%2Fgreater-kashmir%2Fmedia%2Fmedia_files%2F2026%2F05%2F19%2Fsfpi-scholarship-2026-2026-05-19-21-49-02.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Here is a number worth remembering if you or someone in your family just cleared Class 10 in Jammu this year: zero. That is what it costs to apply for the Vidyadhan Scholarship, and the foundation running it has gone out of its way to say so publicly. For a lot of bright students from low-income homes across the city, the biggest barrier to staying in school was never marks — it was money. This scholarship is aimed squarely at that gap.
The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives (SFPI) — founded in 1999 by Infosys co-founder S.D. Shibulal and Kumari Shibulal — has extended its long-running Vidyadhan programme to the Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory, and applications for the 2026 batch are open right now. The last date to apply is July 31, 2026. For this first J&K cohort, SFPI has said it is looking to support an initial batch of around 50 students from the Union Territory — so a strong, complete application matters.
Who can apply
The scheme is built for meritorious students from economically weaker sections who have just finished Class 10. To be eligible you need to:
Have passed your Class 10 examination in 2026.
Have scored at least 75% or 7.5 CGPA in those Class 10 exams. For students with disabilities, the benchmark is relaxed to 65% or 6.5 CGPA.
Come from a family whose annual income does not exceed ₹2 lakh, certified by the concerned Tehsildar.
If that describes you or a classmate, this is one of the cleaner, better-run scholarships you will find — and unlike a lot of "opportunities" that flood student WhatsApp groups, this one is real and traceable.
What you actually get
Vidyadhan is not a one-time cheque, and that is the part worth underlining. The programme supports selected students financially from Class 11 all the way through graduation — the exact stretch where families most often run out of road and talented teenagers quietly drop out or settle for a course they never wanted. In Jammu, plenty of first-generation college-goers hit that wall not at the Class 10 board, but a year or two later, when the fees for a good stream or a degree college start to bite. A scholarship that commits to you for the long haul is designed precisely for that failure point.
Beyond the money, SFPI adds mentoring and internship opportunities. For a student whose family has no ready network of graduates and professionals to lean on, a mentor who has been through college and an internship line on a fresh CV can be worth as much as the tuition itself.
How selection works
Shortlisted applicants go through an online test followed by an interview. There is no shortcut and no agent who can "arrange" a seat. The foundation has specifically cautioned students that the process is free of cost and that it has not authorised anybody to charge for selection. So if someone in a coaching centre, a cyber cafe or a WhatsApp group offers to "get you" the Vidyadhan Scholarship for a fee, that is not a shortcut — it is a scam, and you should walk away and warn your friends.
How to apply, step by step
Applications are submitted online through the Vidyadhan portal or the SDF Vidya mobile app. Before you start, get these ready so you are not scrambling mid-form:
A recent passport-size photograph (scanned or clicked clearly).
Your Class 10 marksheet.
An income certificate attested by your Tehsildar — this is the one that takes time, so start it early if you don't already have it.
A valid email ID in the student's own name (not a parent's or a friend's).
For help, the J&K team can be reached at 08068333500 or 9663517131, or by email at vidyadhan.jk@sdfoundationindia.com. If you are stuck on the income certificate or the upload, call them — do not miss the deadline over a document you could have sorted with one phone call.
Why this one is worth your five minutes
Jammu turns out thousands of strong Class 10 results every year, and every year a chunk of those students never see the inside of a good college — not for lack of ability, but because the household budget gave out first. A scholarship that carries you from Class 11 to a degree, adds a mentor and an internship, and asks for nothing in return is exactly the kind of resource that should not be sitting unused. If you qualify, fill the form. If you don't, you almost certainly know someone who does — send them this and make sure they apply before July 31.
Sources: Greater Kashmir — Vidyadhan Scholarship SFPI-2026 opens registration for J&K students; Greater Kashmir — Vidyadhan Scholarship expands to J&K, targets 50 students in first batch; Vidyadhan official application portal.
