HDFC Scholarship 2026-27: Eligibility, Amount, Last Date and How to Apply Online

HDFC Bank is offering financial help of up to INR 75,000 to school and college students under the Parivartan ECSS Programme. Check eligibility, important dates, documents, application steps below.

HDFC Scholarship 2026-27: Eligibility, Amount, Last Date and How to Apply Online

HDFC Scholarship 2026-27 gives students up to INR 75,000 so that money problems do not stop their studies. It runs under the Parivartan Educational Crisis Scholarship Support Programme, a CSR initiative of HDFC Bank. School students from Class 1 to 12 can apply. Students in diploma, ITI and polytechnic courses can also apply. College students in undergraduate and postgraduate courses are covered too, whether they study a general course or a professional one. 

The scholarship is merit-cum-need based. So both your marks and your family's financial condition matter. Preference goes to students whose family has faced a crisis in the past three years. Applicants studying at institutions such as Delhi University, Panjab University and University of Calcutta can apply, since any recognised institution in India is covered. This article explains the award amount, eligibility, important dates, documents, application steps and selection process in detail.

HDFC Scholarship 2026-27 Latest Updates

Applications for the Parivartan ECSS Programme 2026-27 are open online. There are three separate application forms, one each for school students, undergraduate students and postgraduate students. The last date for all three is October 31, 2026. Students should check the official portal before applying, as the provider can change the deadline.

What is the HDFC Parivartan ECSS Programme

The Parivartan Educational Crisis Scholarship Support Programme is a scholarship run by HDFC Bank under its CSR programme, Parivartan. It is meant for students who are at risk of dropping out because their family cannot pay for their education. The idea behind it is simple. A student's financial trouble should not end their schooling or college. The programme is managed and operated by Buddy4Study. HDFC Bank is the funding partner. Applications, selection and disbursal are handled through the Buddy4Study platform.

Parivartan ECSS Programme Overview

Here are some details regarding this scholarship. 

HDFC Scholarship 2026-27 Scholarships Offered and Award Amount

The programme has three separate scholarships. Each one has its own application form and its own award slabs. A student applies under only one of them, based on their current level of study.

School Students

School students studying in Class 1 to 6 get INR 15,000. Students in Class 7 to 12 get INR 18,000. The same INR 18,000 slab applies to diploma, ITI and polytechnic students. Private, government and government-aided schools are all covered.

Undergraduate Courses

General courses such as BCom, BSc and BA carry an award of INR 30,000. Professional courses such as BTech, MBBS, LLB, BArch and Nursing carry INR 50,000. Students at large universities such as Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and University of Allahabad fall under this category.

Postgraduate Courses

General postgraduate courses such as MCom and MA carry INR 35,000. Professional courses such as MTech and MBA carry the highest award of the programme, INR 75,000. The money can be used for tuition fees, books, stationery, travel and other study costs. Selected students may also get support in later years of the same course if they keep meeting the eligibility rules.

HDFC Scholarship Eligibility Criteria 2026-27

The eligibility rules change slightly with the level of study. Read the set that applies to you before you fill the form.

School Students

Check Criteria below-

• The student must be studying in Class 1 to 12, or in a diploma, ITI or polytechnic course.

• The school or institution must be private, government or government-aided.

• For diploma courses, only students doing a diploma after Class 12 can apply.

Undergraduate Students

Check Criteria below-

• The student must be doing a graduation course at a recognised college or university in India.

• General courses such as BCom, BSc and BA are covered.

• Professional courses such as BTech, MBBS, LLB, BArch and Nursing are also covered.

• Students at institutions such as University of Mumbai, Osmania University and University of Madras can check their course against this list.

Postgraduate Students

Check Criteria below-

• The student must be doing a postgraduate course at a recognised college or university in India.

• General courses such as MCom and MA are covered.

• Professional courses such as MTech and MBA are also covered.

• The rule is the same at large universities such as Savitribai Phule Pune University, Bangalore University and Gujarat University.

Conditions Common to All Three Categories

Four conditions apply to every applicant, whatever their class or course.

A student with 54% marks is not eligible. The 55% mark is a strict cut-off, not a preference. The crisis condition works differently. It is not compulsory, but it improves your chances if you can prove it.

HDFC Scholarship Important Dates 2026-27

Only one date has been announced officially for this session. It is the same for all three scholarships.

The deadline does not change from one institution to another. It stays the same whether a student studies at Lovely Professional University, Chandigarh University or Christ University. Apply a few days early so that a slow portal or a missing document does not cost you the chance.

Buddy4Study Registration Process

Every application goes through Buddy4Study. So a Buddy4Study account is the first step. Students who already have an account can skip the registration and log in directly.

1. Go to the official portal, parivartanecss.com.

2. Pick your category, School, Undergraduate or Postgraduate, and click on Apply Now.

3. You will reach the Buddy4Study login page.

4. New users should click on the register option.

5. Sign up using an email address, a mobile number or a Gmail account.

6. Complete your profile with your personal, academic and bank details.

Keep your bank details correct at this stage. Many bank branches have changed their IFSC codes after mergers, so use the current code.

HDFC Scholarship Application Process 2026-27

The full application is online. There is no offline form and no application fee. Follow the steps below in order.

1. Open parivartanecss.com and select the scholarship that matches your level of study.

2. Click on Apply Now to reach the application form page on Buddy4Study.

3. Log in with your registered ID.

4. You will land on the Parivartan ECSS Scholarship Programme 2026-27 application form page.

5. Click on Start Application to begin.

6. Fill the eligibility checklist to move ahead.

7. Enter your personal, academic, family income and bank details in the online form.

8. Upload all the required documents.

9. Tick the Terms and Conditions boxes and click on Preview.

10. Check every detail on the preview screen and click on Submit.

Students at technical institutions such as Anna University, Jadavpur University and Cochin University of Science and Technology follow the same steps. Once you submit, the form cannot be edited. So the preview screen is your last chance to correct a mistake.

Documents Required for HDFC Scholarship

Keep scanned copies ready before you start the form. It saves time and avoids a half-filled application.

Common Documents

Check your list below-

• Passport size photograph

• Previous year's marksheet

• Government-issued identity proof such as Aadhaar Card, Voter ID or Driving Licence

• Current year admission proof such as a fee receipt, admission letter, institution ID card or bonafide certificate

• Bank passbook copy or cancelled cheque in the applicant's or parent's name

• Income proof

• Proof of family or personal crisis, if it applies to you

Students who have not paid their fees yet can still apply. An admission letter or admission confirmation letter works in place of a fee receipt. Admission proof from institutions such as Jamia Millia Islamia, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Kurukshetra University is accepted in the same way.

Income Proof Options

Any one of the following is enough.

• Income proof issued by a Gram Panchayat, Ward Counsellor or Sarpanch

• Income proof issued by an SDM, DM, CO or Tehsildar

• Affidavit

The programme FAQ also mentions a salary slip or a letter from the employer, and an income tax return, as accepted proofs.

Crisis Proof Documents

If your family has faced a crisis, upload the matching document from the table below.

HDFC Scholarship Selection Process 2026-27

Selection is not based on marks alone. The provider looks at merit, financial need and the crisis faced by the family. The process has four stages.

• Shortlisting of candidates on the basis of the eligibility criteria

• Verification of the documents uploaded with the application

• Personal interview of the shortlisted candidates

• Announcement of the final list of scholars

Meeting the eligibility rules does not guarantee selection. The final decision rests with the scholarship provider. In 2025-26 the programme supported 6,553 scholars, and in 2024-25 it supported 6,262 scholars.

Interview Slot Booking on Buddy4Study

Shortlisted students book their own interview slot on the Buddy4Study dashboard.

1. Log in to Buddy4Study with your registered ID.

2. Open the Applied Scholarships tab.

3. Click on the Slot Book option. It shows only when the slot booking window is open.

4. Pick a date and time that suits you and submit.

The interview call comes on your registered mobile number. You can add an alternate number in the slot booking window if you want the call there instead. Shortlisted students from institutions such as Manipal Academy of Higher Education, SRM Institute of Science and Technology and Amity University go through the same interview stage.

HDFC Scholarship Application Status and Payment

Check your information below-

Checking Application Status

There is no separate status page for this programme. The Buddy4Study dashboard shows everything.

• Open the Buddy4Study website and log in with your registered ID and password.

• Go to your user dashboard.

• Click on the Applied Scholarships tab.

• Your current application status appears there.

Time Taken for Disbursal

No official payment timeline has been published for this programme. Buddy4Study gives a general timeline on its website for the scholarships it hosts. Shortlisting of eligible applications takes around 15 to 20 days after the applications close. Interviews and document verification take about another month. Disbursal of the amount into the selected student's bank account takes roughly one month after that.

Points to Check Before Submitting the Application

A small mistake can cost a student the scholarship, whether they study at Vellore Institute of Technology, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani or Symbiosis International University. Run through this list once before you click Submit.

• Your marks in the previous examination are 55% or more.

• Your annual family income is INR 2.5 Lakh or less.

• You have picked the correct form, School, UG or PG.

• Your name on the marksheet matches your identity proof.

• The bank account is in your name or your parent's name.

• The IFSC code is the current one.

• The admission proof belongs to the current year.

• Crisis documents match the crisis you have mentioned.

• Every uploaded file is clear and readable.

• You have checked the whole preview screen.

Contact and Helpline Details

Students with a doubt about the application can reach Buddy4Study directly.