Team Siliconindia

• Ahead of the final JoSAA seat allotment on July 16, IIT Kanpur highlights its robust scholarship system to ensure no student is denied education due to financial constraints.
• Key schemes include the Rs 3 lakh/year Bright Minds Scholarship for JEE top 100 AIR, MCM scholarships, and donor-backed awards supporting both merit and need.
• With over 129 scholarships, IIT Kanpur also aids SC/ST students, athletes, and B.S. aspirants, fostering inclusive, academic, and extracurricular excellence.

As the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) gets set to declare the last round of seat allocations for the 2025 academic year on July 16, IIT Kanpur is reaffirming its unflinching commitment to student well-being by providing a diverse range of scholarships and financial schemes. Such programs aim to provide assurance that no worthy student will be excluded from quality education because of economic reasons and build an inclusive learning environment that caters to students from all socio-economic strata.

After publishing Round 5 seat allotment results, students who get admission to IIT Kanpur's BTech and BArch undergraduate programmes can avail of an extensive system of financial assistance ranging from merit-based scholarships, need-based assistance, donor-supported awards, and grants that facilitate both academic and athletic success.

Of the flagship schemes is the Bright Minds Scholarship, specific to those who secure an All India Rank (AIR) in the first 100 in JEE Advanced. This scholarship provides the total cost of undergraduate education by awarding students Rs 3 lakh a year, offering complete financial relief to top performers irrespective of whether they come from poor or affluent backgrounds.

Economically backward students outside the SC/ST categories are eligible for the Merit-Cum-Means (MCM) scholarship. Students should have an annual parental income of less than Rs 4.5 lakh to be considered eligible. The beneficiaries get a full waiver of the tuition fees and a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000, as long as they have a minimum Cumulative Performance Index (CPI) of 6.5. If the CPI falls below 6.5 but remains above 6.0, the stipend is withdrawn, but the tuition waiver continues.

The INSPIRE scholarship is given to students studying Bachelor of Science (B.S.) courses in Chemistry, Physics, or Mathematics and have a Common Merit List AIR within the range of the top 10,000. This scholarship provides Rs 30,000 every semester and Rs 20,000 annually as a research grant. The candidates should have a CPI of not less than 6.0 and should confirm each semester that they are not receiving any other scholarship at the same time.

IIT Kanpur also disburses a large amount of donor-sponsored scholarships, now totalling 129, thanks to benevolent donations from philanthropic benefactors and alumni. These are potentially awarded on the basis of academic performance, departmental recommendation, or financial requirement, and are handled by the Students' Scholarship and Prizes Committee (SSPC), who distribute them.

Reserve category students are also supported by way of the Free Basic Mess Scholarship. This scholarship is meant for SC/ST students with family income not exceeding Rs 4.5 lakh per annum, and it pays for their basic mess expenses along with a pocket allowance to cater to daily needs.

Besides internal scholarships, IIT Kanpur assists students in availing various external funding schemes offered by government organizations, public sector undertakings, and other institutions. Though the onus of application rests with the student, the institute provides required institutional validation to simplify the process. Among the key portals for these applications is the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

To promote sporting ability, the institute provides sports scholarships to 20 students every year who exhibit outstanding sporting talent either on campus or at inter-institutional competitions. Each of them is given Rs 1,000 a month for nine months.

Additionally, students with a CPI of 8.5 and above in the last academic year are eligible for award under the Academic Excellence Awards scheme. IIT Kanpur also awards convocation medals and awards to graduating students who have demonstrated excellence in academic and departmental performance throughout their study period.

The majority of these scholarship programs are handled by the SSPC, which makes it easier for deserving students to be provided with due help. For institutional scholarships such as the MCM, just one submission of an income certificate is usually enough to be automatically considered for other donor-supported scholarships also.

With the last round of JoSAA seat allotments drawing near, IIT Kanpur's large scholarship system is an invaluable facility for fresh entrants, providing not only financial assistance but also motivation towards academic and individual excellence.