YIF Scholarships and Fees

Financing Your YIF Education

This section contains information related to the fee and financing options available to pursue graduate study at Ashoka University as a Young India Fellow.

We are pleased to share that ALL Fellows in the Class of 2025-26 will be partially or fully funded. With this new initiative, Ashoka University is furthering its commitment to making the Fellowship more accessible to exceptional and deserving individuals coming from all walks of life. The increase in scholarships for the current and next cohort has been made possible primarily through the generous support of HDFC Bank.

As Nusrat Pathan, CSR Head at HDFC Bank, shared, “We are glad to be supporting Ashoka’s flagship programme through scholarships, making education more accessible to many deserving students. We wish all success to Young India Fellows.”

Below is a breakdown of scholarship support for the Class of 2024-25 for aspirants to get a sense of how the funding is split at present.

Chancellor's Merit Scholarship

Recipients would have typically excelled in more than one area of engagement while also demonstrating leadership.

A few candidates in each round will receive an invitation from the YIF Admissions Committee to appear for the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship interview. Invitations will consider academic, non-academic and/or professional excellence, combined with performance in the holistic selection process. Please note that there is no separate application process for the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship, and all Offers of Admission for the Class of 2026 will be supplemented with the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship or a 25% Tuition Waiver. 

Need-based Financial Aid

Ashoka University’s need-based Financial Aid programme aims to provide necessary financial support which can help you bridge the gap between the cost of the programme and your ability to pay. Several benefactors, including YIF alumni, have made financial aid possible. Before awarding need-based financial aid to Fellows, we expect that the Fellow and/or their family/guardian(s) will consider various resources available to them towards financing the cost of the YIF programme.

 

Programme Fee and Minimum Scholarship: Class of 2026

The programme fee for the YIF Class of 2026 remains the same as with the Class of 2025:

Tuition: INR 7.98 Lakhs
Residence: INR 2.05 Lakhs
Essential Services: INR 5.4 Thousand

Meal Plan Advance costs are in addition to the above for availing Ashoka University Dining Services.

Do note that no Fellow in the Class of 2026 will be paying the full programme fee, as each offer holder will be awarded a Minimum Scholarship in the form of a 25% waiver on the tuition fee. 

Financial Aid Application: Documents and Information

Only Candidates who receive an Offer of Admission (along with the CMS or the 25% Tuition Waiver) OR are Waitlisted in each round, may apply for Financial Aid. The opportunity to do so arises within 2 days of receiving the admissions decision in each round. 

 

Download | Sample Financial Aid Form

 

The following are important points to keep in mind regarding the process:

• When to apply: The Financial Aid form will open once in each round for approximately one week – soon after the admissions decision for each round. Candidates who receive an offer or a waitlist decision can apply using that opportunity. Requests made at any other time will not be entertained. The deadline is binding and will not be extended. Forms not submitted will not be considered for Financial Aid. We strongly recommend not waiting until the form opening, rather procuring required documents in advance. It is estimated that it will take a candidate a few hours to complete the Financial Aid form, if the required documents and financial information are in order.
• Documentation: Candidates are expected to provide detailed comments and documents supporting their request for aid. Please note that in addition to the documentation listed below, we may ask for additional documents during assessment if required (for example, pre-COVID salary slips, in case of reduced pay, GST receipts, etc.) Documents need to be converted into PDF/JPG files of sizes under 2MB, with a minimum resolution of 200 DPI, which is readable. Zip folders under 2MB containing all the documents are also accepted.
• Assessment, Decision and Appeal: Please note that parents/guardians/candidates may ​also ​be contacted during this verification process. If a candidate has been granted aid, it will be reflected in their fee structure and payment plan. Candidates will then be required to follow the instructions on the Admitted Candidate Portal to accept the offer of admission and financial aid by paying the acceptance fee (if applicable) by the acceptance deadline (soon after the Financial Aid decision is released). In the rare case of a concern with respect to the Financial Aid decision (primarily owing to any changes in the financial standing of a candidate between the time they applied for aid and when they are about to begin their time as a Fellow on campus), candidates will be allowed an opportunity to present their case to the Financial Aid Office. 
• For all queries and clarifications, please write to postgraduate.financialaid@ashoka.edu.in BEFORE the submission deadline in each round.

 

Mandatory Documents and Information

Required for all earning members, including the candidate (if applicable).

Documentation	Income Tax Returns for FY 2022-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 (last 3 years) Bank Account Statements (for the last 12 months) Salary Statements (for the last 3 months) Loan Statements (if a loan expense is shown)
Information	Details of the family’s financial assets, such as investments, real estate, vehicles, etc. Details of any loans, mortgage, etc.

 

Additional Documents and Information (as applicable)

Required in addition to the mandatory documents listed above. 

For Business Families and Professionals	Financial Statements for FY 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 (last 3 years) P&L Statement Balance Sheet Form 26AS Details of main expenses (only information is required)
For Haryana Residents	The Candidate’s Haryana Domicile Certificate Haryana domicile students are eligible for a full or partial fee concession as per the Haryana Private Universities Act (2006).  However, this is subject to the submission of their Government-issued Haryana Resident Certificate (Domicile). Please note that Ashoka University reserves the right to determine the percentage of fee concession.

 

Education Loans

Ashoka University has collaborated with Credila to provide admitted students with the option to explore education loans independent of our financial aid programme.

Refund Policy for Admitted Candidates

If an admitted student withdraws their admission after accepting the offer, the refund will be processed in line with the latest UGC guidelines.