Kotak Kanya Scholarship 2026-27: Rs 1.5 Lakh, Till 15 Nov

What the scholarship is

The Kotak Kanya Scholarship is a CSR initiative of the Kotak Mahindra Group, implemented by the Kotak Education Foundation (KEF — working since 2007 on education for economically disadvantaged students, on an "inch wide, mile deep" model of supporting a smaller number of students intensively). It funds girl students from underprivileged backgrounds through professional undergraduate degrees, and it pairs the money with mentoring, life-skills sessions and mental well-being support — the programme is designed around keeping scholars in college and employable at the end, not just paying fees.

The 2026–27 cycle is open now: applications began on 14 July 2026 and close on 15 November 2026. Applications are submitted online through Buddy4Study, the programme's official application partner — that is the only application route.

The benefit: ₹1.5 lakh per year until you finish the degree

Each selected scholar receives up to ₹1.5 lakh per year, paid by direct bank transfer (DBT), continuing until completion of the professional graduation course — subject to the programme's terms and KEF's discretion on renewal (read: satisfactory academic progress and continued eligibility, as with any multi-year scholarship).

The amount is meant to cover the full cost of studying, not just tuition. The programme lists academic expenses including: tuition fees, hostel fees, internet, transportation, laptop, books and stationery. That framing matters for how you think about the award — a student at a government engineering college with low tuition fees but real hostel and laptop costs is exactly who this is built for.

Who can apply: eligibility in full

Every one of these conditions must hold:

• Girl student, Indian national. The scholarship is for girls only.
• Class 12 with at least 75% marks or an equivalent CGPA in the board examinations.
• First-year admission in 2026–27 to a professional graduation programme at an institute of repute (NIRF/NAAC accredited). Covered courses include: Engineering, MBBS, Integrated LLB (5 years), Integrated BS-MS/BS-Research (IISER/IISc Bangalore), and other professional courses such as Design and Architecture. This is a professional-degree scholarship — a BA, B.Com. or B.Sc. (non-professional) admission does not qualify.
• Annual family income not exceeding ₹6,00,000. This is the hard financial filter; the programme targets meritorious students whose families genuinely cannot fund a professional degree.
• Children of employees of Kotak Mahindra Group, Kotak Education Foundation and Buddy4Study are not eligible.

Note the two conditions people get wrong most often: you must already have secured admission to the first year — Class 12 students who are still waiting on counselling results cannot apply until they hold an admission — and the income ceiling is on total family income, not on one parent's salary.

Documents you will need

Keep these ready before you start the form, because incomplete applications stall at verification:

• Class 12 marksheet
• Income proof of parents/guardians, plus parents' ITR for FY 2025–26 if available
• Fee structure for academic year 2026–27 (from your college)
• Bonafide student certificate or letter from the college
• College seat-allocation document
• Entrance examination scorecard (JEE/NEET/CLAT etc., wherever your admission was through one)
• Masked Aadhaar card
• Bank passbook (for DBT)
• Passport-size photograph
• Disability certificate (if applicable)
• Death certificate of a parent (for single-parent or orphan candidates)
• Photographs of the house (the programme does a need assessment — treat this seriously and submit clear, honest photographs)

Scan everything cleanly. Blurred marksheets and unreadable income proofs are the leading cause of verification delays across scholarship portals.

How to apply, step by step

• Open the Kotak Kanya Scholarship 2026–27 page on Buddy4Study — use the scholarship page, not a random forwarded link.
• Click Apply Now. Log in with your Buddy4Study ID, or create one with your email, mobile number or Gmail account.
• Click Start Application and complete the Check Your Eligibility form first — it screens you before you invest time in the full application.
• Fill the online application form: personal details, academic record, family income, admission and course details. Use your own contact number, email and bank details throughout.
• Upload the documents listed above in the prescribed formats.
• Accept the Terms and Conditions, use Preview to review every field, then Submit before 15 November 2026.
• Watch your email and the Buddy4Study portal for verification or interview instructions. Selection involves scrutiny beyond the form — shortlisted candidates can expect follow-up.

After you apply

The foundation's process includes document verification and need assessment; there is no published selection calendar, so responsiveness matters — check the email address you applied with regularly. If you are selected, the award renews annually at KEF's discretion, which in practice means keeping your academics on track and reporting any change in circumstances.

For queries, the programme's support team is reachable at [email protected] or 011-430-92248 (Ext. 262), Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM IST. Use these channels rather than messaging random "scholarship agents" — nobody legitimate will ask you for money to process a Kotak Kanya application, and anyone who does is running a scam.

Common mistakes

• Applying without a confirmed admission. The seat-allocation document and bonafide certificate are mandatory — provisional allotment letters that haven't converted usually don't satisfy verification.
• Income proof that doesn't add up. Family income means the whole household; an income certificate that covers only one parent while the other is employed will be questioned.
• Wrong-institute assumptions. If your college is neither NIRF-ranked nor NAAC-accredited, call the helpline before applying instead of hoping it passes.
• Trusting the old 30 September deadline. The programme extended to 15 November 2026 — but deadlines can shift, so confirm on the live form when you apply.
• Applying to a non-professional course and being surprised at rejection. A general B.Sc. or B.Com., however meritorious the student, is outside this scheme's scope — the programme is explicit that it funds professional degrees.

If you are a girl student from a low-income family holding a first-year seat in engineering, medicine, law, design, architecture or a research-stream professional degree with 75%+ in Class 12, this is one of the highest-value private scholarships in the country this cycle. Apply before 15 November 2026.

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