Aligarh Alumni Association
PO Box 1877, Ellicott City MD 21041SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS & SUMMARY
In 2022-23 the AAADC Scholarship Program continued to support AMU and AMU-bound students through our flagship program: The AMU Scholarship program at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh India. In addition, the scholarship program supported students through a third initiative, India Scholarships, encouraging students to apply for available Indian Government scholarships.
AMU SCHOLARSHIPS:
- Scholarship award amount increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per scholarship.
- 351 AMU scholarships in 2022-23
- Shortlisted candidates were interviewed by a panel of AMU Faculty members before the final selections.
- Over 45,000 AMU scholarships since year 1976
- Helped educate: doctors, tibs (Unani medicine doctors), dentists, nurses, scientists, engineers, computer scientists, lawyers, economists, teachers, IT professionals etc.
TOTALS:
- In 2022-23, the total amount spent on the program was $64,515 for AMU Scholarship (52 Lakh Indian Rupees)
- Here are few reports in local media:
ONLINE USING PAY PAL, DEBIT CARD, OR CREDIT CARD:
DIRECT DEPOSIT: Sandy Spring Bank Account: Name: Aligarh Alumni Association; Routing Number 055001096; Account Number 1648688501
OR MAIL CHECK TO: Aligarh Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1877, Ellicott City, MD 21041
AMU SCHOLARSHIPS AT AMU:
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM DETAILS
AAADC runs two scholarship programs: (1) AMU Scholarships awarded to students at AMU to partially defray educational expenses (2) Indian Government Scholarships Program that provides assistance to students in securing available Indian scholarships.
While all two programs are supported by donations, the AMU scholarships are endowed and are awarded from investment income of the endowment. The AMU scholarship program selects students based on merit-cum-means (60:40 weight) and other special criteria specified by donors. The AMU scholarship program is focused on students attending Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (UP) India; the Indian Government Scholarships programs are ever expanding to various cities throughout India.
DECISIONS: All decisions about establishing policies and procedures, as well as changing them, are made through a collective decision-making process involving the Scholarship Committee and AAADC’s Board of Trustees (BOT). This process
ensures rigor and consistency in AAADC’s decision-making for the scholarship program. It also provides for the involvement of senior, experienced members in the running of the program, as well as in maintaining the trust of the community, the owner of the scholarship program.
TRANSPARENCY: AAADC is committed to providing transparent annual reporting and accountability for the Scholarship Program to all its members and stakeholders. To this end, besides reporting to the US IRS every year, the Scholarship Program furnishes an annual report to donors, members, and the community at large that provides a complete and transparent accounting of: donations collected, investments made, incomes generated, amounts spent, a full list of scholarship applications received, awardees selected, award process, award criteria, etc. To our donors we also send information about the students selected to receive their endowed scholarships.
AMU SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The AMU Scholarship Program is the oldest scholarship programs having begun in the nineteen seventies, although the program picked up more speed in the late nineteen eighties.
OBJECTIVE: To make higher education affordable to talented AMU students from economically disadvantaged families.
SCOPE: The Association awards two types of AMU scholarships:
- Designated Scholarship: A donation of $3,000 or more ensures establishment of a lifetime, individual scholarship of Rs 15,000 per year (increased from Rs 10,000 per year in 2022). The donor specifies terms and conditions of the scholarship.
- Al Beiruni Scholarships are awarded out of a fund that is a pool of small donations. These are also individual, lifetime scholarships of Rs 15,000 per year (increased from Rs 10,000 per year in 2022).
FEATURES:
- Both types of scholarships are awarded from investment income of scholarship funds.
- The principal sums endowed remain intact and have in fact have grown over time.
- The entire sum donated (minus overhead expense of less than 5%) is invested and used for scholarship purposes.
- Selection of candidates is based on both merit and means.
- Recipients are guaranteed the scholarship if they continue their studies at AMU and perform well academically.
- All donations are tax-exempt in the USA.
HOW THE AWARDEES ARE SELECTED:
In 2023, Aligarh Alumni Association launched its own Scholarship application portal www.aligarhscholarships.us
The application process was advertised via AMU Alumni Affairs Office of Aligarh Muslim University and different email networks and social media outlets like Facebook etc. Applications were received online through the portal.
As done in the previous years, The Muslim Social Uplift Society, MSUS, in Aligarh manages our AMU Scholarship application process locally. MSUS advertises the scholarships at AMU, invites and receives applications from candidates, collects and compiles appropriate information for each applicant and electronically transmits it to the Scholarship Committee in Washington. The committee generates a composite index score (CI) based on merit (60%) and means (40%) for each applicant. Based on CI and taking into consideration donor’s specifications, it recommends a preliminary award list to an interview panel formed by Association in collaboration with Aligarh Muslim University. Prof. Ekram Khan, Department of Electronics Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University was coordinating and leading the Interview process. The panel recommended a list and the Scholarship Committee in consultation with Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Association makes the final selection of awardees.
SUCCESS/IMPACT: In 2022-23, 351 scholarships were awarded through the program. We receive over two thousand applications but can award only about 10% of them. More funds are needed.
FUNDING: The program is fully funded by donations from alumni and donors in
the community at large.
- A total donation of at least US $3,000 establishes a lifetime endowed scholarship.
- Smaller donations are pooled together, and for every sum of $3,000 a new Al Beiruni lifetime scholarship is instituted.
- While donations are accepted throughout the year, the Association also organizes a major once-a-year fund-raising event.
- All donations are tax-exempt in the USA.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Application deadlines are usually in September-October and are announced by the office of AMU Alumni Affairs and MSUS widely at AMU. Awards are typically announced in January-February through the Office of AMU Alumni Affairs, AMU, Aligarh.
ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION:
The Aligarh Alumni Association (AAA), Washington DC, founded in 1975, is a non-political, non-profit, tax-exempt, charitable, educational, social, and cultural organization for non-alumni and alumni of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, India. The Association takes interest in affairs of the University, runs a scholarship program to help meritorious students from low income families, and organizes social, literary, and cultural programs. The aims and objectives of the Association are to: (i) help AMU and its student body through scholarship and other programs; (ii) develop and strengthen a sense of community by organizing social projects and events in the Washington DC area; and (iii) promote cultural awareness through cultural and literary activities. For more details, please visit www.aligarhdc.org
Afzal Usmani
Chair, Scholarship Committee,
Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington DC
