J N Tata Endowment Scholarship 2024-25 – Get up to Rs. 10 Lakhs as Loan Scholarship Amount

J N Tata Endowment Scholarship 2024-25 – Get up to Rs. 10 Lakhs as Loan Amount

J N Tata Endowment Scholarship 2024-25 – Applications Invited. J. N. Tata Endowment Loan Scholarship 2024-2025. Loan scholarship ranges between Rs.1,00,000/- and Rs.10,00,000/-. Interested applicants can check out all of the details regarding the award, the eligibility, the selection criteria, application process and more below –

This call expires in –

 

Welcome To The J N Tata Endowment

Since its establishment by Jamsetji Nusserwanjee Tata, the Promoter of the Tata Group, in 1892, the 131 year – old J N Tata Endowment has awarded loan scholarships to more than 5700 Indian students, drawn from all over India. The Endowment supports only higher studies overseas – Master’s, Ph.D., Post – doctoral fellowships, across all education streams. Based only on Merit, it seeks to recognise and award, “the best and most gifted so as to make them of the greatest service to the country”.

Established in 1892 by Jamsetji Nusserwanjee Tata, the promoter of the Tata Group, The JN Tata Endowment awards merit – based loan scholarships to students across India for higher studies overseas. Every year, 90 to 100 scholars are

selected across disciplines ranging from the sciences (applied, pure and social) to management, law and commerce and the fine arts.

Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates should be Indians, not older than 45 years as on June 30, 2024, and graduates of a recognised Indian university with at least 60% marks on average in their undergraduate or post-graduate studies. Candidates are not eligible to apply if their undergraduate degree is not from a recognised University in India.
• The course to which candidates are admitted must be recognised as a Graduate Program (post – graduate in Indian terminology).
• Candidates who did not get selected in the previous year/earlier for the loan scholarship and candidates who could not avail of the loan scholarship when they were selected are eligible to apply a fresh.
• Candidates who are already pursuing postgraduate studies abroad may apply either at the end of their first year of studies or at the commencement of the second year, provided there is a minimum of one full academic year (12 months) remaining to be completed at the time of the loan scholarship award, typically in July of any calendar year.
• Candidates in the final year of their degree courses and those awaiting results are eligible to apply. Candidates may apply, even if they do not have the admission/offer letters while filling the application form from the universities to which they have applied for the academic year 2024-2025. However, they must update their application status with the Endowment once they secured admission by sending an appropriate email to [email protected], quoting the reference number which appears on the top left side of the form.
• J N Tata scholars who have fully repaid their existing loan scholarship amount are eligible to apply.
• Candidates going overseas for seminars, conferences, training, workshops, paper presentation, undergraduate studies, and any post-graduate degree/diploma/certificates through Distance learning or online medium are not eligible to apply.
• Candidates planning to pursue postgraduate and undergraduate studies in India are not eligible to apply.
• Candidates who are planning to study for a diploma of at least 1 year duration, whose entry-level requirement is higher secondary level, are not eligible to apply.

Loan Scholarship Process

The merit-based J. N. Tata Endowment loan scholarship which is awarded for full-time Postgraduate / Ph.D. / Postdoctoral studies overseas, across all disciplines is driven by defined eligibility criteria and a selection process.  In the recent past, the loan scholarship amounts have ranged between Rs.1 lakh and Rs.10 lakhs, the latter being the maximum.  However, not all candidates qualify for the maximum amount.

In addition, a selected J.N. Tata scholar who has accepted the loan scholarship is eligible for a criteria based travel grant and gift award from our allied Tata Trusts.

Registration Process

Registration Process (This scholarship programme is meant for candidates going overseas for higher studies. Please do not apply to this programme for studies in India)

• Candidates are required to register themselves to apply for the J N Tata Endowment loan scholarship for the academic year Fall 2024 – Spring 2025 using their personal email address and not an institutional or an organizational mail address. (All subsequent correspondence will also be only through this registered email address)
• After successful registration, candidates can log in using their registered email address and password to fill in the application form. The same can be completed in one or more visits, but the candidate must remember to save the draft before exiting each time. Candidates will get a system-generated reference number for their application form, which appears on the top left side of the form. For future correspondence, candidates are required to quote this reference number.
• Candidates are also guided by a set of instructions (a pdf document) which appears on the right-hand corner of the new screen, intended to help in completing the application form.
• Furnishing Aadhar card Number is mandatory at the time of registration.
• Name of the candidate should be written exactly as it appears on the Aadhar Card.
• Password Policy
  * Candidates can set their own password. It should contain a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 16 characters with at least 1 special character and 1 number.
  * Candidates can refer to/access the password policy in the pop up box alongside.
  * If candidates wish, they can change their password once they log in to the application form.
  * Candidates who have forgotten their password will be mailed a link valid for 24 hours, for resetting their password.
• Candidates are required to identify the date of commencement of their Master’s/Ph.D./Post-doctoral degrees – Fall 2023 /Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 / Spring 2025.
• If candidates face any error while logging into the application portal, they may send an email to “[email protected]” with a screenshot of the error page along with the details of the registration like registered email address and candidate’s name.

Selection for the Awards

The entire selection process has been divided into four phases. Candidates will be informed about the status of their application at the end of each phase.

Please read carefully the information about the four phases of the application process.

Phase 1 – ends on 15^th March 2024, which is the final date of submission of the applications:-

• Candidates will be required to submit preliminary details such as personal and academic information, work experience (if any), and statement of purpose. Scanned copies of the following documents should be uploaded:-
  * Candidate’s photo (500 * 500 pixels in jpeg format)
  * Aadhar card
  * Passport (first & last page)
  * Marksheet / Transcript/s for each academic qualification
  * The Statement of Purpose (SoP), carries considerable weight in the selection process and while there is no set template for the same, it is expected that the content be written by the applicant and be free of plagiarism and biographical details. The narrative should not exceed 800 words. The SOP should clearly convey the thinking behind your academic choice and the preferred / chosen University and how the same ties in with your academic qualifications, work experience if any and career goals/ plans; both short term as well as long term.
• Working professionals need to upload 3 additional documents (if any):-
  * Work Experience certificate from the previous employer
  * Appointment letter from the existing employer and
  * Latest filed ITR / 3 months’ pay slips.
• If the information provided by candidates is either incomplete or false, the application will get rejected at any phase and the Endowment will not entertain any queries with regard to the rejection.
• Once the application is submitted, candidates cannot make any changes to the form. If they need to make any changes/corrections in the application form they are required to send an email to [email protected] quoting the reference number (which appears on the top left side of the application form.)
• All documents should be uploaded in a grayscale pdf suitably named to identify the nature of the document being shared.
• Candidates are required to validate the application form before final submission, after which they will not be able to make any changes.

Phase 2 – Online Test

• After the initial screening of applications, candidates whose application will be processed further will be informed over email. The remaining candidates will be informed a week in advance, that they have been shortlisted for taking the online test.
• This is not a subject specific test and is designed to primarily assess the critical thinking and problem solving skills of a candidate, more details of which will be shared when the candidate is intimated of the shortlisting. The candidate will be guided with detailed instructions and a mock test will also be arranged for familiarization. The technical requirements such as internet connectivity and related aspects will also be clearly conveyed to the candidate.

The results of the test will be announced within a week from the date of the test by email. Correspondence in this regard will not be entertained.

Phase 3 – Interview with Subject Expert 

• Of those who undertake the online test, some will be shortlisted for the technical interview and the remaining will be informed that their applications will not be processed any further.
• Candidates who are shortlisted for the interview will be required to complete the application form by providing the details of the University where admission has been secured and the respective course of study. Additional details of the family and funding source for the studies will also be sought.
• Scanned copies of the following documents will be required to uploaded :-
  * Letter of admission to the University
  * Final year mark sheets and degree certificate
  * Scorecards (GRE/GMAT/TOEFL/IELTS/PTE)
  * Certificate of scholarships/ranking/prizes (if any)
  * Certificates relating to Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities
  * Research work/Project work (only One)
  * Resume
  * Cost of education
  * Source of funds
• A Letter of Recommendation (LOR) is required (only one), specifically addressed to “The Trustees of the J N Tata Endowment” either from a Professor of the college or University or the employer, in case the applicant is/was working. Candidates should only furnish the details of the recommender such as name, designation, department, name of the college/university/organization, city, contact number, and their official email address. The Endowment will directly communicate with the recommender for the purpose of the LoR.
• The interviews are generally conducted during the months of April to June, though they may extend to the first week of July if required through video conference via Microsoft Teams/Zoom by the Representative of the Endowment and a subject expert. Performance at the interview carries the highest weightage in the selection process.
• The interview with the subject expert is intended to evaluate the candidates’ understanding of their subjects – current and future. As they will be examined in depth and detail, candidates are encouraged to be well prepared in relation to their subject knowledge and chosen area of study / specialisation, as stated in their application form.
• Candidates preparing their 2^nd year studies will be assessed also on their first year/semester transcripts.

Phase 4 – Final Selection

• At this stage the shortlist of awardees will be arrived at and announced by mid-July. The candidates who had gone through the interview stage will be intimated of their selection or otherwise over email. The decision of the Endowment on the award of loan scholarships will be final and we would request it to be noted that no correspondence in this regard will be entertained.
• The awardees will be required to indicate their formal acceptance of the loan scholarship after which the following documentation formalities will need to be completed.
• For those accepting the loan scholarship the next step will be as under :
  > Scanned copies of the following documents should be uploaded on the portal —
  * Candidate’s PAN card
  * Candidate’s cancelled cheque / latest bank statement
  * Guarantor’s PAN card and Aadhar card
  * Guarantor’s passport size photograph (500*500 pixels in jpeg format)
  * Guarantor’s income proof / latest filed ITR
• After obtaining the visa and flight ticket the candidate and the guarantor (preferably a parent or a relative) will have to visit the Administrative Office of the Endowment, by prior appointment, to complete the necessary formalities. They will be required to enter into a legal agreement with the Endowment. The loan scholarship agreement is for a period of 7 years and requires the scholar to repay the amount in full in five equal installments between the third and seventh year. Early repayments are however accepted.

Other Points of Relevance

• Each candidate must have a guarantor whose liability is on par with the candidate.
• The guarantor should normally be a parent(s)/guardian of the candidate. In the case of a married person, the guarantor can be a spouse or the parents-in-law.
• In case parent/s/spouse are unable to be a guarantor owing to genuine reasons, a guardian or any relative (i.e. any member of the family such as brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, uncle, and aunt (both maternal and paternal) or any other relative may be the guarantor.)
• A non-relative may act as a guarantor subject to the Endowment’s prior approval and after submitting the relevant documents.
• The documents required to be submitted by the guarantor are: – (i) PAN card, (ii) Aadhar card, (iii) Passport-size photographs (500*500 pixels in jpg format), (iv) Income proof / latest filed ITR.

FAQs

01. Who is eligible to apply?

A candidate pursuing full-time Postgraduate / Ph.D. / Postdoctoral studies overseas are eligible to apply.

• The candidate should be
  • An Indian citizen and
  • be not older than 45 years as of 30^th June 2024 and
  • have graduated from a recognized Indian University and
  • have scored at least 60% on average in the undergraduate and graduate studies and
  • the course to which candidates are admitted must be recognized as a Graduate Program (post-graduate in Indian terminology), where the entry requirement is an undergraduate degree.
• Candidates qualifying as above – already pursuing their studies overseas may also apply provided they have at least one full academic year remaining to complete at the time of award (normally by July of any calendar year).
• Past J N Tata scholars who have fully repaid their existing loan scholarship amount are also eligible to apply.

02. Who is not eligible to apply?

• Candidates going overseas for seminars, conferences, training, workshops, paper presentation, undergraduate studies, and any post-graduate degree/diploma/certificate courses through Distance learning or online medium are not eligible to apply.
• Candidates planning to pursue postgraduate and undergraduate studies in India are not eligible to apply.
• Candidates who are planning to study for a diploma of at least one year duration, whose entry level requirement is higher secondary level are not eligible to apply.

03. How can I apply?

• Applications for the Loan Scholarships will be open from 11^th January to 15^th March 2024 on our website www.jntataendowment.org.
• Candidates have to create a login ID and password to be able to apply.
• Please note that

– you may create only one Login ID using your email ID.

– this is not a downloadable form. So you may directly complete the application form online in one visit or more than one visit but you must remember to save the draft before you exit each time.

– you are required to validate the application form before final submission after which candidates will not be able to make any changes.

04. Can I apply even if I do not have confirmed admission?

Yes, you can. However, you must update the application status with the Endowment once your admission is secured, by sending an email to [email protected]  quoting the reference number (which appears on the top left side of the application form).

05. How and when can I ascertain the status of my application?

Candidates will be informed  about the status of their application on completion of each phase.

The program comprises 4 phases:-

Phase 1 – Application Submission

Phase 2 – Online Test

Phase 3 – Interview with Subject Expert

Phase 4 – Final Selection

06. Can I update my application form at a later stage?

Yes, you can update the application form by sending an email to [email protected] quoting the reference number (which appears on the top left side of the application form).

07. What documents are required while submitting the application form?

The following documents are required:

• Candidate’s photo (500 * 500 pixels in jpeg format)
• Aadhar Card
• Passport (first & last page)
• Marksheet / Transcript/s for each academic qualification

Working professionals need to upload 3 additional documents (if any):-

• Work Experience certificate from the previous employer
• Appointment letter from the existing employer and
• Latest filed ITR/3 months’ pay slips.

08. What documents will be required from the candidate when shortlisted for the Online Test?

No documents will required to be submitted.

09. What documents will be sought from the candidate when notified of the selection for the interview?

• Letter of admission to the University
• Final year mark sheets and degree certificate
• Scorecards (GRE/GMAT/TOEFL/IELTS/PTE)
• Certificate of scholarships/ranking/prizes (if any)
• Certificates relating to extra-curricular achievements
• Research work/Project work (only one)
• Resume
• Cost of education
• Source of funds

10. What documents will be required from the candidate when notified of the final selection after the interview with the Subject Expert?

• Candidate’s PAN card
• Candidate’s cancelled cheque / latest bank statement
• Guarantor’s passport size photograph (500*500 pixels in jpeg format)
• Guarantor’s Aadhar card and PAN card
• Guarantor’s Income proof / latest filed ITR

11. Is there any interest charged on the loan scholarship?

The loan scholarship is offered at a simple interest of 2% per annum but Trustees may at their discretion grant any exemption or rebate in the payment of interest by any candidate.

12. What is the repayment schedule of the loan?

The loan is repayable in equal installments from the 3^rd to the 7^th year commencing from the date of disbursement of the loan scholarship.

13. What is the maximum loan scholarship amount a candidate can secure?

In the recent past, the loan scholarship amounts have ranged between Rs.1 lakh and Rs.10 lakhs, the latter being the maximum.   However, not all candidates qualify for the maximum amount.

14. Does the Endowment provide any additional financial assistance besides the loan scholarship?

While the Endowment does not, a selected JNTE scholar who has accepted the loan scholarship is eligible for a criteria based travel grant and gift award from our allied Tata Trusts.

15. Does the Endowment ask for any collateral security?

We do not insist on any collateral but the candidate must have a guarantor who guarantees the repayment of the loan. This is mandatory and the guarantor’s liability is on par with that of the candidate.

16. Who can be a guarantor and what is the guarantor’s responsibility?

The guarantor should normally be a parent(s)/guardian of the candidate. In the case of a married person, the guarantor can also be a spouse or the parents-in-law. In case parent/s/spouse are unable to be a guarantor, a guardian or any relative (i.e. any member of the family such as brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, uncle, and aunt (both maternal and paternal) or any other relative may be the guarantor).  A non-relative may act as a guarantor subject to the Endowment’s prior approval and after submitting the relevant documents.

17. Does the Endowment have any format for the Statement of Purpose (SoP)?

There is no set template for the SOP, it is expected that the content be written by the applicant and be free of plagiarism and biographical details. The narrative should not exceed 800 words.

The SOP should broadly cover the following points :

1. Your interest in the chosen field of study in the context of your academic pursuits and achievement/research experience, work experience, and publications (as may be relevant)
2. The choice of University and area of study and how these align to your short and long term academic and professional goals.

18. Does the Endowment need a letter of recommendation (LoR) and is there any specific format?

Yes, we need only one LoR which can be -issued by a Professor of the College or University where the candidate is studying OR the Employer, in case the candidate is /  has been in employment. The LoR should be addressed to “The Trustees of the J. N. Tata Endowment” and submitted online by the recommender.  The directions for candidates  and recommenders are available along with the application form.

19. Is there a question bank available for candidates to take practice online test?

While a practice question bank is not available, upon a candidate being selected for giving an online test, the Endowment arranges for a mock test which a candidate can take and also provides comprehensive directions on how the same should be attempted.

20. When are the interviews held?

Generally, the interviews are held during the months of  April to June, though they may extend to the first week of July if required.

21.  To whom can a candidate address a query?

The Endowment can be contacted via Email: [email protected]  Tel: +91-22-6665 7681 / 7198 / 7774 from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays (Monday to Friday). Kindly note that we are closed on all bank and public holidays.

APPLY ONLINE HERE

Editor’s Note: J N Tata Endowment Scholarship 2024-25 – Get up to Rs. 10 Lakhs as Loan Amount. Please make sure that you are subscribed to the Biotecnika Times Newsletter and our YouTube channel to be notified of all of the latest in the industry. Follow us on all of our social media like Twitter, Telegram, Facebook and Instagram. J N Tata Endowment Scholarship 2024-25. J N Tata Endowment Scholarship 2024-25.