Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Alumni and CSR partners have rallied together to provide financial support to 100% of B.Tech. students whose annual parental income is in the ‘Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh’ category for two consecutive years (2022-23 & 2023-24).

The ‘Merit-cum-Means’ (MCM) Scholarship is one among the numerous financial assistance and scholarship support provided to students by IIT Madras, the Central and State Governments. Students from SC/ST/students admitted in all programs are exempted from paying tuition fees irrespective of their parental income.    

This MCM Scholarship, in combination with the two-third tuition fee waiver by Government of India for students in this category, covers entire tuition fees of eligible B.Tech./Dual Degree students belonging to EWS/GE/OBC Categories. This support frees up the students to focus completely on their studies and future academic pursuits without having to worry about their financial situation or education loans.

Highlighting the importance of such financial support, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “We are trying our best to provide as much financial support as possible to our students in need. We convey our immense thanks to the donors for making this happen.”

While Rs. 3.26 crore was disbursed to 490 students during 2022-23 under this scholarship, a sum of Rs. 3.30 crore has been committed for 495 students during the current financial year of 2023-24. The Scholarship per student is Rs. 66,667, which is split into two halves and disbursed during each of the two semesters per academic year.

Thanking the alumni and donors for their contributions towards students’ welfare, Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, said, “It is extremely gratifying that our office has been able to ensure that no financially needy student was not covered by full scholarship for two consecutive years. We express our deepest gratitude to all alumni and corporate partners who have supported this program”.

STUDENTS SPEAK ON THE SCHOLARSHIP

Highlighting how the scholarship came as a relief from financial stress, Mr. Aksshith G, an IIT Madras student who benefitted from the MCM Scholarship, said, “I am the first person in the family to get a proper engineering degree and I guess, I made my family proud. Scholarships help me to pay off the tuition fee and hostel fee from IITM without any burden on my family particularly.”

Ms. Saisri S. said, “What got me into IIT Madras was my father’s dream to get me here. Before I was born, he was working here. During his daily wages once, he visited IIT Madras, he saw that it was a very prestigious institution. So, he had a dream to make me study here. That is what got into me, and which made me really want to get into IIT Madras. Coming into IIT Madras when checking the fee and curriculum in the Institute website, I got to know that the ACR Office gets      a fee waiver through alumni scholarship. After I joined, I got an email (on this scholarship).”

Mr. Aneesh Amuloju said, “Now that the financial burden part of it has gone, it has helped me think and focus on my studies, my goals, dreams and what I really want to accomplish in life.”

Mr. Soham Shah said, “When we did not know anything about scholarships, we just had an idea that we would start searching out but when I got the mail regarding the scholarship, I was really happy. Getting the scholarship has instilled the confidence into myself that if I focus on my studies, and if I plan for further studies, whether it be Harvard or anything else, what I need to focus on is not the financial issues of my family but my capabilities of learning. If I do my work properly, there are people, the alumni of those great institutions, who help the students out, including me.”

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