From scholarships to laptops: How Intuit's four-pillar approach is empowering girl students from India’s underserved communities

In a context where access to education is still challenging for many young women, Intuit India has committed to a transformative and meaningful vision: supporting one girl child for every employee in its Indian operations.

Since 2017, the Intuit Rise: Girl Child Empowerment Program has evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem, changing lives across the country.

By March 2026, over 2,300 girl students have received scholarships. More than 75% of beneficiaries come from families earning less than Rs 3 lakh a year, households where education often takes a back seat to basic needs of survival.

Beyond cheques: Building a holistic support system

What distinguishes Intuit Rise from traditional scholarship programs is its four-pillar approach that addresses not just financial constraints but the entire spectrum of challenges that students from underrepresented communities face. First, the scholarship program provides multi-year financial support, ensuring girls can complete their education through graduation, without the constant anxiety of semester fees.

Second is the mentorship component that brings real-world knowledge into classrooms. We've had around 50 employee mentors conducting over 250 sessions so far. As the program continues to expand, the focus remains on personality development, career readiness, and parent engagement. This last element recognizes a crucial truth: encouraging families to invest in their daughters’ education often involves thoughtfully addressing parental concerns and long-standing cultural perspectives.

Access to technology tools forms the third pillar. Intuit has provided over ‌ 100 refurbished laptops to high-achieving students who scored above 85%. In an era where digital skills are fundamental to career success, this intervention closes a critical gap.

The fourth pillar, the Global Donations Program, enables year-round employee contributions, targeting final-year graduates at the crucial juncture between education and job-readiness.

Employees as change agents

Since 2021, Intuit India employees have been able to directly participate as program ambassadors, and 70% referrals are through an employee referral system. This transforms abstract corporate giving into personal advocacy, with employees identifying deserving students in their communities and networks. It's an embodiment of Intuit's ‘We Care and Give Back’ value, creating a culture where social responsibility is not delegated to a CSR department but woven into the cultural fabric of the organization.

Strategic partnerships amplify reach

Everything the Intuit program does starts with the belief that people deserve the opportunity to prosper. The program's effectiveness relies on partnerships with Buddy4Study and OneStage (CAF India). Buddy4Study provides a scholarship search platform and monitors beneficiary progress, while OneStage brings strategic expertise to optimize CSR investments with a gender lens. These collaborations create an evaluation framework that tracks long-term outcomes beyond simple fund disbursement.

Expanding horizons in 2026

Building on program momentum, 2026 focuses on ecosystem collaboration and operational excellence, which focuses on transparency, referral management, query management, and overall efficiency. Additionally, we also have a career counselling program (Beyond the mentorship program) planned to further support students in their academic and professional journeys.

Stories of transformation

Sneha K from Bihar embodies the program's transformative potential. The daughter of a small-scale farmer, she struggled to afford semester fees for her BTech degree. A scholarship of Rs 2,46,000 gave her the foundation to pursue her dream of becoming a software engineer and building a home for her family.

Similarly, Sneha Myakalmardi scored 96% in her Class 10 board exams but faced severe financial strain. Through the program, she's now pursuing a diploma in computer science with entrepreneurial ambitions.

The academic metrics validate the program's effectiveness. In FY24, 25% of beneficiaries scored above 90%, demonstrating that when financial barriers are removed and proper mentorship is provided, talent flourishes regardless of socioeconomic background.

Creating sustainable change

Intuit Rise represents a more enduring approach to corporate social responsibility - one that aims to bring sustained change. By providing sustained financial support for education and access to digital tools, along with mentorship, the program tackles root causes. The emphasis on fields such as engineering and technology encourages young women to pursue high-growth sectors where they can achieve economic independence.

As India grapples with gender disparities in education and employment, initiatives like Intuit Rise offer a blueprint for how corporations can use their resources and channelize employee volunteerism to create measurable social impact. The goal of supporting one girl for every employee is a commitment to building a more equitable future, one scholarship, one laptop, one mentoring session at a time.

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