Summary
The UK has long been a beacon for international students from the Global South — especially those dependent on full scholarships to pursue graduate study. But recent funding cutbacks have made that dream far more exclusive. In this blog, I explore the emotional and systemic impact of shrinking UK scholarships through the lens of Arundhati Roy — a writer and activist who reminds us that education, when filtered by class and borders, becomes a privilege, not a right.
In 1997, Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things exploded into the literary scene — a haunting, lyrical tale of caste, love, loss, and injustice. It was not just a novel; it was a mirror held up to the system.
Today, that mirror reflects something else. Something quieter, but just as brutal:
The silent disappearance of scholarships in the UK for students from the Global South.
This isn’t front-page news. No protests. No fiery tweets. But in the inboxes of thousands of students from India, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, rejection letters are arriving faster than hope can recover.
The Cutbacks Are Real — and Strategic
In 2024, the UK government reduced funding for the Chevening Scholarship program by 18%, citing inflation, cost pressures, and “post-Brexit fiscal prioritization.”
That same year:
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarships were cut by 21%
- University-specific full rides (like the Gates Cambridge or Rhodes for non-core regions) became more selective, or paused entirely
- DfID-funded development fellowships for South Asia were frozen indefinitely
The message is clear: We’re open to talent, but only if you can afford it.
And that’s the problem.
The Global South Needs Education — Not Rejection
For many students from less privileged regions, a UK scholarship isn’t just financial aid — it’s a lifeline.
It means:
- Escaping war or economic instability
- Studying in fields that can uplift entire communities (public health, climate policy, human rights)
- Gaining access to networks, ideas, and global citizenship
Arundhati Roy once said:
“There’s really no such thing as the ‘voiceless’. There are only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard.”
These scholarship cuts are silencing a generation — not with censorship, but with spreadsheets.
The Stats They Don’t Want You to See
- In 2020, 1 in 4 postgraduate international students in the UK came with a scholarship
- In 2024, it dropped to 1 in 11
- In India, applications to UK scholarships have risen 62% since 2022, but awards have dropped by 35%
- In 2025, fewer than 300 fully funded Chevening awards will be given globally — down from 1,650 in 2016
Meanwhile, UK universities increased tuition for non-EU students by 8–12%, citing inflation and administrative costs.
The math is cruel. The optics are worse.
What This Does to Applicants Emotionally
Let’s talk about the human cost.
- A tribal student from Odisha who got into SOAS but lost funding last-minute
- A Fulbright shortlist candidate from Lahore now working retail to save for tuition
- A climate scholar from Nairobi whose conditional Oxford offer expired with no fund support
Their stories don’t make headlines. But they’re everywhere — in forums, DMs, and broken WhatsApp chats.
Scholarships were never charity. They were investments in human capital.
Cutting them means cutting impact.
Why the UK Is Doing This
- Post-Brexit Realignment
Britain’s foreign aid and education diplomacy has shrunk. EU ties broke, and so did educational commitments. - Domestic Pressure
Local taxpayers often question “why fund foreign students?” especially during NHS crises and inflation. - Pivot to Revenue Model
International students now bring in over £25 billion annually to the UK. Self-funded students = higher profits. - Privatization of Impact
Scholarships are being replaced by loans, alumni funds, and vague “merit-based discounts.”
But here’s the thing: Not everything can be privatized. Especially access.
The Roy Lens: Story as Resistance
Arundhati Roy’s power has always come from telling uncomfortable truths — about who gets seen, and who gets erased.
If she were a student today — Dalit, female, political, activist — would she even get funded?
Would her raw honesty be filtered out by “professional polish” algorithms? Would her background be deemed too radical for a UK visa?
Roy’s story would still matter. But it may not have a seat in the seminar room.
And that’s a loss not just for her, but for academia itself.
What Can Be Done?
- Push for Transparency
Many scholarships don’t publicly release criteria or rejection reasons. That must change. - University-Led Reform
Schools like UCL and Edinburgh have started crowdfunding small scholarships from alumni. More must follow. - NGO Partnerships
Collaborations with development orgs can revive South-South and South-North scholarships. - India-Led Programs
India, too, must step up with reverse scholarships for outbound students. Education diplomacy works both ways. - Narrative Work
Students need to share their rejections, not hide them. The silence is killing visibility.
Closing Thoughts
A scholarship is not a gift. It’s a contract — between the future and the present.
When the UK cuts funding, it’s not saving money. It’s breaking that contract.
And when stories like Arundhati Roy’s become exceptions instead of possibilities, we must ask: Who is education really for?
If the system only allows the rich, the polished, and the passport-strong to rise, then it’s not meritocracy. It’s a monarchy.
Let’s not let the God of Small Dreams die quietly.
Glossary
- Chevening Scholarship: UK’s flagship global scholarship for master’s students
- DfID: UK’s Department for International Development
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship: For low-income Commonwealth citizens
- Education Diplomacy: Use of scholarships and academic exchange to build international relations
- Merit-based Discount: Partial fee waivers granted for strong academic profiles
