Azim Premji Foundation to Support 2.5 Lakh Girls with Higher Education Scholarships Across 18 States

Bengaluru, 16 May, 2025: The Azim Premji Foundation has announced the expansion of the Azim Premji Scholarship, aimed at supporting girls from government schools in pursuing higher education. The scholarship programme, set to roll out in the 2025–26 academic year, is expected to benefit up to 2.5 lakh girls across 18 states in India.

Following a successful pilot in 2024–25 that awarded scholarships to over 25,000 girls in Madhya Pradesh and selected districts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, the initiative will now scale nationwide. Scholarship recipients from the pilot cycle have already received their first-year funds.

Key Features of the Azim Premji Scholarship:

• Eligibility: Girls who have completed Class 10 and 12 in government schools and have secured admission to a recognised higher education institution (HEI), including public and select private institutions.
• Scholarship Amount: ₹30,000 per year, provided for the full duration of a degree or diploma programme, contingent on continued academic progress. For example, a four-year BSc Nursing student will receive ₹1,20,000 over the course of her studies.
• Direct Benefit Transfer: Funds will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries in two instalments annually, allowing them the flexibility to use the amount as needed.

Anurag Behar, CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation, said, “Good school education is foundational for life, while higher education changes social and economic prospects in life. Despite the all-around progress India has made, girls continue to confront differential societal and financial hurdles at all levels of education. We are making a significant commitment to support girls to pursue higher education, which will help them gain greater control over their life’s trajectory.”

The scholarship will be offered in the following 18 states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

The application process for the 2025–26 cycle will open in September 2025. Any updates to programme design or state coverage will be announced at that time. The Foundation aims to eventually expand the programme to a pan-India level in the coming years.