Education mentorship
Choosing what to study is the biggest decision most families make with the least information. A mentor goes through it properly with the student and the parents: the options, what each one costs, what each one leads to, and what has to be done by when.
Most students choose a stream because a cousin chose it, a neighbour recommended it, or it was the only subject the nearest college offered. Very few choose it because somebody explained where it leads.
A great deal of help already exists — government seats, fee concessions, state and central scholarships, hostels for students from outside the city. Much of it goes unclaimed every year, not because families were refused, but because nobody told them it was there, or told them three weeks after the form had closed.
One properly informed conversation, held early enough, changes what a student is able to do next.
You should ask us if
- —Students in classes 9 to 12 who are deciding what to take next
- —Students who have just received their results and are unsure what they qualify for
- —Parents who want to understand the options before committing money
- —First-generation learners — the first in the family to reach college
- —Students whose marks came in lower than expected, and who believe their options have closed
What we will actually go through with you
Choosing a stream after class 10
Science, Commerce or Arts — what each one opens, what each one closes, and an honest answer on whether a stream can realistically be changed later.
Choosing a course after class 12
Degree, professional course, diploma or vocational programme, weighed against the student’s marks, interests and what the family can afford over three or four years.
Shortlisting colleges
Government, aided and private colleges within reach, compared on fees, distance, hostel facilities and outcomes rather than on reputation alone.
Admission timelines and documents
What falls due when, which certificates to obtain in advance, and how long each one takes to come through. Most admission crises turn out to be document crises.
Schemes the student may qualify for
Government scholarships, fee reimbursement and reserved or supernumerary seats that apply to the student’s situation, together with the deadlines that govern them.
When the marks fall short
Supplementary examinations, alternative courses, bridge and diploma routes, and ways back in. A disappointing result is rarely the end of the road, though it is very often treated as one.
From asking to acting
Send us a request
Fill in the short form on this website, or call us. Telling us what you need costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
We call you back
Somebody from the Foundation calls within three working days to understand the situation — marks, interests, family circumstances and constraints — before suggesting anything.
We match you with a mentor, and tell you the cost
We identify the partner best suited to your case and tell you plainly what they charge. If the cost is beyond what your family can manage, we discuss a concession or sponsorship at this stage, before anything is booked.
The session
Forty-five minutes to an hour, by phone, by video or in person in Bangalore. Parents are welcome, and for younger students we prefer that they attend.
A written summary
You receive the options discussed in writing, with the deadlines and documents listed, so that the conversation can be shown to family members who were not in the room.
A follow-up before admissions close
We check whether the applications actually went in. This is the step that matters most, and the one most often missed.
About education mentorship
Does Shiksha Sarathi Foundation conduct the mentorship itself?
No. We arrange it with partner mentors and organisations who specialise in this work, and we match you with the one that suits your situation. What we do ourselves is understand your case, find the right person for it, arrange support with the cost where it is needed, and follow up afterwards.
What does a session cost?
The fee is set by the partner, not by us, and it varies with the kind of session and how long it runs. We tell you the exact amount before anything is booked, so you are never committed to a cost you have not agreed to.
What if my family cannot afford it?
Tell us. Where a student genuinely needs a service and cannot meet its cost, we arrange a concession, a discount or full sponsorship. Each case is decided individually, on family income and on how much difference the service is likely to make. Please ask rather than assuming the answer is no.
Do I have to be a scholarship applicant to ask for mentorship?
No. The two are entirely separate. You may use these services without ever applying for a scholarship, and asking for mentorship gives you no advantage in scholarship selection.
Which languages are sessions available in?
English, Kannada, Hindi and Urdu. Tell us your preference when you send the request and we will match you with a mentor accordingly.
Anything else, write to connect@shikshasarathifoundation.org.
Students rarely need only one of these
Ask us before you decide, not after
Sending the request costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We will tell you what is involved, and what it costs, before anything is arranged.