ੴ ਸਿੱਖੀਆਸ Sikhiyas
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A Companion Page · The Diaspora Seva Scholarship

Scholarship — Detail.

Programme tracks, what the scholarship covers, what families pay, and the timeline from first enquiry to first day on the Kangra campus. All figures published here are indicative; every applicant receives a personalised written quotation before any commitment is made.

A note on figures

The figures shown on this page are indicative bands for planning. Final fees, scholarship awards, and stipend amounts are issued in writing to each successful applicant by the CIEEL admissions office at offer stage, and reflect cohort dates, exchange-rate position, placement type, and the applicant's individual scholarship band. Sikhiyas does not request, and will not accept, any payment before a written offer has been made and accepted.

I. The Three Tracks

The Diaspora Seva Scholarship operates three distinct duration tracks. Each is admitted twice a year — for the spring intake (March start) and the autumn intake (September start) — with the Summer Reconnect track admitted once a year for a June–August window.

TrackDurationOpen ToWindow
Summer Reconnect 3 months Ages 18–45 · Under-18s by separate cohort Jun–Aug
Seva Semester 6 months Ages 18–45 Mar–Aug or Sep–Feb
Full Seva Year 12 months Ages 18–45 Sep–Aug rolling

Under-18 applicants are admitted only into the Summer Reconnect track and only with a parent-embedded Saath arrangement — see the dedicated Under-18 Cohort & Safeguarding page for the separate design.

II. What The Scholarship Covers

Every scholarship recipient receives, against a single transparent fee structure, the following:

III. The Fee Structure

The scholarship is means-and-merit assessed. Every successful applicant is awarded a place against one of four scholarship bands:

BandTuition CoverageStipendFamily Contribution
Band A — Full 100% Full Travel + visa only
Band B — High 75% Full 25% tuition + travel
Band C — Partial 50% Half 50% tuition + travel + half stipend
Band D — Standard Notional Optional Full programme cost · self-funded

Indicative full-cost figures, before any scholarship band is applied, sit in the following ranges (final figures issued at offer stage):

All figures are inclusive of accommodation, meals, stipend (where applicable), placement, mentorship, liaison, insurance, and certification. International travel to and from India, visa fees, and personal incidentals are additional and fall to the family. There are no hidden fees. If a charge is not on this page or in the written offer, it does not exist.

IV. Cohort Sizes

Sikhiyas runs deliberately small cohorts. Quality of mentorship and depth of relationship cannot survive scale at this stage of the programme.

This means roughly 60–70 cohort places per year across all tracks. We routinely receive multiples of this in applications. Selection is rigorous, and the Directors do not apologise for that.

V. Selection Criteria

The scholarship is competitive, but not in the way a university admissions office is competitive. We are not optimising for academic record, English fluency, or prior leadership experience. We are looking for four things, in this order:

  1. Sincerity of intent. Why this, why now? A clear answer in the applicant's own voice — not the parent's, not the consultant's — is the single largest factor.
  2. Capacity for service. Has the applicant served, in any form, in any community, before? Langar Seva at the home Gurdwara counts. Volunteer hours at a local food bank count. The form does not matter; the disposition does.
  3. Cohort fit. Will this applicant make the cohort better for everyone else in it? We are not optimising for individuals; we are optimising for the room.
  4. Family alignment. Especially for under-25 applicants, is the family's understanding of the programme aligned with the applicant's? Where there is a gap, we work to close it before admission. Where the gap cannot be closed, we postpone admission to a later cycle.

VI. Application Timeline

The admissions process is unhurried by design. From first enquiry to first day on the Kangra campus is typically four to six months for adult applicants and six to nine months for the Under-18 cohort.

StageWhat HappensTypical Duration
1 · Enquiry Initial email or video form. A Diaspora Coordinator responds within seven working days. 1 week
2 · First Conversation 30–45 minute video call. Exploratory. No commitment. For under-25 applicants, a parent or guardian is invited to join. 2–3 weeks from enquiry
3 · Written Application A short written application — five questions, applicant's own voice — and two references. No essay industry. No application coaches required. 2–4 weeks to submit
4 · Selection Interview Second video call with the Cohort Director. For Under-18 applicants, a third call follows with the Safeguarding Lead and family. 2–3 weeks after application
5 · Written Offer Offer letter with full fee schedule, scholarship band, placement allocation, and accommodation details. Two-week decision window. 3–4 weeks after interview
6 · Pre-Departure Visa support, insurance enrolment, pre-departure orientation video calls, kit list. 8–12 weeks before arrival
7 · Arrival Cohort begins on a defined Monday. Family is encouraged to accompany the participant for the first 48 hours on campus. Day one

VII. Admission Cycles

The current cycle is published every six months on the Sikhiyas main page and through the Diaspora Office mailing list. As a working guide:

VIII. What Happens After

Sikhiyas alumni — we do not yet have many, and we are honest about that — enter a small ongoing network. There is no membership fee, no exit examination, no formal alumni association in the western sense. There is an annual gathering, an open mentorship pathway for new cohort applicants, and the standing invitation to return as a senior cohort mentor for any future cohort once the alumnus has reached an appropriate stage.

Many alumni go on to work in field roles with EduCARE, RISHEE, or other GlobalPEACE constituent partners. Others return to professional careers in their home countries with the credential and the disposition that come from a structured year of service. A small number — perhaps one or two per cohort — stay longer in India, in deeper Sikhi study, in field placement, or in the work of building the next phase of Sikhiyas itself. We do not have a target for which of these we want.

Begin the application

Every enquiry is held in confidence by the Diaspora Coordinator. There is no obligation, no fee at enquiry, and no follow-up pressure.

Email the Diaspora Office For Under-18 Applicants