Is money the only thing standing between a bright mind and a bright future? Read Navjeevan Express

• Scholarships worth exploring can turn financial roadblocks into launchpads for talented students across India
• Navjeevan Express-Buddy4Study Scholarship Alert brings verified opportunities closer to students, parents and educators
• From school and ITI to MBA, engineering, postgraduate studies and professional photography, support spans diverse academic pathways
• Scholarship assistance ranges from targeted awards to programmes covering tuition, hostel, food and examination costs
• Students, parents, teachers and counsellors urged to look beyond marksheets and actively search for financial support before abandoning higher-education dreams

NE EDUCATION BUREAU

AHMEDABAD, SEPT 2

What if the next great engineer, management professional, researcher, photographer or social leader is sitting in a classroom today—not because of a lack of talent, but because the family cannot afford the next step? And what if the scholarship that could change that student’s life is already available, but remains undiscovered?

That is the question behind Navjeevan Express’ Scholarship Alert initiative, being presented in association with Buddy4Study, with a simple but powerful objective: to help ensure that financial hardship does not become a permanent barrier to academic excellence.

Across India, thousands of students with strong academic potential and ambitious career goals face the same dilemma every year—how to pay for higher education. For some, the answer may lie not in giving up the dream, but in knowing where to look for financial assistance.

The Scholarship Alert series seeks to bridge precisely that information gap by bringing together opportunities offered by educational institutions, philanthropic foundations, corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and leading organisations.

The message is equally important for parents, teachers, principals, educational institutions and career counsellors: identifying a scholarship should become as much a part of academic planning as choosing a course or college.

FROM CLASSROOM TO CAREER: SUPPORT AT MULTIPLE LEVELS

The opportunities highlighted in the current series cover a remarkably broad academic spectrum—from school education and vocational courses to undergraduate, postgraduate, management, technology and creative-professional programmes.

Among them is the Bajaj Finserv Scholarship Program FY 2026-27, aimed at high-potential students pursuing Management courses such as MBA/PGDM/PGP and Technology programmes including B.E./B.Tech. and M.E./M.Tech. The programme offers scholarship support of up to ₹10 lakh per year, potentially providing substantial assistance to students pursuing future-oriented careers.

For students from economically weaker sections continuing their education after school, the Tata Capital Pankh Scholarship Program 2026-27 offers financial assistance to meritorious students pursuing Classes 11 and 12, undergraduate, diploma and ITI courses at recognised institutions across India.

These programmes underline a crucial point: financial support need not begin only at the postgraduate level. Students can explore assistance at several stages of their academic journey.

MERIT MEETS OPPORTUNITY

The Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships seek to support meritorious students from across India in pursuing undergraduate education, enabling them to continue their studies, build professional careers and contribute to their families and communities.

At the postgraduate level, the Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships focus on developing future leaders who can “think big, think green, and think digital”, reflecting an emphasis on leadership, sustainability and technology.

For students looking for a route into professional education, these scholarships can represent more than financial assistance—they can provide the breathing space needed to concentrate on learning rather than constantly worrying about fees.

A SCHOLARSHIP THAT CAN CHANGE THE EQUATION

One particularly significant opportunity is the B.S. Abdur Rahman “India in a Classroom” Scholarship 2026-27, offered by B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai.

The programme offers 200 undergraduate scholarship seats to eligible SC, ST and Muslim students from across India, with support extending up to 100 per cent of tuition, hostel, food and examination fees, subject to income and academic-performance criteria.

For a deserving student whose family struggles to finance residential higher education, comprehensive support of this nature can potentially transform what appeared to be an unattainable educational goal into a realistic one.

OPENING MORE DOORS FOR GIRLS AND CREATIVE TALENT

The Mahindra EmpowerHer Scholarship Program 2026-27 focuses specifically on meritorious girl students belonging to SC, ST or OBC communities, covering students in Classes 9 to 12 as well as those pursuing general undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

The programme offers a fixed scholarship award of ₹5,500, providing targeted assistance to girls who might otherwise face financial pressures while continuing their education.

Financial barriers also affect students pursuing creative careers—fields that are sometimes overlooked in conventional scholarship searches.

The Nikon Scholarship Program 2026-27 addresses this space by offering assistance of up to ₹1 lakh to students pursuing professional photography courses of three months or more, helping aspiring photographers access specialised training without allowing cost to extinguish creative ambition.

FINANCE STUDENTS GET A LIFT TOO

The Raman Kant Munjal Scholarships 2026-27, an initiative of the Raman Kant Munjal Foundation supported by Hero FinCorp, seeks to assist first-year undergraduate students pursuing finance-related courses.

For students at the threshold of higher education, such support can make an important difference at precisely the point when families begin confronting the cumulative cost of tuition, books, accommodation and other educational expenses.

DON’T JUST ASK ‘WHAT CAN I AFFORD?’—ASK ‘WHAT SUPPORT CAN I FIND?’

The larger purpose of the Scholarship Alert initiative is to encourage a change in the way students and families approach higher education.

The first question after a student secures admission should not necessarily be “Can we afford this?”

It should also be:

“What scholarships, grants and financial-support programmes are available to me?”

That question can open doors.

Students should carefully check eligibility conditions, income limits, academic requirements, course and institution criteria, application deadlines and required documents before applying. Parents and educators, meanwhile, can play a decisive role by helping deserving students identify and pursue suitable opportunities rather than allowing financial limitations to prematurely determine their career choices.

For schools and colleges, scholarship awareness can become an important part of career counselling and student-support systems.

For corporates and philanthropic organisations, such programmes demonstrate how CSR and educational philanthropy can translate financial resources into human capital and social mobility.

And for students, the message is perhaps the simplest of all:

A scholarship may not remove every challenge—but finding the right one could remove the biggest obstacle standing between your potential and your profession.

Navjeevan Express’ Scholarship Alert, in association with Buddy4Study, seeks to ensure that deserving students do not lose that opportunity merely because they did not know it existed.