“A Child should never be deprived of quality education owing to poverty. This forceful thought in my mind became the seed that gave birth to the innovative STARS Scheme”. – Dr.G.Viswanathan, Chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology

Philanthropy makes a big difference to people’s lives. On these lines, Our Beloved chancellor Dr.G.Viswanathan has taken several community development initiatives for the betterment of the society, and STARS (Support the Advancement of Rural Students Scheme) is one such philanthropic activity started in the year 2008. It aims at enhancing the rural students’ quality of life.

Since 2008 rural students of Tamil Nadu have been admitted through STARS scheme. Each student’s story is an inspiring story of change. Daily wage labourers and domestic helpers find it difficult to educate their children due to their unstable income and difficult living conditions. Their children who are academically brilliant, continue to live their lives in poverty like their families or settle down to basic jobs which satisfies neither their basic needs or their intellectual hunger. While many people in our society ignore these hard facts and go ahead with their lives, VIT Management Stands tall as it takes these children in its fold through the STARS scheme. Financially disadvantaged children don’t have to stop dreaming of becoming an Engineer. VIT STARS Scheme helps these students from under-privileged background to achieve what they deserve by awarding them 100% fee waiver for their academic and hostel facilities including basic medical expenses.

In 2021, the scheme was extended to Chennai District, by considering its three revenue  districts. The scheme was inaugurated in Chennai Campus by Honourable School Education Minister for the state Mr. Anbil Magesh Poiyamozhi. One girl and one boy student educated through Government Schools from three revenue districts of Chennai will be entitled to avail the scheme benefits. The selected Students (STARS) are given admission to a B. Tech course in VIT with 100 percent Scholarship covering free accommodation, food, healthcare and other academic facilities.

VIT stands proud in giving high-quality education to the rural students of Tamil Nadu and provide the doorway for a good career, better social status and most importantly, fine tune them to be responsible citizens.