Every child harbours dreams – dreams of carving a niche, of soaring up high, of touching the stars. One of the primary responsibilities of educational institutions is to nurture children’s dreams, providing quality education and helping them realize their potential.

The Right to Education Handbook specifies that education is not a privilege but a fundamental right to which every individual is entitled. Consequently, the more inclusive our education system, the more are the avenues for children to look upon a bright future. Scholarships help schools to fulfill this responsibility by recognizing children’s exceptional skills and providing financial assistance to parents. Here are some aspects parents should consider while selecting scholarships for their children:

1. Unearthing Hidden Talent: Recognize Your Child’s Capabilities

Every child is unique, with distinct strengths, capabilities and talents. Recognizing these inherent abilities can help parents to determine which scholarship would benefit them the most. The best scholarships facilitate the all-round development of students, allowing them to hone their skills and making them well-adjusted citizens. For example, the 9 GEMS scholarship offered by Global Indian International School measures students’ performance in nine distinct categories. These criteria include academic excellence, sports excellence, visual arts, personality development, creativity, entrepreneurship, community and care, universal values, and skills development. Such a holistic model enables students to discover various avenues besides conventional academics and find their niches.

2. Education Before Expense: Seeking Financial Assistance

Unaffordability of school fees is one of the most common reasons for terminating a child’s education. However, access to education is a fundamental right, and money should never stand in the way of a child securing admission into a premier school. Thus, parents should evaluate their budget and determine whether or not they would need to avail of a merit-cum-means scholarship. Such scholarships provide active financial assistance to parents in need, helping their children to avail of good-quality education. Making education accessible across economic spectrums paves the way for an inclusive and educated society.

3. ‘Making a Mark’: Determine the Minimum Required GPA for a Scholarship

Often, a child’s Grade Point Average is a key determinant in their eligibility for a scholarship. It always works to understand the specific GPA requirements of different scholarships before applying for the same. This analysis would significantly help parents to earmark the most suitable scholarship avenues for their children based on their requirements, the child’s abilities, and the Grade Point Average.

4. Turning Dreams to Goals: Consider Your Child’s Ambitions

Sometimes, children aspire to follow specific paths in terms of their preferred fields of study. And premier international schools worldwide provide a wide variety of scholarships to help them achieve these goals. Understanding your little one’s long-term dreams and earmarking the appropriate scholarship fuels their ambitions and provides a definite direction. Tuning into their passion can help parents to channelize their potential and achieve success.

5. Residential Requirements: Picking a Campus Within One’s Country

Reputed schools provide national scholarships to exceptionally talented students, allowing them to pick their desired campus within their country of residence. Such scholarships encourage students to hone their already promising skills and are typically open even to residents with work visas. They also provide such students with easier access to reputed undergrad programs.

Conclusion

School scholarships are boons not only to students for honing their skills but also for parents in terms of providing much-needed financial support. Access to quality education offers students a platform to gain confidence in their abilities. It also helps them to secure admissions into esteemed universities in the future. Some basic considerations into earmarking the right scholarships can make a world of difference for your child.