The Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC), established by Act 22 of 2007 with the twin aims of equity and excellence, is empowered to design schemes that broaden access to higher education through scholarships, freeships and other forms of financial aid. In keeping with this mandate, in 2009 the Council introduced the Higher Education Scholarship Scheme—a merit- based, renewable award for first-year undergraduates in non-professional disciplines. Each year, 1,000 students entering government or aided colleges and universities in the fields of Basic Sciences, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Business Studies are selected. Awardees receive support throughout their undergraduate studies and, provided they maintain the requisite standards, into postgraduate programmes as well. Over the past decade, more than 25,000 fresh applicants have vied annually for these awards, yet only about four percent succeed. Although there is widespread demand to double the intake, the Council is instead proposing a more modest increase—from 1,000 to 1,200 new scholarships per year—so as to extend this popular scheme to even more meritorious but financially needy students.