Scholarships INDIA

Applications for the academic year 2022-2023 are closed. The application forms for the next round of applications will be posted in mid-June 2024. Last year’s application forms are posted below as a sample.

Objective

SHDF provides scholarships for professional diploma, degree or postgraduate courses to bright students from low-income families in Punjab and other northern Indian states. The objective is to help them overcome the barrier that poverty creates in accessing higher education, and succeed in becoming self-reliant, employed professionals. 

Beneficiaries

Scholarship recipients include orphans, children of widows and of terminally sick parents, farmers who committed suicide, agricultural laborers, domestic servants, and other disadvantaged families. Most are from rural areas, living in extreme poverty. In 2023, 70% of our applicants had a family income of less than $110 a month. The average cost of a SHDF Scholarship is $550 per year per student.

Eligibility

Students are selected via a transparent and rigorous process, following strict guidelines for the awarding of scholarships. 

• Candidates should have gained admission or be studying in an accredited government or private institution (India only).
• Annual family income less than Rs. 300,000 (Approx. $300 a month)
• Obtained at least 60% marks in the previous final examination
• The Scholarship is open for Punjab and neighboring states including Delhi/NCR region.
• Distance learning/Correspondence course students are not eligible.

Qualifying Tests

A written test, followed by an interview is required for all eligible applicants for the selection process.

Our Operations

Since the beginning, we have partnered with Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council, a well-reputed NGO based in New Delhi. Nishkam headquarters houses staff financed by SHDF who run this program. Our ten centers (eight in Punjab, one in Delhi, and one in Karnal) are run by knowledgeable volunteers who maintain regular contact with educational institutions and potential recipients to implement the program effectively.

SHDF determines the rules and procedures, as well as selection criteria. Nishkam invites scholarship applications. A written test and interview are conducted and recommendations are then sent to SHDF. We review scholarship applications in detail and allocate the amount of need-based scholarship for each applicant.

Achievements

For the academic year 2022-23, SHDF has provided a record 1460 scholarships. Since its inception, SHDF has granted a total of 11,025 scholarships. For the 2023-24 academic year, our goal is to provide 1800 scholarships. With that, the total number of scholarships granted will have reached 12,825.

Funds over $5 million have been disbursed for scholarships.

Many graduates have found professional jobs in varied fields including architecture, engineering, healthcare, information technology, education, law and medicine among others.

SHDF Scholarships have transformed the lives of recipients, helping them become economically independent, helping secure their future and those of their families and communities.