Scholarships: what I found, what I applied for, and the "scholarship" that wanted money from me

My father runs a small shop in Patna. We are not poor, but we are also not a family that can pay lakhs for college without a loan, and I do not want my father to take a big loan if there is another way. So last summer, after class 11 exams, I started reading about scholarships. I am not an expert. This is what I found, what happened to me, and what I would do again. My English is simple, sorry in advance.

One thing first. Rules, amounts and last dates change every year and are different for every state. Do not copy anything from this post as a fact. Use it as a map of where to look.

What kinds of scholarships there are (as I understood)

1. Government scholarships through the national scholarship portal. Central and state governments put many schemes here. Some are for income limit, some for category, some for minority students, some for merit. You apply online, and your school or college has to verify your form. The official portal has a government web address, I will come to this later.

2. State government schemes. Every state has its own. My school office knew some, the district office knew more. Ask there, not on the internet first.

3. College's own help. Some colleges give merit waivers. Some government institutes have fee waivers for families under an income limit. Read the brochure of every college you apply to, the page on "fee" and "financial assistance". Rules change, so ask the college directly.

4. Private foundations. Some companies and trusts give scholarships. Many ask for an essay or an interview. The amounts are usually small to medium, but they are real, and not many people apply.

5. Education loan with interest help. I do not want a loan if I can avoid it. But I asked a bank manager what is available for low-income families. He said there is a government scheme where, depending on the income of the family, the interest during the study period can be covered, but the conditions change, so ask the bank in the year you need it. I wrote down his answer. It is good to know the door exists.

What I applied for

Last year I applied for two. One was a state merit-cum-means scheme, and one was a private foundation scholarship that needed an essay.

• The state one: I got a small amount, about ₹6,000 for the year. It paid for my test series and a bag. For me, it was a big thing.
• The private one: I wrote my essay about my father's shop and why I want to study. I was not selected. They sent one polite line. It was fine, I wrote it as practice.

And there was a third form I could not complete, and this is the mistake I want you to avoid.

The mistake: documents

My income certificate was expired. My form was rejected at verification, only because of this. I had to wait for the next round. Income certificates are usually valid for a limited time (in many places one year, but it depends on your state, so ask). I did not know.

Also: my name on the Aadhaar card is "Vivek Kumar Mishra" and in the bank account it was "Vivek K Mishra". That also stopped the money. We went to the bank, they fixed it in one visit, but it took two weeks.

Here is my document folder now. I keep paper copies and phone photos:

1. Income certificate (fresh, within validity)
2. Category certificate, if applicable
3. Marksheets (class 10, class 11)
4. Aadhaar card
5. Bank account in MY name, linked to Aadhaar, active
6. School bonafide / ID card
7. Passport size photos (6)
8. Domicile certificate, if the scheme asks
9. Parent's income proof / declaration

Please make the bank account early. Many students use a parent's account and then the form fails.

The "scholarship" that wanted money

In January I got a message: "Congratulations! You are selected for a ₹50,000 national scholarship. Pay ₹1,500 processing fee to receive." It had my name. It had my class. It looked real. I was happy for around ten minutes.

Then I asked my school counsellor. She said: a real scholarship never takes money from you to give you money. She also said to check the web address. The message link was not a government address. I never paid. A friend in my class paid ₹1,500 and the number was switched off the next day.

What I do now:

• The official scholarships I apply on only have government web addresses, and I type the address myself, not from a message.
• I never share an OTP or Aadhaar number on a call or message.
• If there is a fee, a deadline of "today only" and a mobile number, it is a trap. All three together is always a trap.
• If I am not sure, I ask my school office. Nobody has laughed.

Something personal

For a long time I was embarrassed to ask. I thought: if I apply I am telling everyone we are poor. A teacher told me, "It is not charity. It is policy. It was made for you." I think about this when I fill the forms now.

What I would do if I were you

1. Make the document folder in class 11, not after boards.
2. Open a bank account in your name.
3. Ask your school office about state schemes in the first month.
4. Write one essay about your story, and reuse the base for other forms.
5. Keep a small list of last dates. Put them in your phone as alarms two weeks early.

It is not exciting like a topper story. But it is the thing that might decide whether I study in peace or in worry.