~ The recipients will get up to 100% fee waiver, including food and accommodation ~
~ The Examination Witnessed a total of 7,795 Students ~
India: Reinforcing its commitment to equitable access to quality higher education, GITAM (Deemed to be University) has announced that 786 students will be awarded scholarships worth up to INR 30 crore, including up to 100% fee waiver covering tuition, food, and accommodation, through its flagship Pathway Scholarship Programme. The announcement follows the successful conduct of the GITAM Pathway Scholarship Examination, which attracted 7,795 students from government-run Tribal Welfare and Social Welfare institutions across Andhra Pradesh.
Of the total applicants, 4,527 students appeared from 59 centres serving Tribal Welfare institutions, while 3,268 students participated from 90 centres serving Social Welfare institutions, reflecting strong representation from underserved communities across districts.
The selected 786 students will gain admission into 61 undergraduate programmes across GITAM’s campuses in Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, marking a significant step in enabling inclusive academic mobility.
The Pathway programme is fully funded by GITAM, with scholarships awarded solely on merit based on performance in the GITAM Admission Test (GAT). Depending on their scores, students are eligible for up to 100% financial support, including tuition, residential facilities, and meals, ensuring that financial constraints do not impede academic aspirations.
Highlighting the larger vision behind the initiative, Sribharat Mathukumilli, President, GITAM, said, “India’s place in the world will depend on how widely access to quality higher education expands without any dilution in standards. Too many capable students remain outside the reach of strong institutions at the point of entry. GITAM addresses this by recognising merit early and nurturing it throughout the educational journey. Pathway reflects this direction, where financial capacity does not stand between talent and quality education.”
Since its inception, the Pathway programme has witnessed exponential growth, expanding from 18 students in 2024 with INR 49.7 lakh in scholarships to 59 students in 2025 with INR 1.45 crore, and now scaling to 786 students in 2026 with up to INR 30 crore in scholarship support, a more than 43-fold increase in intake within two years.
The programme operates as a merit-based initiative, independent of statutory reservation frameworks, with continued scholarship support linked to academic performance.
The Pathway initiative is part of GITAM’s broader commitment to student support. Between 2021 and 2025, the university awarded INR 115.97 crore in scholarships to 10,573 students, accounting for 26% of total admissions during this period. In 2025 alone, INR 47.93 crore was awarded to 3,566 students, representing 42% of the admitted cohort.
In addition to merit-based scholarships, GITAM offers need-based financial assistance, sports scholarships for students with recognised achievements, and special provisions for families of personnel from the Indian Navy, CRPF, and Indian Air Force, further strengthening its inclusive education framework.
Through the Pathway programme, GITAM continues to create structured, merit-driven access to higher education for students from government institutions, ensuring that aspiration, not circumstance, defines opportunity.
