India Boosts Monthly Grants for University of Jaffna Undergraduates Under Expanded Scholarship Scheme
India has stepped up its financial commitment to students at the University of Jaffna, with the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka distributing increased scholarship grants to a fresh cohort of undergraduates on 2 June 2026.
Enhanced Support for Deserving Students
High Commissioner Santosh Jha, speaking at the distribution event, said the programme is designed to uplift academically capable students who come from financially vulnerable backgrounds, giving them the stability needed to pursue their studies without economic hardship holding them back.
The revamped scheme takes effect from the 2025–26 academic year and builds directly on a pilot initiative that ran during 2023–24, under which 100 University of Jaffna students each received LKR 5,000 per month, with recipients selected on the basis of both academic merit and financial need.
Expansion Pledged During Presidential Visit
The decision to broaden and enhance the programme came at the highest diplomatic level. When Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made a state visit to India in December 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally announced increased scholarship support for students at both the University of Jaffna and Eastern University — a gesture widely seen as reinforcing the strong bilateral ties between the two neighbouring nations.
How the New Scheme Works
Under the expanded arrangement, 100 first-year undergraduates will now receive LKR 7,500 per month — a fifty percent increase on the original grant amount. Crucially, the support will not be limited to a single academic year; recipients will continue to benefit from the grant throughout the full duration of their degree programmes.
The scheme is also set to grow progressively in scale. A new batch of 100 students will be added each year, meaning that by the fourth year of the programme, a total of 400 undergraduates will be receiving monthly financial assistance simultaneously.
Part of a Wider Education Partnership
The scholarship initiative forms one strand of a broader Indian development cooperation effort focused on Sri Lanka's education sector. Indian assistance in this area has encompassed a range of interventions, including:
- Infrastructure upgrades at educational institutions
- School renovation projects across multiple provinces
- Transport support for students and schools
- Establishment of digital learning facilities
For students in Jaffna — many of whom face considerable socioeconomic challenges — the expanded grant scheme represents a meaningful and practical commitment from a close regional partner, with the potential to make a tangible difference in academic retention and long-term outcomes.
