Sponsor a College Student

Can I choose the student I will support?

Generally, we work with each sponsor individually to match you with a student, rather than posting personal information on our website.

Please let us know if you have preferences about the student you wish to support (for example, what field he/she is in). We will try to pair you with a student who matches your preferences, but cannot always guarantee availability. From year to year, we cannot predict the make-up of the new applicant pool. But we can tell you that, historically, about half of our scholarship students are studying to become nurses, and up to 90% of our students are women (though we don’t discriminate based on gender and award scholarships to eligible young men too).

Does a WC scholarship cover all of a student’s costs?

Sometimes, but not always. Tuition varies greatly across fields and degree programs. Some students need as little as $300 per year to get their degree, so the WC scholarship does cover all costs for these students. Others may need as much as $2000 per year; these students are responsible for funding the remaining cost of their degree programs. Some students apply for additional scholarships, work part-time, take out loans, or receive assistance from relatives, or their children’s home (or a combination of these). You’ll be informed of the full cost of your student’s annual tuition when you receive the application materials. We’ll never ask for a larger scholarship fee, but sponsors are of course welcome to provide additional funding for their student if they choose to.

Can I still support the scholarship program even if I don’t want to sponsor an individual student?

Absolutely! You can give any amount to our Scholarship Fund to support ALL of the students in our program. The Scholarship Fund helps to keep the scholarship program growing by filling gaps in funding, and awarding additional scholarships. We love Scholarship Fund gifts because they provide us with the flexibility to respond to the evolving needs of students.

Who is eligible for a scholarship? What are the requirements?

Currently the World’s Children Scholarship Program is active in India. Any student who has completed high school in good standing is eligible to apply for a World’s Children scholarship. Many of our scholarship students do start out as sponsored children, but it is not a requirement.

Prospective scholarship recipients are asked to fill out and submit our application which includes information about their degree program and financial needs, a copy of their most recent grades, a brief personal essay, and one letter of recommendation. Returning students applying for continued funding must submit a renewal application each year, which allows us (and you!) to follow the student’s progress, ensuring that he or she is eligible for another year of scholarship funding.

How is my scholarship donation used?

World’s Children is committed to honoring your stated preferences for scholarship donations. If you have chosen a particular student, your support will go to this student to pay tuition, room and board, books, etc. In some circumstances, such as an unforeseen change in your student’s ability to continue participation in the World’s Children Scholarship Program, your contribution will go to the World’s Children Scholarship Fund to help other impoverished students. If such a change occurs, we will contact you to determine your preference going forward.