One of India’s largest privately funded scholarship programmes for girl students has opened its application window for the 2026-27 academic year. The Azim Premji Foundation Scholarship 2026-27 offers an annual financial support of Rs. 30,000 to girl students who passed Class 10 and Class 12 from government schools and are now enrolled in the first year of an undergraduate or diploma programme. Applications are open from August 10 to August 31, 2026, and there is absolutely no application fee at any stage.
In Rajasthan alone, the target for 2026-27 is to support more than 35,000 girl students, a massive jump from the 22,714 students supported in 2025-26 and the 5,214 supported in 2024-25. Apply directly at Azim Premji Foundation Official Website azimpremjifoundation.org.
What Is the Azim Premji Scholarship?
The Azim Premji Scholarship is a flagship programme of the Azim Premji Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Wipro founder Azim Premji. The scholarship was designed with a single clear purpose: to remove financial barriers that prevent girls from government school backgrounds from continuing into higher education.
Girls from government schools in India consistently face higher dropout rates than their private school counterparts at the transition from Class 12 to college. Financial pressure, family obligations, and lack of accessible support push many of them to stop studying right when they should be entering college. This scholarship intervenes at precisely that critical moment.
So far, the scholarship has supported 1.95 lakh girls, and this number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. The Foundation’s intention is to award this scholarship to 5 lakh girls each year. Assuming an average duration of three years for a higher education programme, this could mean 15 lakh girls on the scholarship in any given year.
For 2026-27, two new states have been added to the programme’s coverage. Andhra Pradesh and Delhi have been included for the first time in 2026-27.
Scholarship Amount and Duration
Girl students who are shortlisted will receive a financial support of up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs, that is, Rs. 30,000 annually, till the completion of their undergraduate programme, which could be 2 to 5 years long.
The payment is made directly through bank transfer to the student’s Aadhaar-linked bank account, ensuring that the money reaches the student without any intermediary.
Application Schedule 2026-27
| Round | Application Period |
| Round 1 | August 10 to August 31, 2026 |
| Round 2 | January 10 to January 31, 2027 |
The two-round system means that students who miss Round 1 still have a second chance in January 2027. However, applying in Round 1 is strongly recommended since more seats are available in the first round.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
Core Eligibility Conditions
All girl students who have passed both Class 10 and Class 12 as a regular student from a government school or college of the eligible states or union territories are eligible. Students must have taken admission in the first year for academic session 2026-27 as a regular student of a recognised undergraduate degree or diploma course of 2 to 5 years duration at a government or a credible and bona fide private college or university, anywhere in India.
There is no marks cutoff or rank requirement. The scholarship is designed to remove financial barriers.
Who Is NOT Eligible
Students who have secured admission in any programme of the Azim Premji University are ineligible. Students who are or have been recipients of Wipro’s scholarships, for example the Santoor Scholarship, are also not eligible. Additionally, students pursuing their undergraduate programme through distance learning or correspondence mode cannot apply. Only regular full-time students are considered.
Eligible States for 2026-27
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi (NCT), Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Documents Required to Apply
The required documents include Aadhaar Card, Class 10 and 12 Marksheets, College Fee Receipt or Bonafide Certificate, Bank Passbook or one month bank statement, Passport-size photo, and parents’ income proof such as bank statements for three years, Income Certificate, or ITR. Files must be between 30 KB and 500 KB in size.
All documents are uploaded online. Keep scanned copies or high-quality photographs of each document ready before beginning the application to avoid the form timing out mid-submission.
How to Apply: Step-by-Step Process
- Visit the Azim Premji Foundation Scholarship Portal azimpremjifoundation.org and navigate to the Scholarship section
- Click on “Apply Now” or the scholarship cohort link for 2026-27
- Register using your name, email ID, and mobile number, then verify via OTP
- After successful registration, your login credentials will be sent to your registered email
- Log in and fill the application form with accurate education details including Class 10 and 12 school information, college name, course, and academic session
- Add personal and family background details as required
- Upload all required documents in the specified file size and format
- Review the completed form carefully before final submission
- Submit the application. You will receive a confirmation on your registered email and mobile number
The entire process is free. The Azim Premji Foundation will never charge any fee at any stage of the scholarship process. Only apply through the official website at azimpremjifoundation.org. If anyone asks you to pay, report it immediately. For help, contact the Foundation’s helpdesk at WhatsApp: 90199-60536.
Rajasthan-Specific Impact: A Rapidly Scaling Programme
The growth of this scholarship in Rajasthan has been remarkable. According to Dr. Ravindra Maru of the Foundation, the number of selected students in Rajasthan has grown from 5,214 in 2024-25 to 22,714 in 2025-26. For 2026-27, the target exceeds 35,000 students in Rajasthan alone.
This scale is particularly significant given Rajasthan’s landscape, where a large number of girls from rural and semi-urban areas study in government schools and often face family and financial pressure at the Class 12 to college transition. Bikaner district, from where this initiative was recently highlighted, has a substantial concentration of government school students who stand to benefit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. I passed Class 12 from a government school two years ago but just took admission in college this year. Am I still eligible?
Candidates must have passed Class 12 in 2023-24 or earlier. The requirement is that you have now taken fresh admission in the first year of a recognised undergraduate degree or diploma course for the 2026-27 academic session. As long as you are joining college in first year for 2026-27, when you passed Class 12 does not disqualify you. Ensure your admission is regular full-time mode.
Q2. I am studying in a private college. Can I still apply for the Azim Premji Scholarship?
Students must have taken admission in a recognised undergraduate degree or diploma course at a government or a credible and bona fide private college or university anywhere in India. Private college students are eligible as long as the institution is genuine and recognised. However, simply having admission to a government college is not enough to receive the Azim Premji Scholarship. You must also meet several other criteria including having passed both Class 10 and 12 from a government school and your college is not a distance-learning institution.
Q3. Can I apply in both Round 1 (August) and Round 2 (January) to improve my chances?
No. You should apply in one round per academic year. Applying in Round 1 from August 10 to 31 is recommended since it gives you access to the maximum available scholarship slots for 2026-27. Round 2 in January 2027 is primarily for students who could not apply in August, for example, those whose college admissions were confirmed late in the academic year. Submitting duplicate applications may lead to disqualification, so apply once and apply carefully.
Q4. My parents do not have an ITR or formal income certificate. Can I still apply?
Yes. The income proof requirement allows for multiple options including bank statements for three years, an income certificate issued by a competent government authority, or ITR. If your family does not have formal income documentation, obtain an income certificate from your Tehsildar or Block Development Officer, which any family can get through official channels. This document is accepted as valid proof of family income for the purpose of this scholarship application.
