Lady Meherbai D Tata Scholarship – For women studying abroad.

To honor Lady Meherbai Tata’s legacy as an exemplary leader and a visionary philanthropist for the education of Indian women, the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust created the Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarship Program. This prestigious merit-and-need based financial scholarship (₹3-6 lakhs) is designed to support Indian women pursuing postgraduate (master’s or diploma) studies at overseas institutions, primarily in the US, UK, or Europe, for the fields of social work, public health, education, gender studies, and child welfare. 

Scholars are selected through a rigorous fully interview-based process every year that is solely based on academic performance, leadership potential, and commitment to social change, with scholars selected on an annual basis up to a maximum of ten scholars per year.

Lady Meherbai D Tata Scholarship – Overview

• Sponsoring body: Tata Trusts (under the Sir Dorabji Tata & Allied Trusts); part of legacy on women's education and social welfare as far back as the early 20th century 
• Target group: Indian women (generally aged between 21–35) with a first-class (or equivalent) degree from a recognized Indian university 
• Funded study programmes: Full-time postgraduate studies – master’s or diplomas, abroad (universities in the US, UK or Europe) 
• Areas of study: social impact areas, including social work, public health, education (including special needs), gender and child welfare, law, community development, counselling, rural/urban social policy 
• Value of funds: approximately ₹3–6 lakhs awarded as a gift scholarship towards tuition fees. The awarded amount will depend on the academic merit, work experience and in the interview performance. 
• Scale of selection: typically around 8-10 scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding candidates 

Fields of Study – Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarship

Eligible fields must have a strong focus on women’s and children’s issues. The areas of focus are:

1. Social work and social sciences – Including community development, social policy, and rehabilitation projects, 
2. Education and teacher training – Classroom fundamental pedagogy and education for children with exceptional needs , 
3. Law (women/children’s rights) – Legal approaches to issues such as violent behaviour discrimination against gender, (mental) disability, protective issues for children, assisted living for single mothers, 
4. Gender studies – Gender-based violence (including domestic/child violence and abuse), issues for single/married women, and empowerment of women, 
5. Child health and nutrition – physical/mental development for children, public/community health, epidemiology, 
6. Mental health policy & public health – community health services, health in relation to reproductive health, mental health education and policy, 
7. Adolescent needs and rural/urban development – specific programmes in support of youth development in a changing world using a changing social context 
8. Communication for development/human rights/sustainable development & social policy – use of media to influence the change social norms of policies/regulatory frameworks around the protection of women/children; the creation of community-based development initiatives.

Eligibility Criteria – Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarship

To be eligible for this award, the applicant must satisfy the following four qualifiers:

1. 🇮🇳  Female Indian Applicants

• To be eligible you must be an female Indian applicant who holds a full time bachelor's degree (first class standing or equivalent) from an accredited Indian university.

2.  Academic achievement is required

• The applicant must clearly demonstrate sustained excellence (the highest level of achievement throughout their undergraduate studies) for the duration of their studies and their program of study.

3.  Proved or Pending Admission to a post graduate program.

•  Must have applied or received admission to a reputable full-time master's or diploma program at a university outside India (US, UK, or Europe).

4. Work experience is encouraged

• While 2 years of work experience is preferred, it will improve your application.  Work experience is not a requirement nor is a compared factor in the evaluation process.

5.  Exclusions

• Part-time, short-term, correspondence, exchange programs or studies in countries not specified

6. Expectations around age

• While no specified age, the age of applicants is generally allotted by the foundation from 21-35 years.

Scholarship Benefits – Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarship

This prestigious award provides considerable funding for deserving Indian women undertaking postgraduate full-time study abroad that is completely non-repayable, and the flexible funding, based on your own financial needs and potential in your studies:

Application Procedure – Lady Meherbai D Tata Scholarship

To ensure a clear and effective application, please follow these steps from requesting the application form to submitting the completed application package:

Step 1: Request the Application Form

Send a single tidy email to igpedulmdtet@tatatrusts.org that includes:

• Course & Specialization. This information is a title of the programme and duration of the programme. (e.g., M.A. in Social Work - 2 years)
• University Selections. This is a list of universities in order of which you are applying, preferably with the admissions confirmation letters attached 
• Tuition Fees. Organise the table presenting costs related to each university, indicating overall costs
• Funding Strategy. This is a summary indicating your overall plan for funding your education. (e.g., self-fund, borrow, and scholarships) in a tabular summary 
• Current Profile. It is important to include your up to date CV or biodata outlining your academic record, work, and accomplishments 

A note: any incomplete requests or poorly formatted requests might result in requests being ignored and/or discarded 

Step 2: Receive, Complete & Submit the Form

Upon receiving acceptance of your request through the email, Tata Trusts will communicate the application link or form via email. 

• Be sure to fill out the form carefully, attach the required scanned documents (PDF/Word only - no links) as named documents in one submission, 
• Submit the application form and documentation by the deadline.  In the first week of May - (e.g., May 2, 2025) 
• Do not submit your PEER application after the deadline or with only parts of your documentation 

 Step 3: Shortlisting & Interview

• Once submitted you and your application will be short-listed, and the Tata Trusts will reach out to the shortlisted candidates in late June, at which time they will ask you to submit proof of 

Selection Process – Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarship

The selection process is designed to find Indian women with outstanding academic credentials, a strong purpose, and the desire to make a positive difference in society. The steps to selection are as follows: 

1. Short Listing Based on Academic & Professional Qualifications

• The first selection process uses a candidate's undergraduate performance, and any relevant legitimate work experience, as a barometer—so we are looking at both sustained/performed academic merit, and domain experience/influence.

2.  Interview with Tata Trust Board 

• If chosen as a candidate, you are invited to a personal interview either in-person or virtually by the Tata Trust board in Mumbai, usually takes place during June and July. 

3. Final Selection Based on Passion & Performance

• In closing, your merit listed interview performance, sustained dedication to women's and children's improvement responsibilities, and wider social change platform will be used to award any scholarship selected. 

4. Number of Scholarships

• Approximately 10 scholarships are given out annually, which demonstrates the competitive/selective nature of the programme.

The Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarship is a force for change- empowering Indian women with first-class degrees to pursue full time master's or diploma programmes overseas. While providing a non-repayable grant of ₹3–6 lakhs (and potentially subsidies for living/travel), the scholarship helps approximately ten scholars each year focus on their studies and social impact free from financial worry.