Teach For India Fellowships

The Teach For India Fellows and Alumni Scholarship was established in 2023 by the Heller School of Social Policy and Management Studies in collaboration with Teach For India. Fellows from Teach For India, a non-profit organization that aims to end educational inequity in India, are recruited and trained to teach in low-income private and public schools, and commit to positively impact their schools and communities. By enlisting young professionals (TFI Fellows) to serve as teachers in under-resourced schools, TFI pursues its mission of providing all children with an excellent education, and continues to build a movement of leaders who will drive change in education and beyond.

Scholarships for TFI Fellows

TFI Fellows are exceptional professionals deserving of recognition in the international development space. To facilitate their integration, Heller School of Social Policy is pleased to offer guaranteed partial-tuition scholarships of at least 50% to TFI Fellows and alumni.

Eligibility and How to Apply

Applicants must have successfully completed their TFI Fellowship or TFI staff members who have worked with TFI for a period of at least 20 months, and be applying to the Master of Arts in Global Sustainability Policy and Management or the Master of Science in Global Health Policy and Management. The Heller School will also waive the application fee for TFI Fellows and alumni.

To verify their affiliation, applicants should upload a copy of their Teach For India Fellowship Completion Letter or Employment Confirmation Letter along with the rest of their documents via our online application portal.

Questions?

For questions about the TFI Fellows Program at the Heller School, contact Ravi Lakshmikanthan, at kanthan@brandeis.edu.

Meet Some of Our TFI Fellows:

Bhavitha Bhogaraju, TFI Hyderabad 2014-2016, MA SID’ 23:

“Contributing to reforming the literacy and numeracy outcomes in South India as an educator in Teach For India, was the start of my journey into social impact. After my Fellowship, my social impact career led me to explore challenges in public, private and civil society organizations, where I continued to challenge notions on equity, equality and inclusion, through my work. Leading the expansion of Girls Who Code in India and orchestrating public health efforts during COVID-19 pandemic, as a Government Engagement Consultant, were rewarding personally and professionally. However, these experiences also began my academic curiosity into social development, the prevailing ideologies put forth by influential thinkers and the global discourse that shapes it.

When I was applying to grad schools,my primary objective was to find an institution deeply committed to the principles of social justice, offering a balanced blend of theoretical scholarship and practical underpinnings from renowned professors. Heller school at Brandeis University aligned perfectly with my aim and goals. Learning never stops and as a Heller student, my learning experience only strengthened my capabilities to create a just, equitable and prosperous world.”

PerinAnn Katrak, TFI Bengaluru 2018-2020, MA SID’ 23

"When I ended my Teach For India Fellowship, I had a lot of on-ground experience and hard skills that went beyond teaching. I realized that I wanted to explore different ways of engaging with the many facets of the development field, as I strived to make a difference towards education, economic and gender equity, and environmental sustainability. I wanted a program that would provide a strong theoretical base and teach me about the state of development globally.

The SID program at Heller did all this for me, as there were plenty of courses for me to engage with theory around development. I was constantly learning not just from my professors, but also from colleagues with vast international experience, and I found my interests and perspectives grow in so many new directions. My classes covered various practical skills, many of which I had already been informally introduced to through TFI, shaping and strengthening my existing experience. TFI Fellowship had equipped me with the leadership skills I required to be elected onto graduate level student government at Brandeis, which in turn was a great opportunity for personal growth and networking.

As I leave Heller, I feel well equipped both with knowledge and experience to make the impact that I have always hoped to. It felt like the perfect next step in my journey at this stage."