Monday, June 15, 2009

Scholarships for 2009-10 are open.

“Established at a time when the equality of opportunity for the socially and economically disadvantaged still remains a distant dream, it is heartening to know that FAEA has entered the grass root area of the nation hitherto seriously neglected and has, within a remarkable short time of three years, provided the poorest of the poor with the richest of educational resources and training.. I am glad to know that the Foundation’s dedicated team of eminent socially concerned educationists and professionals has identified and placed over 500 very talented yet socially and economically deprived sons and daughters of the soil, chosen painstakingly from across India in some of our best colleges and professional institutions, giving them fully funded scholarships and fellowships for the entire course. Significantly, a specially designed monitor cum feedback system has been developed to enable both rhythm and substance to fulfill the Foundation’s mission of empowerment with Excellence.”

Dr. K. R.. Narayanan, Founding Patron, FAEA
Former President of India


The Foundation for Academic Excellence and Access (FAEA) was established in the summer of 2002 with a mission to Empower with Excellence our most talented youths from the disadvantaged sections in mofussils, small towns and villages through a series of socio-educational projects and programs that are outreaching, innovative and accountable. It is committed to enable economically and disadvantaged groups access to be able to study in those institutions, which give access to academic excellence, structures of power and economic opportunity. It is also committed to support all activities and institutions which enables students to achieve excellence in all fields. The Foundation emphasizes on the equality of opportunity to help students what they want to become so that they have a choice and are not dictated by necessity.

Higher Education in India is passing through a period of profound transformation, in terms of the place of the university in the life of the community vis-à-vis the government or in terms of networking between the university and its constituents. While higher education has taken considerable strides in the country, each of its main objectives remains to be accomplished. Education was to be the medium through which equality of opportunity was to be made concrete, yet it remains an endlessly deferred dream for many. Investment in education was meant to be a path of greater productivity and growth, yet its potential contribution to economy remains unrealized. Education was to be an aspiration for better experience of excellence in all fields. It was hoped that these aspirations would be linked together by the founding of a just, productive and humane society.

Only a fraction of socially and economically disadvantaged sections (excluding females) have access to higher education in India . This group comprises mainly of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) & Other Backward Classes (OBC) apart from neglected women, physically disabled and economically weaker sections, which suffer from extreme poverty

Despite Government of India’s stupendous efforts, most of these students do not get access to higher education. The problem is not only adequate access to higher education but access to Quality education in Institutions of Excellence. Even when these students manage to get admission in institutions of higher learning they remain disadvantaged because:

* there is lack of information and awareness.
* there is no scheme to compensate them for years of deprivation in earlier life.
* they lack Communication skills.
* they are unable to use modern technology.
* they have to discontinue their education before completing their degrees.


The Government of India provides funds and schemes for these SC/ST groups through the Universities but it is too little and most of these schemes lack vision. No attempt is made to bring these students at par with students from the upper strata of society in terms of development of necessary skills and capabilities. There is absolutely no help when it comes to placements. The Foundation was set up to ensure that the disadvantaged students get access to good education and are able to compete with others in terms of equivalence.

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