Yash Chopra Foundation (YCF), the philanthropic arm of Yash Raj Films, announced the YCF Scholarship Program 2026 on Friday. This marks the second year of the initiative, and its commitment to support the higher education aspirations of children from Hindi film industry families.
Under the program, YCF will be providing financial assistance of up to ₹5 lakh to the children of registered Hindi film industry workers and YCF Saathi members, many of whom play a vital role in the film industry’s ecosystem, to empower them to chase their life goals. The initiative enables deserving students to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate education for the academic year 2026–27 across recognised institutions in India, with selection based on academic merit and financial need. The scholarship will cover tuition fees for eligible courses and is applicable across NAAC-accredited, AICTE-approved, or government-recognised institutions across India.
Speaking about the program, Akshaye Widhani, CEO of YRF, said, “As we proudly launch the second year of the program, we're thrilled to empower children of our Hindi film industry families to dream bigger and build sustainable futures through education. This year's scope of work reflects our deeper commitment to help the 60% of families from the fraternity who are facing education funding challenges, as revealed by our YCF Saathi survey. These scholarships are aimed to help secure brighter tomorrows for these children.”
The program, which supports students across a range of disciplines including Film Studies, Media & Communication, Animation & Visual Effects, Cinematography, Direction and Visual Arts, also introduces this year postgraduate courses across streams such as Engineering, Medical & Paramedical Sciences, Business & Management, Law, and Information Technology.
Selected candidates will undergo a multi-stage evaluation process including screening and interviews, after which successful applicants will receive financial aid, with fees disbursed directly to their respective institutions.