, reduced or withdrawn?

Most awards can be reduced or withdrawn when progress, programme or sponsorship conditions change, and stacking rules differ by sponsor. MIS and MTCP stop allowances during university suspension and require satisfactory progress. Both require written permission for a programme change, while MTCP also requires approval for paid work from the university and MTCP Secretariat.

The UPM International Graduate Student Scholarship does not accept another scholarship, financial assistance, income or employment at application, and UPM reviews progress annually. Nottingham generally allows one university scholarship and treats the award as a tuition reduction rather than cash. These conditions decide whether an applicant can add another source to the living budget.

Taylor’s allows one scholarship, bursary, award, waiver or external sponsorship at a time. A programme or intake change without approval can end the award and lead to repayment. USM makes a different kind of decision each semester. Its second-semester Graduate Scholarship needs satisfactory progress and a Q1 or Q2 Web of Science manuscript submission with the awardee in the stated author position.

Sunway ties doctoral continuation to progress and named first-year milestones, including proposal defence preparation, ethics approval where required and data collection. MMU limits the Achievers Research Scholarship to the normal two-year master’s or three-year PhD period and publishes no extension. A student whose project needs extra time must fund that extra period.

UMSS has a particularly clear repayment clause. Its current conditions state that breach, withdrawal or termination can require RM20,000 repayment for a master’s student or RM25,000 for a PhD student. The project, supervisor and publication plan therefore belong in the scholarship decision, not only in the academic decision.

Stacking is an award-specific question rather than a national rule. MTCP permits applications to both government schemes but does not permit two sponsors after selection. Nottingham usually limits the student to one university award. Taylor’s stops its scholarship when an external sponsorship is accepted and says the original award will not return if that external funding later ends.

Continuation can be reviewed by semester, by year or throughout the appointment. USM’s second-semester decision is tied to research progress and a manuscript submission. UPM reviews IGSS annually. MMU checks progress each cycle but provides no funded extension. The award duration in a brochure is therefore the maximum available period, not a promise that every recipient receives every semester.

Which international scholarships do not fit a typical Indian applicant?

Several awards shown on international scholarship pages are not available to an Indian national, or they fund a different applicant stage. Removing them early prevents a false funding plan.

Awards and benefits to remove from an Indian shortlistRed is not an Indian fit. Amber can fit only at a later stage or under a narrower condition.

Award or benefit	Why it looks relevant	Official restriction	Correct treatment
Nottingham ASEAN International Student Scholarship	Appears on an international scholarship page	Restricted to named ASEAN nationalities	Indian passport holders are not eligible
Monash ASEAN Scholarship	Provides extensive support at a Malaysian campus	Its nationality list contains the ASEAN states, not India	Do not count it in an Indian budget
YTL Foundation Sustainability Scholarship at UM	Appears on UM’s postgraduate funding page	The 2026 brochure requires MyKad	Treat as Malaysian-only unless YTL gives written confirmation
UCSI Graduate Research Assistantship stipend	Appears beside postgraduate funding	The official page labels the stipend route Malaysian-only	International students can consider UCSI’s Graduate Scholarship, but not this stipend
Taylor’s taught postgraduate High Achiever Scholarship for a degree earned in India	The scheme mentions international students	The general terms require the qualifying international result from an accredited institution in Malaysia	Use the research schemes or obtain scheme-specific written eligibility
USM Graduate Horizon Scholarship	Open to international research students	Requires active registration and funds an overseas attachment	Use after enrolment, not as entry tuition funding

The nationality exclusions come from the Nottingham undergraduate scholarship terms and Monash ASEAN Scholarship page. The narrower applicant rules appear in the YTL 2026 brochure, UCSI postgraduate funding page and Taylor’s scholarship terms. A page headed “international” can still contain a nationality, prior-institution or enrolment-stage restriction.

Programme choice still comes before the scholarship label. The Malaysian university and campus comparison separates public, private and foreign branch campuses, while the master’s routes in Malaysia show where admission requirements differ. A scholarship tied to the wrong level, campus or study mode has no value.

Key takeaways

Indian citizens were eligible for MIS and MTCP in 2026, but both government application rounds are closed as of 12 August 2026.
MIS paid full tuition and RM1,500 a month, but the allowance was released in RM6,000 four-month blocks after a progress report.
MTCP covered tuition and named arrival and completion flights, but its 2026 official documents did not publish the monthly allowance amount.
UPM IGSS and USM Graduate Scholarship are tuition awards with no published living stipend, so the family still needs a monthly cash plan.
Admission and scholarship applications run in parallel, and each award has its own rule on offers, registration, automatic assessment and separate forms.
ASEAN-labelled awards at Nottingham and Monash do not accept an Indian passport.

Frequently asked questions about Malaysia scholarships

Is the Malaysia International Scholarship open for Indian students?

Indian citizens were eligible for MIS 2026 through the Commonwealth country group, but the application cycle is now closed. The official portal had moved to interview-status checking by July 2026. No official 2027 dates were available on 12 August 2026, so the 2026 window should not be reused.

Does MIS cover all living costs in Malaysia?

MIS provides RM1,500 a month for living costs, released every four months after a progress report. That amount sits at the bottom of Universiti Malaya’s broad monthly estimate for an international student. It does not create cash for arrival before payment, and the guideline does not list accommodation or dependants as benefits.

Does the Malaysia International Scholarship pay for flights?

The MIS 2026 benefit section does not list airfare. It names tuition paid directly to the university and RM1,500 monthly living support. MTCP is the government award that explicitly names one economy arrival flight and one return flight after completion. Keep the two schemes separate when building a travel budget.

Can an undergraduate Indian student apply for MIS?

No. MIS 2026 was limited to full-time master’s and PhD study. Undergraduate applicants need a university award such as a tuition discount or merit scholarship. Those awards often cover only a percentage of tuition or the first year, with no money for living costs, visa charges or accommodation.

Can an Indian student apply for both MIS and MTCP?

An applicant could submit applications to both government schemes in 2026, but selection for both would not permit two sponsors. The MTCP FAQ says an MTCP scholar cannot hold more than one sponsor. University awards also have their own stacking rules, so disclose every award before accepting funding.

Can an Indian student get a full scholarship in Malaysia?

Yes, but “full” must be read against the benefit list. Monash GEMS, Sunway’s Doctoral Studentship and selected Taylor’s research schemes combine complete tuition support with a stipend. Even then, registration, amenities, visa or enrolment charges can remain. Taught-course awards are more often partial tuition reductions without living money.

Do Malaysian scholarships require a separate application?

Some do and some don’t. MIS, MTCP, UPM IGSS, USM and Taylor’s use separate scholarship actions. Nottingham’s main entry scholarships can be assessed automatically with an eligible admission application. Read the exact award process before registering because USM requires an offer but says the applicant must not yet have registered.