The Vidyadhan Scholarship 2025, an initiative by the Sarojini Damodaran Foundation, is a significant opportunity for economically weaker and meritorious students across India. This scholarship aims to bridge the financial gap that often prevents deserving students from pursuing higher education, ensuring that talent is not wasted due to lack of funds.
Vidyadhan Scholarship 2025: Empowering Economically Weaker Students
The Vidyadhan Scholarship is designed to provide comprehensive financial assistance to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, enabling them to pursue their academic dreams without financial burden. Established by the Sarojini Damodaran Foundation, the scholarship reflects a clear vision of promoting equitable access to education. It is particularly beneficial for students who have successfully completed their 10th board examinations and are enrolled in or aspiring to enroll in Class 11, Class 12, and subsequently, undergraduate programs.
Importance of Vidyadhan Scholarship
The Vidyadhan Scholarship holds immense importance in the Indian educational landscape. Its key contributions include:
- Promoting Educational Access: It directly addresses the financial barriers faced by bright students, making higher education accessible to those who would otherwise be unable to afford it.
- Pan-India Reach: Unlike many state-specific scholarships, Vidyadhan extends its support to students across multiple states, ensuring a wider impact. Currently, it supports students in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana, and is expanding to other regions like Rajasthan.
- Holistic Development: Beyond financial aid, the scholarship offers valuable mentoring programs, providing guidance and support for academic advancement, career choices, and personal development.
- No Application Fees: The scholarship process is completely free, ensuring that no student is excluded due to initial financial constraints.
- Direct Selection by Foundation: The selection process is managed directly by the Sarojini Damodaran Foundation, ensuring transparency and merit-based selection.
Objective of Vidyadhan Scholarship
The primary objective of the Vidyadhan Scholarship is to foster an inclusive educational environment across India. Specifically, the scholarship aims to:
- Support Talented Students: Provide financial assistance to intelligent, focused, and talented students who are committed to their studies.
- Increase Literacy Rates: By enabling more students to continue their education, the scholarship contributes to an overall increase in the literacy rate.
- Improve Socio-Economic Conditions: Empowering individuals through education leads to better employment opportunities, improved living standards, and a reduction in poverty.
- Encourage Higher Education: Motivate students who have passed their 10th board exams to pursue 11th, 12th, and ultimately, graduation courses.
Vidyadhan Scholarship Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for the Vidyadhan Scholarship, applicants must meet the following general qualifying requirements. It is important to note that specific percentage cut-offs for 10th-grade marks may vary slightly by state.
- Residency: Applicants must be permanent residents of India and belong to one of the states covered by the scholarship program (Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana). Vidyadhan is also expanding to other states like Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Ladakh, New Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
- Economically Weaker Section (EWS): Students must belong to the Economically Weaker Section of society.
- Family Income: The annual family income of the applicant should generally not exceed INR 2,00,000 from all sources.
- Academic Performance (Class 10th/SSLC):
- Students must generally score 90% marks or an equivalent CGPA in their Class 10th or SSLC examination.
- For physically disabled students, the minimum score required is typically 75% marks or an equivalent CGPA in their 10th or SSLC exam.
Benefits and Rewards Under the Vidyadhan Scholarship
The Vidyadhan Scholarship offers substantial financial benefits tailored to different academic levels, along with crucial non-financial support.
Financial Benefits
- For Class 11th and 12th Standard: Selected students will receive INR 500 per month, amounting to INR 5,000 annually. In some states, this amount can be up to INR 10,000 per annum.
- For Graduation Programs: Students who continue their scholarship into graduation will receive a higher amount ranging from INR 10,000 to INR 60,000 per annum for the duration of their course. The exact amount varies depending on the state, course, and duration.
Non-Financial Benefits
- Mentoring Programs: Selected students gain access to dedicated mentoring programs introduced by the Sarojini Damodaran Foundation, focusing on academic and personal development.
- Life Skills and Career Orientation: Students receive residential training in essential life skills, career orientation, and employment readiness.
- Online Tutoring and Competitive Exam Preparation: Beneficiaries are given access to online tutoring services and are encouraged to prepare for competitive exams.
- Continued Support: Students demonstrating good academic performance in Class 11 and 12 may be eligible for continued scholarship support throughout their undergraduate studies.
Selection Process
The selection process for the Vidyadhan Scholarship is rigorous and ensures that the most deserving students are chosen. The procedure generally involves:
- Preliminary Screening: Applicants are initially screened based on their academic merit (Class 10th marks) and the financial information provided in their application. Only those meeting the minimum eligibility criteria are shortlisted.
- Online Test/Written Test: Shortlisted candidates are invited to take an online written test.
- Interview: Students who perform well in the test proceed to a personal interview. This stage assesses the student’s motivation, communication skills, academic aspirations, and commitment to education.
- Final Selection: The final selection is made based on the combined performance in the test and interview, and the information provided in the application form. The Sarojini Damodaran Foundation directly conducts this selection.
Vidyadhan Scholarship: Application Process
The application process for the Vidyadhan Scholarship is entirely online and user-friendly.
Vidyadhan Scholarship Apply Online
To apply for the scholarship, follow these steps:
- Visit the Official Website: Go to the official Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF) Vidyadhan Website: https://www.vidyadhan.org/
- Apply for Scholarship: On the homepage, click on the “Apply for Scholarship” link.
- Register: A new page will appear. Enter your First Name, Last Name, and Email ID.
- Complete Registration: Click on the “Register” button. An account activation link will be sent to your registered email ID.
- Activate Account: Open the activation email in a new browser and click on the activation link. This will activate your account and redirect you to the login page.
- Login: Log in using your registered email ID and the password you set during registration.
- Fill Application Form: Once logged in, you can access and fill out the detailed scholarship application form.
- Upload Documents: Upload all the required documents as specified.
- Submit Application: Review your application carefully for any errors before final submission.
Documents Required
Ensure you have scanned copies of the following documents ready for upload:
- Marksheet from Class 10th/SSC/SSLC.
- Income Certificate issued by a competent authority (ration cards are typically not accepted).
- Recent passport-size photograph of the applicant.
- Disability certificate (if applicable).
- Proof of Residence/Domicile Certificate (may be required depending on the state program).
Vidyadhan Scholarship Login
For applicants who have already registered, the login process is straightforward:
- Visit the Official Website: Go to the Vidyadhan Scholarship official website.
- Click on “Login”: On the homepage, locate and click the “Login” button.
- Enter Credentials: On the login page, enter your registered User name (typically your Email ID) and Password.
- Log In: Click on the “Login” button to access your applicant dashboard.
Important Dates for Vidyadhan Scholarship 2025
The application start and end dates for the Vidyadhan Scholarship vary by state and program. For the academic year 2025, some key dates observed are:
- Application Start: Generally begins in July for various states (e.g., Rajasthan from July 2025).
- Application Deadline:
- June 30, 2025: For states like Andhra Pradesh.
- July 20, 2025: For states like Bihar.
- July 27, 2025: For states like Tamil Nadu.
- July 30, 2025: For states like Maharashtra.
- July 31, 2025: For states like Uttar Pradesh.
- Screening Test: Typically scheduled for August (e.g., August 10, 2025 for Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra; August 18, 2025 for Ladakh).
- Interview/Test Dates: Usually conducted from August to September (e.g., August 23-24, 2025 for Tamil Nadu; August 25 – September 27, 2025 for Maharashtra).
Applicants are strongly advised to check the specific dates for their respective states on the official Vidyadhan website to ensure they do not miss deadlines.
Contact Details
For any queries or assistance related to the Vidyadhan Scholarship, students can refer to the state-wise contact details provided on the official website. The Sarojini Damodaran Foundation’s main office details are:
- Address: No: 383, 42 cross, 9th Main, 5th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore, Karnataka – 560041.
- General Email for Queries: It is recommended to visit the state-wise contact detail page on the official website for specific email IDs related to your state’s program, as these vary (e.g.,
vidyadhan.tamilnadu@sdfoundationindia.com).
The Vidyadhan Scholarship is a beacon of hope for countless students, providing them with the necessary support to transform their lives through education.