A total of 102 students from underprivileged backgrounds were given letters to pursue higher studies free of cost through the Maatram Foundation on Sunday.
Of this, 35 seats were for arts and science courses, while the remaining ones were for engineering.
“We received over 600 applications and we narrowed it down to 150 (who were called for interview). We had some walk-ins too,” said Punitha Anthony, one of the core members of the Maatram Foundation.
She added, “This year, we received applications from all districts in Tamil Nadu, including places like Cuddalore, Salem, Tiruvarur. Deserving candidates are filtered out and in the second phase we do a physical verification. In the final round, the student is called for an interview.”
Udaya Shankar V, co-founder, Maatram Foundation, said,“We are scouting for more students with good marks who require financial support. We request more people to spread the word and help underprivileged kids get access to education. We prefer orphan children who are keen to study. The second phase of admissions will happen in the middle of this month.”
Employability training
“Since most of us are from HR and have good connect with the industries, we ensure that all our students go through strong employability training,” said Mr. Udaya. The one thing the foundation expects from its students is help another student get access to good education.
The Maatram Foundation, a voluntary organisation, has so far helped over 450 students from underprivileged background to get access to quality education.
The foundation has tied up with over 20 colleges.
