We are thrilled to announce that NCEF has chosen 122 students to receive financial support for the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year.

At the heart of NCEF's mission is the commitment to ensuring that students facing financial difficulties receive the necessary assistance to cover their school-related expenses. The meticulous process of student selection draws on over 17 years of experience operating in Nepal, consistently identifying and supporting students through this program each year.

The dedication of our volunteers has been instrumental in the successful collection of 52 new applications and 100 renewal applications, along with the pertinent information about the applicants. This achievement marks our ongoing commitment to help the needy students.

This year, the selection committee comprised four dedicated members: Bhusan Neupane, Gyan Neupane, Maheshwor Kafle, and Santosh KC. Working collaboratively, these volunteers ensure the fairness and timely completion of the student selection process. Their collective efforts involve meticulously reviewing all applications, sifting through extensive information on academic and financial standings, and engaging in discussions to make the final selection.

The invaluable work of these volunteers is complemented by the support of numerous volunteers in both Nepal and the US. These additional volunteers play crucial roles in handling logistics related to application collection, verifying information, and obtaining missing data from applications.

To be eligible for financial assistance from NCEF, students are required to meet minimum academic standards and demonstrate financial need. These criteria are clearly outlined and publicly available on the NCEF website.

In the current year, the team conducted interviews with 52 new applicants and successfully selected 12 in Nepalgunj, seven in Sankhuwasabha, and three in Lamjung. Additionally, the committee thoroughly reviewed renewal applications for 100 existing recipients in Sunsari, Nepalgunj, Sankhuwasabha, Nawalparasi, Gorkha, Lamjung, and Dang. We are delighted to announce that all our students, both new and renewing, have progressed to the next grade. The assistance for the 100 renewal students has been extended, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to them!

A committee member expressed the collective sentiment that there is a genuine desire to support all deserving applications, given the considerable effort invested by the dedicated volunteers in identifying the most deserving students. However, the organization often faces limitations imposed by the long-term financial commitments it can make, supporting students until they complete high school, as well as the operational capacity on the ground. Some other areas for improvement include, more timely groundwork for application collection, fully digitalizing the application collection process, and establishing a channel that enables us to obtain official student academic records from the school faster. Efforts are ongoing to enhance progress on both these fronts, and the organization relies on the invaluable support of its donors to extend assistance to an even greater number of students in the future.

Heartfelt appreciation is extended to the donors whose contributions make this impactful work possible. The organization shares in the excitement felt by the students and is eager to facilitate and support this cohort as they continue their academic journey.