Scholarships and Bursaries at Bangalore International Schools

Bangalore · Fees

# Scholarships and Bursaries at Bangalore International Schools

Bangalore's international school market runs on full-fee parents. Premium IB schools charge USD 15,000 to 30,000 per child per year at the senior end, funded by employer education allowances or, for Indian families, out of pocket. Scholarships exist but are narrow, competitive, and almost always pointed at Indian-national high-achievers entering the IB Diploma. Sibling discounts of 5 to 10 percent and the Karnataka RTE 25 percent EWS quota at affiliated schools fill the gap in different ways. None of it lowers the headline fee for expat families.

How scholarships work in Bangalore

International schools in Bangalore are private, unaided institutions. They take no government funding outside the Karnataka RTE framework, and the premium IB schools relocating families shortlist sit outside that framework. Fee revenue funds everything.

Awards fall into three groups. Merit scholarships recruit Indian students who will lift the school's IB DP cohort. Need-based bursaries are rare and rarely advertised; where they exist they run on confidential application to the head. Structural discounts (sibling, early-payment, corporate-tie-up) are the most accessible form of relief but are not scholarships in the merit sense.

Schools with published programmes

The schools below publish scholarship information on the website or in admissions packs. Stonehill, Oakridge and Mallya Aditi consider discretionary applications without running a named open programme.

Coverage bands are the published or historically awarded ranges. Most awards in practice land mid-band, not at the ceiling.

Merit scholarships

Eligibility is Indian nationals almost everywhere. A handful of schools accept Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders; few accept expat passport holders. Applicants must already meet the school's standard entry bar.

Assessment runs in three parts. A written test at the school covers English, mathematics and reasoning roughly one year ahead of the applicant's current grade. An interview with the head or the IB coordinator weighs more than the test score at most schools. A portfolio or short essay, where required, surfaces motivation rather than polish.

The "100% of tuition" headline covers tuition only. Admission fees (INR 1 to 2 lakh), capital levies (INR 2 to 5 lakh, non-refundable), transport, IB exam fees, uniforms and trips remain payable. A family with a 100 percent tuition scholarship at TISB or Indus still writes a year-one cheque of INR 3 to 6 lakh.

Continuation is conditional on a minimum predicted IB score (typically 36 to 38) and sustained term-by-term performance. A scholarship withdrawn after Year 1 is unusual; the student moves to full-fee terms rather than losing the place.

Bursaries

Need-based bursaries in Bangalore are limited and handled quietly. Only Inventure Academy and Canadian International School explicitly mention discretionary need-based assistance alongside the merit track. Both run on confidential application: a written request, supporting income and asset documents, and a committee review. Awards are partial in almost every case (25 to 60 percent of tuition) and reviewed annually.

A handful of mid-tier schools, including Greenwood High and Trio World, consider hardship cases for existing students whose family circumstances change after enrolment. This is a continuity mechanism, not a route into the school.

Expat families on local-plus contracts or self-funded postings rarely find a published bursary that fits. A corporate-tie-up rate or a fee reduction negotiated into a relocation package is the usual path.

Karnataka RTE: the 25 percent EWS quota

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 mandates that 25 percent of entry-class seats at unaided, non-minority private schools recognised under the Karnataka Education Act be reserved for children from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups, with the state reimbursing tuition at a per-child rate.

The rule applies to the broad layer of CBSE, ICSE and state-board affiliated schools across Bangalore. The premium IB schools sit outside the RTE framework, either as unaided institutions affiliated only to international boards (IB, Cambridge) without state recognition, or under minority-institution status. TISB, Indus, Inventure, Stonehill, CIS, Oakridge, Greenwood High, Trio World and Mallya Aditi do not admit students under RTE.

Where RTE does apply, the schools sit at the dual-curriculum and Indian-board end: Bangalore International School (some streams), Vidyashilp, Treamis, Deens Academy, NPS schools and similar. RTE seats are heavily oversubscribed and allocated by lottery through the Karnataka Education Department's annual portal (February to April). Expat families are not eligible.

Sibling and other discounts

• Sibling discount. Most schools offer 5 to 10 percent off tuition on the second and subsequent child enrolled concurrently. TISB, Indus, Inventure, Stonehill, CIS, Trio World and Greenwood High all publish a sibling rate in this band. The discount applies to the younger child and is withdrawn if only one sibling remains enrolled.
• Early-payment discount. A handful of schools offer 2 to 5 percent off for families paying annually rather than termly. The saving is small, the cheque is large, and the deposit is non-refundable mid-year.
• Corporate tie-up rate. Schools with preferred-corporate relationships (larger Bangalore tech employers, a few diplomatic missions) offer enrolment-fee waivers or modest tuition discounts to employees' children. Bands vary by agreement and are not published.
• Staff-child discount. Children of school staff attend at 25 to 100 percent of fees depending on the role.

Application timelines

The Bangalore academic year begins in April or June.

• September to November. Scholarship round opens. Some schools require the standard admission application to be submitted and accepted before the scholarship application is considered.
• November to January. Written assessments. Three to four hours on the school campus over one or two Saturdays. Some schools accept recent SAT, CAT4 or ISEE scores in lieu.
• January to February. Shortlist interviews with the head, the IB coordinator or a panel.
• February to March. Award letters issued. Families have a defined window, typically two weeks, to accept and pay the capital and admission components.

A family arriving in Bangalore in May or June for the next academic year has already missed the scholarship round at most schools. The realistic lead time is 18 months ahead of intended entry, and at least 12 months even where the school accepts late submissions.

At a glance: who gets what

Related reading

• International school fees in Bangalore
• Affordable international schools in Bangalore
• Best international schools in Bangalore
• International school admissions in Bangalore
• Cost of living in Bangalore

FAQs

Can expat children apply for scholarships at Bangalore international schools? Most published merit programmes are restricted to Indian nationals or OCI cardholders. A small number of schools consider expat applicants case by case, but awards are rare and almost always partial. A corporate education allowance remains the primary mechanism for expat families.

Are scholarships available at the IB Primary or Middle Years levels? Rarely. Awards concentrate at Grade 8 or 9 entry, or at IB DP entry in Grade 11.

How much of a "100% tuition scholarship" do families actually pay? Tuition only is covered. Admission fees, capital levies (INR 2 to 5 lakh, non-refundable), transport, IB exam fees, uniforms and trips remain payable. The year-one cheque at a premium IB school still runs INR 3 to 6 lakh.

Can scholarships be combined with sibling discounts? Policy varies. A few schools allow stacking; most apply the larger of the two and decline to compound. The school's offer letter is the operative document.

What happens if a scholarship student's grades fall? Awards are reviewed annually against an internal benchmark, usually the predicted IB score band. A first dip triggers a review and a written remediation plan; a second consecutive year below triggers reduction or withdrawal. The student keeps the place at full fees.

Sources

• Published scholarship pages and admissions packs for TISB, Indus International, CIS, Inventure, Stonehill, Trio World, Greenwood High, Oakridge and Mallya Aditi, accessed early 2026.
• Karnataka Education Department RTE portal and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
• ISG fee data for Bangalore (top-year tuition, capital levy, transport, admission fees).
• Corporate relocation agents in Bangalore (Crown, Santa Fe, K International) on preferred-corporate arrangements.
• Currency conversion: INR 83 = USD 1, indicative early-2026 rate.

Scholarship coverage, eligibility and timelines change year to year. Confirm current bands and deadlines with each school's admissions office before applying.