StudyDesk Scholarships
About the programme
nurtr is an online chess academy that offers course content and coaching from titled chess trainers, and its Neo course is the programme’s flagship online offering. The Nurturing Minds with Chess programme exists to put that coaching within reach of families who could not pay the full fee: rather than a single flat discount, it scales the price to family income, with the largest subsidy going to the families who need it most. The coaching itself is the same across tiers — the tiers differ only in what the family pays.
Be clear about what this is and is not. It is a subsidised course purchase, not a cash scholarship: you pay the reduced fee, your documents are verified, and the course is then activated. If verification finds you ineligible for the tier you chose, the amount you paid is refunded in full, as the programme page states. The full-cost tier exists for families who would rather skip income verification altogether.
Benefits
- Grandmaster-led online chess coaching through the nurtr Neo course, with structured learning material and access to tournaments, as described on the programme pages.
- Income-based pricing: Rs 1,000 for family incomes below Rs 8 lakh a year (90% waiver), Rs 4,999 for incomes between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 15 lakh a year (50% waiver), and Rs 9,999 at actual cost for incomes above Rs 15 lakh a year.
- A refund if document verification finds you ineligible for the tier you applied under.
Who can apply
- You are a resident of India.
- You are currently enrolled as a school or college student.
- You are between 5 and 25 years of age.
- Your tier is decided by annual family income: below Rs 8 lakh for the 90% waiver, Rs 8–15 lakh for the 50% waiver, and above Rs 15 lakh for the actual-cost option.
Documents required
A student identity proof issued by your school or college, and family income proof — a salary slip, Form 16, income certificate, income tax return or similar document. Applicants in the above-Rs 8 lakh brackets also submit a self-declaration about family income, as the programme page specifies. Follow the document list shown on the application form, since that list governs the application.
How to apply
- Open the nurtr Nurturing Minds with Chess programme page on Buddy4Study.
- Choose your tier — the 90% waiver, the 50% waiver, or the actual-cost option — according to your family income.
- Click Apply Now, log in to your Buddy4Study account or register with an email address, mobile number or Google account.
- Fill in your details, upload the student identity and income documents, and submit.
- Pay the applicable fee through Buddy4Study’s payment gateway. Your course access is activated once your documents clear verification; if you are found ineligible, the amount is refunded.
FAQs
No. It is a subsidised course: you pay a reduced fee for the nurtr Neo chess course, and the course is activated after document verification.
Below Rs 8 lakh a year: Rs 1,000 (90% waiver). Rs 8–15 lakh a year: Rs 4,999 (50% waiver). Above Rs 15 lakh a year: Rs 9,999 at actual cost.
Indian school or college students aged 5 to 25.
The programme page states that the amount paid is fully refunded if you are found ineligible on verification.
No fixed deadline is published on the current programme page. An older cycle listing gave 31 March 2026 for the 2025-26 cycle, but the programme page is live with applications open now, so this article states no deadline rather than repeating the old one.
No. They are the same programme’s other price tiers, and they are covered in this one article rather than written up separately.
Verified 31 Oct 2026 against the live Buddy4Study nurtr programme page (three tiers: below Rs 8 lakh Rs 1,000 at 90% waiver; Rs 8–15 lakh Rs 4,999 at 50% waiver; above Rs 15 lakh Rs 9,999 at actual cost; eligibility Indian resident, school/college student, age 5–25; documents student ID and income proof plus self-declaration; payment through Buddy4Study gateway with refund on failed verification) and the Buddy4Study programme article (same tiers and eligibility). An older 2025-26 cycle listing gave a 31 March 2026 deadline, but the programme page is live with applications open, so no deadline is stated.
