CHICAGO: The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India, has introduced a Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) to assist Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in pursuing Under Graduate courses in Higher and Technical fields in India.

Under this Programme, students are granted scholarship every year.A news release from Indian Consulate Chicago offers following details : 100 scholarships are being offered for Undergraduate courses in disciplines including Engineering/Architecture/Technology, Humanities/Liberal Arts, Commerce, Management - BBA/BBM/, Journalism, Hotel Management Agriculture/Animal Husbandry, Sciences, Law, etc.
(i) The Programme is open only to PIOs/NRIs from the specified 40 countries having a larger concentration of India Diaspora.
(ii) 50% of the scholarship would be reserved for PIOs. However, in the event of non-availability of suitable PIO candidates, the unfilled slots could be assigned to NRI candidates.
(iii) NRI candidates would be eligible for the grant of scholarship only if their total family income does not exceed an amount equivalent to US$2,250/- (US dollar two thousand two hundred fifty only).
(iv) Children of NRIs should have pursued at least three years of education inclusive of 11th & 12th or equivalent (not beyond), in a foreign country during the last six years, and have passed the qualifying examination abroad.
(v) The last date for receipt of duly filled in prescribed application form by Ed.CIL is September 9.
(vi) Candidates would be selected on the basis of a common entrance test to be conducted by Ed.CIL on October 26 at the Post. Exact timings would be intimated by Ed.CIL. The candidates would also have to fulfill the entire criterion prescribed for the purpose.
(vii) The amount of scholarship admissible would be 75% of Institutional Economic Cost (IEC) or US$3600/- (US dollar three thousand six hundred), whichever is less. IEC includes Tuition fee, Hostel fee & other institutional charges.