UnitedSikhs

The Sikh Education Foundation (SEF)


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Every year, Sikhs graduate from Oxbridge and Ivy League universities and go on to enjoy distinguished careers. However, the Sikh community has not tapped this rich scholastic resource to meet its challenges. Many more bright Sikh students do not make it to these prestigious universities due to lack of funds.

This has been due to two main reasons: Firstly, the Sikh community at large has limited access to these scholars and secondly, the scholars do not know how they could serve the Sikh community's needs.

The Sikh Education Foundation had a natural birth in 2006. The time was right to set up an educational fund to engage Sikh graduates from prestigious universities at a time when the Sikh community faced challenges to their identity. To meet the needs of our advocacy, humanitarian relief and human development projects, UNITED SIKHS set up the Sikh Education Foundation to reach out to the 'brains' of the community.

UNITED SIKHS set up the first Sikh Education Foundation chapter at Harvard University in 2006. All scholars of the Harvard Sikh Educational Foundation are called Sirdar Kapur Singh Scholars.

The first Sirdar Kapur Singh scholar in 2006 was Sonu Kaur from Amritsar, Panjab, who is studying for her Masters in Public Policy degree at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. She received $17,000 under the award.


ABOUT The SIKH EDUCATION FOUNDATION

The Foundation is run as a trust held by or under the control of the trustees (subject to the payment of all expenses properly incurred in connection with the scheme) to apply the income and the capital of the fund for The Advancement of Education through:

  a) Funding by scholarship, prize, grant or bursary all or part or to such extent
      as deemed appropriate by the trustees, the education of Sikhs eligible to
      participate in the scheme in accordance with the rules; and

  b) Funding by grant any individual, organization or company that undertakes
     research, teaching or carries out projects in relation to the preservation
     and study of Sikh History, Culture and Religion



FUNDING is based on:

1) Outright donations from :

        i. The Public
        ii. The Sikh Aid fund to fund scholars studying developmental subjects
        iii. Gurdwaras to fund Sikh culture history and religion scholars
        iv. Sikh associations e.g. Sikh doctors association, Sikh lawyers
            association,to fund scholars studying in their particular area of
            interest

2) Sponsors to take up covenants to pay the interest for loans they underwrite for scholars, payable over 5 years after graduation. This gives donors tax breaks and the scholar obtains a loan for the full cost of their education with no burden until after graduation. Donors will be inspired to participate in this as they will not be paying the full amount of the loan interest because of tax breaks.

c) Scholarships, grants and bursaries for ALL areas of study with more awards      given to:

        1) Law
        2) Media
        3) Arts
        4) Developmental studies
        5) Social Studies

This list will be dynamic based on the current needs of community.

  d) SEF provides internships, career guidance and mentoring facilities to
     prepare aspiring applicants and for scholars on graduation.

  e) UNIVERSITIES TO BE COVERED:

         1) HARVARD
         2) STANFORD
         3) BOSTON
         4) NYU
         5) COLUMBIA
         6) BROWN
         7) UC BERKELEY
         8) PRINCETON
         9) YALE
        10) CORNELL
        11) UNI OF PENNSYLVANIA
        12) DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
        13) UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
        14) UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
        15) IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
        16) LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS (LSE)


APPLICATION:
Please click here to fill the application form.

You can also submit the following to sikheducationfoundation@unitedsikhs.org :

  • a resume
  • a passport sized photo
  • a Statement of Purpose, explaining how their studies would benefit the community and humanity

UNITED SIKHS Bulletins


First Sirdar Kapur Singh Scholar becomes first Harvard-Wharton joint degree student
Oct 13, 2007

Philadelphia, USA - Sonu Kaur, the first Sirdar Kapur Singh scholar under the Sikh Education Foundation chapter set up by UNITED SIKHS at Harvard University, entered Wharton School as the first student under the Harvard- Wharton joint degree program this year....
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