An education loan and a scholarship serve different purposes but work best together. Scholarships are free money you never repay. Loans must be repaid with interest, but they cover costs that scholarships often do not. The documents required for an education loan in India include identity proof, academic records, admission confirmation, income proof and collateral documents for larger amounts. The Government of India's Vidya Lakshmi Portal allows you to apply to multiple banks in one go. Combini
India has over 80 active scholarship programmes for women and girls in 2025-26. Several of these are still live with deadlines running into April and May 2026. Government schemes like AICTE Pragati and Central Sector Scholarship offer Rs 50,000 per year. Corporate grants from Kotak, HDFC, and Tata add further options worth Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh annually. New 2026 cycles for most corporate scholarships are expected to open between July and September 2026. This guide covers every live and upcom