Grameen Shikkha has been conducting a scholarship management program since 2003 to ensure school education of poor rural boys and girls and assist them advance toward higher and IT education. Till date Grameen Shikkha has provided financial assistance, sponsored by more than 180 persons and institutions, to more than 7,200 poor students. Nearly a thousand Grameen scholars are studying medicine, engineering, textile technology, business administration, law, economics, arts etc. in the best educational institutions of the country at the moment. Nearly 60 per cent of Grameen scholars are girls. Hundreds of Grameen Shikkha scholars have completed collge and university education and many of them are employed in respectictable jobs like doctors, engineers, colle and university teachers, public servant, business executive etc. A few have gone abroad with scholarships from famous universities in the USA, Germany and Finland.

 

Grameen Shikkha Scholarship Management Program has sponsors like Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, The Hunter Foundation UK, H&M, Citi Foundation, Mr. Vidar Jorgensen of USA, The Green Children Corporation USA, Grameen Foundation USA, Grameen Phone Limited, singer Monica Yunus, GSRD Foundation Netherlands, Small Planet Fund USA, NOKIA, Rotary International District 2670 Japan, Hessnatur Germany, Holcim Bangladesh Ltd., SOLAS s.a.s. Italy, Tesco Sourcing Ltd. etc. Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain, the Shirin Merali Foundation of USA  and Muhammed Abdul Latif Jameel of Saudi Arabia also sponsored poor school and university students of Bangladesh through this program.

 Who are given scholarship?

1.  Only poor meritorious girls and boys receive GS scholarships.
2.  More than half of GS scholars, around 58%, are girls.
3.  More than 98% of the scholars live in rural areas.

 How to sponsor a poor student?

1.  By entrusting a deposit of at least BDT100,000 with Grameen Shikkha, an individual or institution can start a scholarship of BDT 500 per month for a poor student.
2.  The deposit is invested by GS and scholarship is given out of its income, keeping the deposit intact.
3.  Scholarship may also be opened by providing net scholarship money (say Tk. 1,000 per student per month) plus a 10% service charge to Shikkha.
4.  Every scholarship program has a name given by its sponsor.
5.  Sponsor may decide about place of scholarship, even the recipient, or leave them to Shikkha.

 How SMP is managed?

1.  GS selects students for sponsors as per criteria set by sponsors.
2.  Sends scholarship money through bank transfer (directly to stydent's account) to the students on a regular basis.
3.  Follows up students’ academic progress.
4.  When a scholar finishes his/her studies, a new student replaces him/her.
5.  Informs sponsors about scholars’ progress at least once a year.
6.  Publishes news on the program in its own publications and web site.