The philanthropic arm of Yash Raj Films, Yash Chopra Foundation (YCF), on Friday announced the YCF Scholarship Program 2026, marking the second year of the initiative to support the higher education aspirations of children from Hindi film industry families.
According a note, the scholarship program is aimed at children of registered Hindi film industry workers and YCF Saathi members, many of whom play a vital role in the film industry’s ecosystem.
Under this, YCF will be providing financial assistance of up to ₹5 lakh per student. 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 note stated.
Akshaye Widhani, CEO of YRF, said, the team is "thrilled to empower children of our Hindi film industry families to dream bigger and build sustainable futures through education."
The program is aimed at supporting students across professional and creative disciplines including Film Studies, Media & Communication, Animation & Visual Effects, Cinematography, Direction and Visual Arts. This year, it also introduces postgraduate courses across professional streams.
Insights from the YCF Saathi survey reveal that over 60% of film industry families face financial challenges in funding higher education and the scholarship will aim to address this gap and create opportunities for long-term economic stability.
"The 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," Widhani said about the program.
According to YCF, selected candidates will undergo a "structured, multi-stage evaluation process including screening and personalised interviews, and successful applicants will receive financial aid under this program, with fees disbursed directly to their respective institutions."
On the film front, YRF is awaiting the grand release of its next actioner, Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari.