Identifying Suitable Candidates for
the Program

The initial process of identifying and evaluating suitable candidates for Scholarship Program is done by two sets of volunteers – Coordinators & Facilitators

Coordinators and Facilitators
The Foundation identifies students eligible for scholarship through a network of volunteers called "Coordinators" and "Facilitators". Coordinators are US citizens and "Permanent Residents" of the U.S., preferably resident in the U.S. Facilitators are persons resident in India. About 270 Coordinators and 670 Facilitators currently support the Foundation's success.

Role of the Coordinator
A Coordinator needs to be fully familiar with the policies and procedures of the Foundation. Coordinators identify Facilitators that they wish to work with. Once they are approved, Coordinators attend open houses and other meetings to identify and nominate Facilitators. Coordinators also need to maintain liaison with their Facilitators and stay up-to-date with the progress of the students nominated by their Facilitators. Each Coordinator may nominate a limited number of Facilitators, typically not more than four. A Coordinator actively contributes to development and implementation of the Foundation's policies and programs.

Role of Facilitator
A Facilitator is identified and certified by a Coordinator. The Facilitator identifies students in India who may be eligible for a scholarship award from the Foundation. Facilitators help a prospective scholar by:

• Explaining the Program to prospective scholars, and conducting a primary evaluation of the student's eligibility
  
• Providing an application form, assisting the student in completing the application form
  
• Submitting it to the Foundation and distributing the scholarship check when it is awarded
  
• Helping the student obtain a renewal of the scholarship, &
  
• Mentoring the student towards the successful completion of his/her educational choices.

The Facilitator also assists the Foundation by providing information on developments in the education sector in the state or region to which the Facilitator belongs. Each Facilitator is permitted to nominate a specified number of students per year including new, first time and renewal applicants. Facilitators are advised to nominate about 3 to 4 new students each year.