Have you ever seen medical aspirants traveling abroad to pursue their MBBS program?
If yes, you might have wondered why not India. What’s wrong with our education system?
In this article, we will try to address these questions and find out why scholarships are essential for Indian medical aspirants to study in their home country.
Why are scholarships necessary for medical students in India?
Studying medicine isn’t exactly affordable for everyone in India. The fees of studying in government medical institutions lies between $50,000 to $70,000, whereas, in the case of private institutions, this amount rises up to $1 million annually. Any average middle-class student can’t afford such high tuition fees. They either have to rely on banks for loans or move to countries like Russia, China, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, etc., where studying medicine is less costly than in India.
On top of that, participating in the fierce NEET competition and earning a seat in government Indian medical colleges is quite tough. At times, even a small decimal value in cut-offs leads to the rejection of a student. Compared to this, getting admitted to MBBS programs abroad is much easier, and candidates get a good amount of countries and college options to choose from.
This is where scholarships for medical students come into the picture. Such programs aim at providing financial support to candidates from weak income backgrounds to pursue high quality medical education.
Let’s delve into some medical scholarship specifics
There are numerous private and government scholarships to back Indian students to complete their MBBS program in their home country. Some include:
· Nationwide Education and Scholarship Test (NEST)
Launched in 2006, this scholarship provides financial assistance to medical students at different levels of college. 1st and 2nd-year students can enroll themselves for the NEST SENIOR-I exams, whereas 3rd and 4th-year students can apply for NEST SENIOR‐II exams to gain a substantial scholarship amount.
· Bharati Scheme for Education (BSE)
Offered by the Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Welfare Corporation, this scholarship is awarded to Brahmin medical aspirants located in Andhra Pradesh. It requires both parents of the applicant to be residents of the state.
· Dr. Shamanur Shivashankarappa Janakalyana Trust’s Scholarship Program
Run by Dr. Shamanur Shivashankarappa Janakalyana Trust, this scholarship program requires applicants to be natives of Karnataka with no more than Rs.1,00,000 as their annual family income.
· Nilam Patel Bahushrut Foundation Scholarship
Residents of Gujarat or Maharashtra with hearing loss can apply for this Scholarship.
· Combined Counselling Board Scholarship (CCB)
This merit-based scholarship is awarded to students based on the type of course they have enrolled in at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. Only students scoring good marks are eligible for this scholarship.
· Padala Charitable Trust Scholarship
Run by the Padala Charitable Trust, this scholarship is only available to students residing in Telangana or Andhra Pradesh.
· All India Youth Scholarship Entrance Examination (AIYSEE)
Students who are taking or have passed the 12th grade are eligible to enroll in the AIYSEE program.
· Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship (JBNSTS)
Only West Bengal’s female students enrolled in a medical program are eligible for the JBNSTS.
Several other renowned scholarships like L’Oréal India Scholarship and Santoor Women’s Scholarship focus on funding for female medical aspirants seeking to study in India.
To sum it up
Many medical scholarships have been highlighted above to guide students in their career journey. To find more in-depth information, we recommend you to visit Scholad — India’s best scholarship matching portal.
