What is the Difference Between Fellowship and Scholarship?

The main difference between a fellowship and a scholarship lies in their purpose, target audience, and funding duration. Here are the key differences:

1. Target Audience: Scholarships typically support all students, including undergraduate and graduate students, while fellowships usually fund graduate students and postgraduate researchers.
2. Purpose: Scholarships are generally awarded for academic achievement or financial need, and they often cover tuition and related expenses. Fellowships, on the other hand, are merit-based and typically support doctoral research in specialized areas. They provide funding for research or study that could potentially contribute to the advancement of a field.
3. Funding Duration: Scholarships are typically awarded for a single year and offer a set amount of aid. In contrast, fellowships often cover tuition costs and provide a monthly stipend for a specified period, such as a few weeks, months, or even years.
4. Award Amount: Fellowships generally offer more money than scholarships.
5. Discretionary Funding: Fellowship funding is often discretionary for student awardees to use as they see fit to support themselves while pursuing graduate study, whereas scholarships usually must be applied directly to tuition and related expenses.
6. Organizations: Fellowships typically come from colleges and universities, government agencies, and foundations, while scholarships can be offered by a wider range of organizations, including countries, states, and private donors.

In summary, scholarships are generally aimed at supporting academic achievement and financial need, while fellowships focus on funding research and specialized projects for graduate and postgraduate students.

Comparative Table: Fellowship vs Scholarship

Here is a table highlighting the differences between fellowships and scholarships:

Fellowships are typically awarded to graduate students and researchers, while scholarships are available for both undergraduate and graduate students. Fellowships are generally more long-term and offer more funding than scholarships, which are usually short-term and cover a single year.