In India, countless girls in slum communities are forced to leave school as early as 14, often facing early marriage or being burdened with household duties, early pregnancies, or lacking essential resources to pay for high school and college.
Without education, these girls face heartbreaking futures that include domestic abuse and possibly begging to survive. Uneducated mothers struggle to provide educational opportunities for their children, which fuels a relentless cycle of generational poverty.
Achieving success as a first-generation college student is challenging, particularly given the severe poverty these young women face. The India staff and our partner, ASMITA, have established a support system designed to maximize each student’s success.
Each year we identify young women who have passed their college exams and are working part-time jobs to help fund their education. This demonstrates a strong commitment to their studies, which significantly increases their chances of success.
Each family is carefully interviewed to confirm their commitment to supporting their daughter’s college education. She’ll have a better chance of success when everyone shares her dream. Too often, young women are forced to drop out of college to help with family income or care for siblings. By ensuring the parents are on board from the start, there is a far greater chance that the young woman will graduate.
Our first class, launched in 2024, is now entering their second year of college. We are thrilled to share that 17 of the 18 young women are continuing their degrees, each one moving closer to a future with meaningful work, stability, and independence. These students are studying a range of subjects—from finance to science—each one a powerful step beyond the limitations of slum life.
Building on this success, we welcomed a second class in the fall of 2025. This new group of 18 young women brings fresh enthusiasm, commitment, and dreams for their future. They represent fields such as teaching, business, technology, and law. Together, they carry the hope of building lives defined not by scarcity, but by possibility.
Higher education dramatically alters the trajectory of a girl’s life. A college degree opens doors to stable employment, financial independence, and the ability to support her family and community. For girls raised in slums, this is more than an opportunity—it is liberation.
Education also has a powerful ripple effect:
When you support Dreams to Degrees, you are not just funding a college seat—you are reshaping a life.
Donor support ensures that each young woman receives:
Your generosity fills the gap between a dream and a diploma.
Your contribution today opens the doors for 20 more girls with the courage to dream beyond their circumstances, and pursue a life beyond the slums.