Scholarships
2026 Scholarship Winners Announced
The Scudder Association Foundation and its predecessor organizations have a long history of granting scholarships to deserving students in medicine, social services, and spiritual guidance, both in the U.S. and abroad. Today, we limit our scholarships to medical students in India, where the need for medical professionals is great. The 2026 awards total $20,000 USD which, in India, goes a long way toward financing degrees for prospective doctors and nurses.
The six winners announced thus far are all women who are first year students in the General Nursing and Midwifery Program at CMC Vellore. In many cases they have overcome a range of adversities including family illnesses, parents’ addictions, family tragedies, and coping with low family incomes. They’ve endured hardships, yes, but they are survivors and what they share is inspiring: dedication to a life-saving profession and a commitment to devoting their lives to helping others.
Here are brief profiles of each.
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Abinaya S. Daughter of a welder and a housewife, she gets high ratings for her clinical performance. A sibling is studying pharmacy in a private college. Her admission fee was paid by a grandmother, a retired nurse.
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Hefseeba K. Johnson. Her family has known both sorrow and medical need. Her father died in a car accident when she was five and her mother has a history of heart disease. Her mother, a community worker, suffered a heart attack in 2023 and is under ongoing treatment. Her elder sister recently received her Bachelor of Arts degree, and another sister is studying in a private college.
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Ireen Gladies P.   Ireen is another who lost her father prematurely. He died five years ago of renal failure. Ireen receives financial support from a paternal aunt. They live in an ancestral house as a joint family. She excels at academics and clinical performance.
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Jeba Kethseeyal J. Her father works as a mason, earning seasonal income while her mother is a homemaker. Her younger brother is in the eleventh grade at a government aided school. Her admission to the college was paid by loan.
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Kavaniya M. With her father, a rental car driver, battling addiction and unable to support the family, her aunt supports the family. Her mother is a homemaker. Her four sisters are in school, one in college and the others in grades six, nine, and ten.
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Keerthana V. Her father is a carpenter who suffers from addiction. Her mother works as a day laborer in a shoe company, a job that takes a physical toll on the worker. In fact, she had to stop working for months due to back pain. Their parents live in their paternal grandfather’s house. Her three sisters, in grades 10, 11, and 12, live in their maternal grandmother’s home. Her admission fee was paid through a loan. She excels in academics and clinical performance.
The Scudder Association Foundation sends hearty congratulations to these outstanding young women. We are proud to support you.
We look forward to hearing from you
The Foundation Scholarship Committee functions throughout the year. Scudder Scholarships, in limited number, are available to worthy and qualified students in the United States and abroad. Scudder Scholarship standards closely parallel those of leading American colleges and universities. Academic standing, leadership, financial need and the life purpose of applicants are carefully weighed in making awards.
The Foundation believes there is no greater gift than that of knowledge and are keen to assist those that seek it.
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