Education is a passport to the future and the key to opening up the world. One begins learning as soon as they are born. It enables parents to work and gives all children the opportunity to play and learn together. However, while some people are fortunate enough to complete all levels of education, others struggle. At times, those who are truly deserving can’t learn due to extreme poverty. In 35 crisis-affected countries around 75 million children and teenagers require financial support for education, and corruption is another contributing factor. This risks their futures.
To overcome this financial barrier 370 years ago 'Scholarships' were devised. It is financial aid provided to a student on a certain basis, usually academic, merit, or athletic. There are several criterias for one to avail a scholarship such as the GPA (Grade Point Average which is a number that indicates how high you scored in your courses on an average). Scholarships (in most cases) are given to students whose guardians have an annual income of fewer than 4.5 lakhs. To do so, they can take several exams such as SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language, for those whose native language is not English.)
However, availing of scholarships isn't that easy for the underprivileged. The application process for scholarships can be complex and time-consuming, requiring students to submit multiple documents by deadlines, they face administrative barriers, such as lack of access to computers or difficulty obtaining necessary documents. In some cases, scholarship programs may be biased against poor students, or discriminate based on race, ethnicity, or gender.
Besides scholarships, students can also receive loans but the cost of repaying them later with interest can be very high. Students usually have to work during school time to meet financial needs. This leads to less time for their studies. Scholarships help reduce loan requirements and encourage diversity by enabling more people from ethnic backgrounds to achieve their academic goals and career dreams, they also teach philanthropy.
In India Under the 86th amendment act of 2002, article 21-A of the Indian Constitution mentions that free and compulsory education is a fundamental right to children aged 6 to 14 but to help students pursue higher education, the Indian government has various scholarship schemes to cover tuition fees, living expenses, and other related costs.
Many families apply for financial aid through (The Free Application for Federal Student Aid form) FAFSA, to determine if they are eligible to receive from the school, state, and federal government.
Therefore, I would like to conclude by saying that scholarships and other financial aids are necessary to help brighten the future of many students in society.
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