Azim Premji Foundation to support 2.5 lakh girl students across 18 states in FY26

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Azim Premji Foundation, on May 15, announced that it will give scholarship support to up to 2.5 lakh girl students across 18 Indian states in the academic year 2025-26. The scholarship programme offers Rs 30,000 annually to eligible girls pursuing degree or diploma courses in recognised higher education institutions.

The scholarship is aimed at girls who complete their Class 10 and 12 education in government schools and have secured admission in a bona fide higher education institution.

“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," Anurag Behar, Chief Executive Officer, Azim Premji Foundation, was quoted as saying in a release.

The support continues for the full duration of the course, as long as the student progresses successfully each year.

For instance, a girl enrolled in a four-year BSc nursing programme would receive a total of Rs 1.2 lakh over the duration of the course. The money will be transferred directly to the student's bank account in two instalments each year and can be used without restriction.

The scholarship was piloted in 2024-25 in Madhya Pradesh and select districts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand. More than 25,000 girls were awarded scholarships in the first cycle, and the scholarship amount for the year has already been transferred to their accounts.

The initiative will now expand to cover students in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.