Overseas – Backward Classes Scholarship 2022: Overview, Eligibility & Process

There are several meritorious students from the backward classes who dream of pursuing higher education from abroad. However, they do not have the required amount to finance their education. Irrespective of every development scheme, the backward communities often get ignored from the benefits. So the Government of Kerala took up this challenge to fund a scholarship program. Their vision is to deal with issues related to the social, economic and academic improvement of the other backward communities in Kerala. BCDD Overseas Scholarship isone such program that helps students opt for Postgraduate or higher courses from international universities.   

Overview of BCDD Overseas Scholarship 

Founded By	Government of Kerala
Intended For	Students whose parents’ income doesn’t exceed Rs. 2,50,000 p.a.
Objective	To work for the development of the backward classes.
Mode Of Application	Online
Scholarship Amount	10,118 GBP (10,00,000 INR)
Official Website	bcdd.kerala.gov.in

Eligibility Criteria

Individuals who wish to apply for the BCDD Overseas Scholarship need to obey the eligibility guidelines. Applicants must meet the following criteria before applying for this financial grant.

• This scholarship program is intended for those students who belong to the lower family income group.
• The interested candidates must have a graduation degree.
• They also need to ensure they pass their graduation with a first-class or have a minimum of 60% score.
• This scholarship scheme is university and subject-specific. Hence, if your subject qualifies according to the conditions, you can avail of this program.

Subjects that are Eligible for the Scholarship

The subjects eligible for this scholarship program are listed below.

• Medical 
• Engineering
• Pure Science
• Agriculture
• Management
• Law
• Social Sciences

Application Process for BCDD Overseas Scholarship

The process of application is somewhat lengthy. However, to have a seamless experience, you can follow these steps.

1. Visit the official website of the Kerala Government. You can directly go to the scholarship page via the link provided in the overview section.
2. You will be redirected to the website which checks the disbursement of scholarships and grants for the OBC.
3. Click on “one-time registration”, which is located at the bottom of the webpage.
4. Now, you will be asked to enter your national ID (Aadhaar) card number and complete your registration process.
5. After registration, log in with your ID and password.
6. You need to fill in all the personal information in the “Profile” section in the next step. This is a 5-stage process.
7. After this stage, you will be asked to add your qualification.
8. In the last step, select your scholarship. 
9. Once you have completed the process, you can download the application form.
10. Another process of applying for the BCDD Overseas Scholarship is to directly download the application form from the website. Then fill in the details and send it through the post to the address mentioned on the website.

Documents Required to Apply for BCDD Overseas Scholarship

While applying for this scholarship, you need to submit certain documents to ensure your application. If you are applying via offline mode, make sure to send attested copies enclosed with your application form.Here are the documents that you will need while applying for this scholarship program.

• Your family income certificate
• A copy of your caste certificate
• Any document that can confirm your age
• The admission letter from the respective university
• Letters of recommendation from two of your mentors under whom you have studied/worked 
• A short essay to state your interests, future aspirations, and how you plan to use this grant to achieve your goals
• You also need to include your GRE/GMAT scorecard
• Your academic transcripts and mark sheets
• You will also require SSC and HSC mark sheets 
• Any other document, if specified

Popular Universities in UK that Accepts BCDD Overseas Scholarship 

Here is a list of some famous UK universities that accept this scholarship program.

UK Based Universities	Universities Around the World
Oxford University	Harvard University, United States
Cambridge University	Stanford University, United States
University College London	University of California, Berkeley, United States
London School of Economics	The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), United States
University of Edinburgh	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States
University of Manchester	University of Washington, United States
King’s College London	Duke University, United States
University of Bristol	The University of Texas, Austin, United States
Durham University	Johns Hopkins University, United States
University of York	University of Illinois, United States
Imperial College London	New York University (NYU), United States
University of Sheffield	McGill University, Canada
Queen Mary, University of London	University of Toronto, Canada
Glasgow University	University of British Columbia, Canada
University of St. Andrews	Tsinghua University China
Lancaster University	Karolinska Institute, Sweden
University of Sussex	University of Melbourne, Australia
Royal Holloway, University of London	The University of Tokyo, Japan
University of Leeds	The University of Hong Kong
University of Warwick	National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

Other Scholarships for the Backward Class Communities 

There are many other scholarship programs that are applicable for OBC candidates. These scholarships are awarded only after careful assessment of their merit and means.Some of the popular scholarship programs for this community are as follows:

Scholarship Name	Offered by	Approximate Application Period
Pre-Matric Scholarship	State Government	September – December
Post-Matric Scholarship	State Government	September – December
ONGC Scholarship	—	September – October
Dr B.R. Ambedkar State Award to ST/ OBC/ SC/ Minorities Students, Delhi	State Government of Delhi	March – April
Merit Scholarship for OBC Students Pursuing Professional and Technical Courses (Delhi)	State Government of Delhi	March – April
National Fellowship for OBC	Central Government	October – December
Central Sector Scheme of National Overseas	Central Government	July – October
National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Tribe Students	Ministry of Tribal Affairs	—
National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Caste Students	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	—
Overseas Doctoral Fellowship Programme	Science and Engineering Research Board	—

It was a dream project by the Backward Class Community of Kerala to start a new department dedicated to the welfare of the OBCs. The BCDD Overseas Scholarship is a result of this project.If you are looking for financial aid to study abroad, you can avail this scholarship and make your dreams come true.

Frequently Asked Questions