Women in Medicine Scholarships 2026-27: Schemes, Eligibility & How to Apply
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Every year, more women clear NEET and walk into MBBS, BDS, BAMS and BHMS classrooms than the generation before them — yet financial dependency still forces many talented young women to choose a cheaper college over the one they actually got into, or in some cases, to give up a medical seat entirely. A handful of scholarships exist specifically to close that gap, recognising that a young woman from a small town or a low-income household often faces a steeper financial climb to medical school than her male classmates.
This guide covers the real, verifiable Women in Medicine Scholarships available for the 2026-27 academic year — the Dr. Reddy's Foundation Sashakt Scholarship, the Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship, the women's reservation built into the ONGC Foundation Scholarship, and state-run schemes such as Maharashtra's dedicated girls' tuition fee waiver. You will find exact eligibility, amounts, application steps, and the documents you need, along with colleges where these schemes are most relevant.
Eligibility Criteria
Each women-focused scholarship has its own admission list and income rule, so check the specifics carefully before you apply.
- Dr. Reddy's Foundation Sashakt Scholarship: Open to female students who have passed Class 12 and secured confirmed first-year admission to MBBS at one of a specific list of premier institutions, including AIIMS New Delhi, Maulana Azad Medical College, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, Christian Medical College Vellore, JIPMER Puducherry, Banaras Hindu University, King George's Medical University, Aligarh Muslim University, Madras Medical College, AIIMS Jodhpur, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, and Government Medical College Chandigarh.
- Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship: Open to female first-year undergraduate students in MBBS, BDS, B.Pharm and other STEM courses at NIRF-accredited institutions, with family income not exceeding Rs 8 lakh per annum; girls admitted to government engineering or medical colleges outside the NIRF list can also apply.
- ONGC Foundation Scholarship: Not exclusively for women, but the foundation reserves roughly half of its seats for female applicants in the first year of MBBS, engineering or MBA, alongside its SC/ST/OBC/EWS criteria.
- State-run schemes such as Maharashtra's girls' tuition fee waiver (routed through the MahaDBT portal): Open to female MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS students admitted in the state, subject to the specific scheme's income and domicile conditions.
- Most schemes on this list are restricted to first-year students, so the earlier you plan around this, the more options remain open to you.
If you have not yet confirmed your MBBS admission, the NEET 2026 Expected Cutoff Category Wise guide and the NEET College Predictor 2026 can help you understand where your score is likely to place you before you shortlist a scheme.
Scholarship Benefits
Beyond the financial support itself, several of these schemes come with structural advantages that are easy to overlook.
- The Sashakt Scholarship pairs financial aid with mentorship from a woman scientist, giving scholars a professional role model through their undergraduate years.
- The Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship includes structured mentorship, skill-development workshops, and a peer network of scholars across India, not just a cash disbursal.
- ONGC's women reservation means female applicants effectively compete within a smaller, more favourable pool for the scholarship's limited annual seats.
- State schemes like Maharashtra's girls' tuition fee waiver are disbursed directly through a government DBT portal, removing dependency on the college to process fee concessions.
- Several of these schemes run for the entire duration of the course, so a single successful application can mean multiple years of continued support with only annual renewal.
Scholarship Amount
Here is how the major women-focused and women-inclusive scholarships compare for medical students in 2026-27.
Table
| Scholarship | Who It Is For | Approximate Annual Amount | Administered By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Reddy's Foundation Sashakt Scholarship | Female first-year MBBS students at specified premier institutions | Rs 80,000/year for 3 years (Rs 2,40,000 total) | Dr. Reddy's Foundation |
| Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship | Female first-year MBBS/BDS/B.Pharm/STEM students, family income up to Rs 8 lakh | Up to Rs 1,00,000/year for the course duration | Infosys Foundation |
| ONGC Foundation Scholarship | First-year MBBS students, roughly half of seats reserved for women | Rs 48,000/year, renewable if marks stay above 60% | Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (PSU-CSR) |
| Maharashtra Girls' Tuition Fee Waiver (MahaDBT) | Female MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS students in Maharashtra | Up to 100% tuition fee reimbursement | Government of Maharashtra, Directorate of Medical Education and Research |
| Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana (MYSY) | Gujarat-domicile MBBS/BDS students (all genders), 80%+ in Class 12 | Up to Rs 2,00,000/year or 50% of tuition, whichever is lower | Government of Gujarat |
4 columns · 6 rows
Amounts and eligibility ceilings are revised each cycle, so verify the current figures on each scheme's own official page before applying rather than relying on last year's numbers.
Application Process
Every scheme on this list has its own portal, but the overall workflow follows a similar pattern.
- For the Sashakt Scholarship, register on the official Sashakt Scholarship website, select MBBS as your stream, and confirm that your admitted institution appears on the foundation's listed colleges.
- For the Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship, register through the Infosys Foundation's official application portal, entering your NIRF-accredited college details and family income proof.
- For the ONGC Foundation Scholarship, apply directly on the foundation's scholarship page, indicating your gender and category where prompted, since seats are tracked separately for women applicants.
- For Maharashtra's girls' tuition fee waiver, complete registration on the MahaDBT portal, select the relevant Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) scheme for girls, and link your Aadhaar-seeded bank account.
- Upload your Class 12 marksheet, admission letter or fee receipt, income certificate, and bank details exactly as each portal requires.
- Submit and lock your application before the deadline, then track your status through the scheme's own dashboard rather than assuming silent processing.
- Where a scheme calls for mentorship or interview rounds (as the Sashakt Scholarship does), respond promptly to any follow-up communication from the foundation.
A scholarship built for women in medicine should never feel like a last resort. Apply for it the same week you apply for your general scholarship options, not after you have already found every other avenue has run dry.
Required Documents
Keep these ready in scanned form for any women-focused medical scholarship application.
- Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and passing certificates
- Confirmed admission letter or current-year fee receipt from your MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS college
- Income certificate for the current financial year, issued by a competent authority
- Aadhaar card, matched exactly with your bank account and registered mobile number
- Bank passbook copy or cancelled cheque showing account number and IFSC code
- Recent passport-size photograph in the specified file size and format
- A short personal statement or essay, where required (particularly for Sashakt and Infosys STEM Stars)
Important Dates
Table
| Scholarship | Typical Application Window (2026-27) |
|---|---|
| Dr. Reddy's Foundation Sashakt Scholarship | June–October 2026, closing around late October once college admissions are finalised |
| Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship | August–October/November 2026 (based on previous cycles) |
| ONGC Foundation Scholarship | August–November 2026 |
| Maharashtra Girls' Tuition Fee Waiver (MahaDBT) | After state MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS counselling and admission confirmation, within the same academic year |
| MYSY (Gujarat) | After state counselling and admission confirmation, typically within the same academic year |
2 columns · 6 rows
These are approximate timelines based on prior cycles. Always confirm the exact 2026-27 dates on each scheme's own official page, since even the Sashakt Scholarship's deadline shifts slightly from year to year depending on when college admissions close.
Selection Process
Selection criteria vary meaningfully between these schemes.
- The Sashakt Scholarship prioritises academic merit and confirmed admission to one of its specifically listed institutions, with a documented preference for students from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Infosys Foundation STEM Stars selection combines Class 12 marks, entrance exam rank (NEET, JEE, etc.), and family income, screened against the foundation's own merit-cum-need criteria.
- ONGC Foundation Scholarship selection follows its internal merit-cum-category process, with a defined share of seats set aside for women applicants each year.
- State schemes like Maharashtra's girls' tuition fee waiver are typically processed on an eligibility basis rather than competitive ranking, since they are structured as an entitlement for all qualifying female students within budget limits.
- Most private/foundation schemes communicate results directly by email, followed by document verification before the first instalment is released.
Colleges Where Women in Medicine Scholarships Are Commonly Used
The Sashakt Scholarship, in particular, is tied to a specific list of premier institutions, so your choice of MBBS college directly affects your eligibility. Here are real, verified CaderaEdu college profiles relevant to this list and to women-focused scholarship access more broadly.
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi — a Sashakt Scholarship-listed institution
- Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi — a Sashakt Scholarship-listed institution
- Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi — a Sashakt Scholarship-listed institution
- Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai — full fee waiver access for reserved-category and girl students through the Maharashtra Mahadbt scholarship ecosystem
- Sree Gokulam Medical College and Research Foundation, Trivandrum — state post-matric scholarship access via the Kerala e-Grantz portal
For BDS and BAMS students, general fee-concession and scholarship guidance is available at M.S. Ramaiah Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore and MAM's Sumatibhai Shah Ayurved Mahavidyalaya, Pune, though most dedicated women-in-medicine schemes remain concentrated on MBBS admissions.
Tips to Increase Selection Chances
- Check the Sashakt Scholarship's listed institutions before your NEET counselling choice-filling closes, since your final college directly determines eligibility for this scheme.
- Apply to the Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship even if your college is not NIRF-ranked, since government medical and engineering college admits are explicitly allowed to apply.
- Mention your gender clearly where the ONGC Foundation Scholarship form asks for it, since seats are tracked separately for women applicants.
- Register on the MahaDBT portal as early as possible if you are a female MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS student in Maharashtra, since the girls' tuition fee waiver is processed alongside several other DMER schemes on the same portal.
- Prepare a genuine, specific personal statement for schemes like Sashakt and Infosys STEM Stars — generic essays are one of the most common reasons strong academic candidates are not selected.
- Apply to more than one scheme in parallel where eligibility allows; a woman student, for instance, can often apply to both the ONGC Foundation Scholarship and a state scheme like MYSY at the same time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming a women-focused scholarship applies to any medical college, when several (like Sashakt) are restricted to a specific, named list of institutions.
- Missing the application window because it closes earlier than general government scholarship deadlines — Sashakt in particular closes once admissions are finalised, often in October.
- Submitting an income certificate that does not meet the scheme's specific format or validity period.
- Treating the personal statement or essay section as optional or an afterthought, when it often plays a real role in selection for foundation-run schemes.
- Not applying to a state-specific scheme (like Maharashtra's girls' tuition fee waiver) simply because it is less well-known than a national scholarship.
- Forgetting that most of these schemes are limited to first-year students, so a lateral-entry or repeat-year student may not qualify.
Conclusion
Women in Medicine Scholarships are not a consolation prize sitting alongside the 'real' scholarships — several of them, like the Sashakt Scholarship and Infosys Foundation STEM Stars, offer genuinely competitive support with mentorship built in, and a PSU scheme like ONGC's quietly reserves half its seats for women without most applicants even realising it. The students who benefit are rarely the most desperate; they are the ones who checked their college against the Sashakt list before locking their NEET counselling choices, and who treated the personal statement section as seriously as their marksheet.
Call to Action
If you are a female medical student — or about to become one — check whether your target MBBS college is on the Sashakt Scholarship's list before your counselling choices lock in, and start preparing your income certificate and personal statement now for the 2026-27 application cycle.
Related Scholarships
If you want to compare these women-focused schemes against broader options or plan your medical admission strategy end to end, these CaderaEdu resources can help: the NEET UG Counselling 2026 Complete Guide, the AIQ vs State Quota in NEET Counselling 2026 guide, and the Top BDS Colleges in India 2026 list.
- NEET Marks vs Rank 2026 – Score to Rank Predictor
- NEET 2026 Expected Cutoff Marks Category Wise
- NEET 2026 State Wise Cutoff Guide
- NEET UG & Medical College Predictor 2026
- NEET College Predictor 2026 Free
- Re-NEET 2026 Answer Key & OMR Sheet
- Re-NEET 2026 Exam Date — Full Details
Official Resources
For the most accurate, up-to-date information, always refer to the official sources below rather than third-party aggregators.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What scholarships are specifically available for women in medicine in 2026-27?
The Dr. Reddy's Foundation Sashakt Scholarship, the Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship, the women's reservation within the ONGC Foundation Scholarship, and state schemes like Maharashtra's girls' tuition fee waiver are the major options for female MBBS, BDS, BAMS and BHMS students.
Is the Sashakt Scholarship available at any MBBS college?
No, it is restricted to a specific list of premier institutions including AIIMS New Delhi, Maulana Azad Medical College, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, Christian Medical College Vellore, JIPMER Puducherry, and a handful of other named colleges.
Can BDS and BAMS students apply for these scholarships?
The Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship explicitly covers BDS students alongside MBBS, but schemes like Sashakt are MBBS-specific; BAMS and BHMS students should check general state-level and NSP-linked schemes instead.
Does the ONGC Foundation Scholarship require me to be from a reserved category to benefit from the women's reservation?
No, the women's reservation applies within the scheme's broader SC/ST/OBC/General EWS eligibility, so General category women can also apply if they meet the income and merit criteria.
What is the income limit for the Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship?
Family income should not exceed Rs 8 lakh per annum.
Can I apply for both the Sashakt Scholarship and a government scholarship at the same time?
In many cases yes, since private foundation scholarships and government schemes are administered separately, but always confirm the specific cross-eligibility rule with each scheme before applying to both.
Is there an interview or essay round for these scholarships?
The Sashakt Scholarship and Infosys Foundation STEM Stars Scholarship both typically require a personal statement, and selection may involve further review beyond marks and income alone.
How long does the Sashakt Scholarship support last?
It covers three years of study with an annual disbursal of Rs 80,000, totalling Rs 2,40,000 over the scholarship period.
Do these scholarships require renewal every year?
Yes, ongoing schemes generally require an annual renewal application with updated academic and income documents.
Where can I check the latest 2026-27 deadlines for these scholarships?
Always verify on each scheme's own official page — the Sashakt Scholarship website, the Infosys Foundation's application portal, the ONGC Foundation's scholarship page, or the MahaDBT portal — rather than relying on last year's dates.
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