Students who wish to pursue graduation in India but are stuck due to financial constraints can look at the top government as well as private scholarships, collated by News18, that will help them follow their dreams.

News18 spoke to Anirudh Motwani, the founder and CEO of CollegeSearch – a platform for hunting colleges and courses — , who listed a few strategies which can help students save early for their education. “Start saving for your education early. This helps create a cushion which you can rely on. Additionally, students can explore paid internships and part-time opportunities, which not only provide financial support but also offer a chance to enhance their skills and practically apply their theoretical knowledge. Further, in India, there are a plethora of scholarships available based on one’s merit, financial needs, and extra co-curricular activities. While there are scholarships, which give access to a common pool of students, each college also has its own respective scholarship policy. It’s essential for students to research and identify the genuine and most suitable scholarships to support their undergraduate studies.”

Government Scholarships

It is usually seen that the number of students outnumber the scholarships available at big colleges with best infrastructure, resulting in a huge gap in accessibility to resources and tools. Being premium and limited, quality education often comes with a price tag and fierce competition.

“Financial assistance is provided to meritorious students having family incomes of less than Rs 4.5 lakh per annum to meet a part of their day-to-day expenses while pursuing higher studies. At present, the annual target is 82,000 scholarships per year (41,000 for boys and 41,000 for girls) which has been divided amongst the state education boards based on the state’s population in the age group of 18-25 years. However, considering the enrolments per year, the number of grants needs to be increased to make a larger impact. There is a disparity in accessibility of tools and resources for students widely. Bridging this gap is essential to ensure students have a wider access to funding opportunities,” said Motwani.

Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships For College And University Students

The government offers scholarship to 82,000 students every year. This only supports a section of the fee and is disbursed to students across educational boards. Around 50% of the slots for scholarships is reserved for women.

Who can apply: Students whose family income is less than Rs 4.5 lakh per annum can apply for the scholarship. Students should also be interested in studying in India-based colleges.

Selection procedure: Students will be selected based on their profile, including academics and social or economic needs.

Where to apply: education.gov.in.

Merit-Cum-Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses

This scholarship is offered by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. It is offered to students who wish to pursue professional courses. Both UG and PG level degrees are supported under the scholarship. Students get a maintenance allowance as well as a course fee of Rs 20,000 per annum or actual fee whichever is lesser.

Who can apply: Students willing to study a professional course and have 50% or more marks in their previous academic year can apply. Applicants need to have a family income of Rs 2.5 lakh or below.

Selection Procedure: Candidates need to secure admission in their colleges and meet other demands. They also need to fill in their forms in online scholarship management system and submit supporting documents.

Where to apply: Interested and eligible can apply at scholarships.gov.in.

Pragati Scholarship Scheme for Girls

This scholarship is offered by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to 4,000 girls every year. Students get a stipend of Rs 30,000 or the actual tuition fee, whichever is lesser. This is for female students only.

Who can apply: Female students who have a family income of Rs 8 lakh per annum of less can apply for the scholarship.

Selection Procedure: Students meeting all criteria are shortlisted based on their academic performance.

Where to apply: aicte-india.org.

AICTE runs a scheme called SAKSHAM under which it offers similar benefits with similar requirements. SAKSHAM scheme awards similar benefits to 1,000 differently-abled students.

State-Level Scholarships

Almost every state offers some standard scholarships including Mukhyamantri Yojana or Chief Minister scheme to support the education of students in that particular state. These scholarships consider marks obtained in board exams or state and national levels. Further, states also have pre- and post-matric scholarships as well.

Many states also have their own scholarships to support students from economically and socially backward communities in their areas. AP Ambedkar Vidya Nidhi scholarship series by the Telangana government is one such example.

AP Ambedkar Vidya Nidhi Scholarships for SC Students 2023

The scholarship by the Telangana government supports students from Scheduled Castes who wish to join a professional course. There are many sub-categories of scholarships as well. Students can choose the right one that suits their interests.

Who can apply: Students who have an annual income of Rs 1 to 2 lakh can apply for the scholarship. The applicant needs to be a resident of Andhra Pradesh or Telangana.

Selection procedure: Students will be selected based on their state of residence, merit, and needs, including social profile.

Where to apply: telanganaepass.cgg.gov.in/

Students can visit their respective state government websites to get more details.

Help Groups

NGOs and help groups across the country offer support to students who wish to continue their education and skilling initiatives. Some of the most well-known scholarships in this domain include Agha Khan International Scholarship, Sitaram Jindal scholarship, Sikh Human Development Foundation (SHDF), Azim Premji Foundation, Science Olympiad Foundation, Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation scholarships.

Swami Dayanand

Swami Dayanand Educational Foundation (SDEF) offers annual merit-cum-means scholarship for students who wish to pursue undergraduate degree courses in India. The scholarship is open for all undergraduate disciplines — BA, B. Com, B. Sc, BE, B. Tech, B. Arch, MBBS, B. Pharma, and any other (up to four years) undergraduate course.

Who can apply: Scholarship is offered to students who have secured 75% or above marks, and have an annual income of less than Rs 6 lakh. The amount depends on the rank obtained by students in state or central level entrance exams.

Where to apply: https://www.swamidayanand.org/scholarship-india

Selection procedure: As many as 300 students are selected based on merit and needs. Each profile is studied, including students’ academic documents, family income proofs and scholarship letters.

Corporations and firms

Organisations and co-corporations across India offer funding the future talent by expanding scholarships, fellowships, and training programmes. For example, HDFC Bank Parivartan’s educational crisis scholarship to Tata AIG Avanti fellowship to Saatoor scholarship to Keep India Smiling Foundational Scholarship by Colgate.

Most organisations have been running scholarships, which are offered almost annually. Further, if a parent works at an organisation, many firms offer scholarships and loans in India to support their children’s education. Some such scholarships from private sectors include —

Reliance Foundation Scholarship

Reliance Foundation offers scholarships for both undergraduate and postgraduate students from across India to study in an American university. It is a merit-cum-means based scholarship.

Who can apply: Students with a household income of under Rs 15 lakh who are enrolled in the first year of their undergraduate studies pursuing any subject can apply. The programme also aims to encourage girls and specially-abled students to apply.

Selection procedure: The candidates have to first fill in an application form and then appear for the aptitude test. For the postgraduate-level scholarships, a second round of interview will also be held. Applications will be evaluated using a combination of aptitude test score, academic and personal information.

Where to Apply: Interested can apply for the scholarship at scholarships.reliancefoundation.org.

Coal India Limited Scholarship

Candidates who wish to study an undergraduate degree in government-funded engineering and medical colleges can apply for the scholarship. The scholarship covers the entire tuition fee as well as hostel accommodation charges.

Who can apply: Students who have gained admission in government-funded institutes and are 25 years or younger can apply.

Selection procedure: Candidates will be selected based on the ranks obtained in entrance exams.

Where to apply: https://www.centralcoalfields.in/indsk/frmsfrmt.php