KOA Education Program Update: Together, We Are Shaping the Future of Our Children
There is no better investment in a young person’s future than education. Over the years, our community has come together to help children continue their education, even when circumstances make it difficult. That spirit of giving and caring has made this year especially meaningful.
Through the generosity of our donors, the dedication of our volunteers and program teams, and the support of the KOA Board, we supported 800 students through our SAC and EAP programs and, disbursed ~₹2.5 crore INR (~$270k USD) in educational assistance, our highest-ever impact.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped make this possible.
2025-26 at a Glance
SAC: 595 children | 326 girls and 269 boys | from Kindergarten through High School
EAP: 205 college students
Total: 800 students
Making the Program Stronger
Along with reaching more students, we made several important improvements this year:
Fairer Selection:
We revised our selection process so that new and continuing students receive more equitable consideration. Previously, continuing students were given priority to avoid interruptions in their scholarships. While well-intentioned, it could sometimes mean that deserving new applicants with higher scores received lower priority. We have now addressed this gap and implemented a more balanced approach.
Enhanced Selection Criteria:
We fine-tuned our points-based system to thoughtfully balance academic performance, family circumstances, and economic need, allowing us to consider each student's situation more comprehensively.
KOA Bridged the Gap:
Ensuring greater fairness through the new process meant supporting more students than could not be covered through donor contributions alone. The KOA Board, in alignment with the program team, therefore decided to use the KOA General Fund to cover the shortfall for this year. This allowed us to support deserving new students while avoiding an abrupt interruption in scholarships for continuing students.
Streamlined Online Applications :
Students can now apply through a simpler and more efficient process on the new KOA website, which is built and managed entirely by our volunteers. Previously, we relied on external vendors at a cost of approximately $20,000 per year. By bringing this capability in-house, we have eliminated that expense, and these savings have helped fund the additional support needed this year to ensure fairness and continuity in the scholarship program.
Donor Portal and Student Profiles :
Donor matching and individual student profiles are now integrated into the KOA website. We are currently completing the donor-matching process. If you do not see your sponsored children under My Sponsorships, please reach out to program teams at sac@koausa.org or eap@koausa.org.
A Glimpse of the Students
During my recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir, I had the opportunity to meet many of these children and their families. Some have lost one or both parents and are growing up in very difficult circumstances. Yet, their determination to continue their education and build a better future is deeply inspiring.
Meeting them and hearing their stories made the impact of our collective support very real for me. I am sharing a couple of videos so you can get a glimpse into their lives.
I am also proud to share the story of Disha Pandith from Pulwama, one of our KOA scholarship recipients. Disha is an accomplished Sqay martial artist who has represented India internationally. In 2025, she won gold at the International Sqay Cup in Moscow, competing against athletes from 19 countries, and has previously won gold at the Sqay World Championships in Tashkent.
Disha sharing her story and receiving her scholarship:
Looking Ahead
While supporting 800 students is an important milestone, it is critical that that we continue to support these kids for next cycle and expand it more kids as the the need remains greater than the resources available. I humbly ask every family in our community to consider supporting at least one child each year. Together, we can continue to give more children the opportunity to puruse their eduction and build a better future.
Annual sponsorship:
SAC: $325 per child
EAP: $650 per student
Please make your contribution by November 15 using the links below:
Donate tp SAC – Sponsor a Child
Donate to EAP – Education Assistance Program
If you prefer to pay by check or Zelle, please record your donation on the KOA website by selecting “Manual Payment.” This helps us maintain accurate records and streamline receipt generation.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to our SAC or EAP teams at any time at sac@koausa.org or eap@koausa.org.
Expanding Support:
We are also exploring a pilot program to provide after-school coaching and academic support, particularly for high school students attending government schools where resources and academic support may be limited. This initiative would require a dedicated pool of funds. If you are interested in supporting this program, please reach out sac@koausa.org.
None of this would be possible without you! Thank you for your generosity, your trust, and your belief in these young students. Every contribution and every volunteer effort is helping shape not only their future, but the future of our community.
Let us continue this journey together.
Few pics from my visit to Jammu and Kashmir:
Please note that applications for SAC and EAP for 2026-27 cycle are open now. Read the announcement below :
With heartfelt gratitude,
Uphaar Kotru
KOA President
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