Dr G Viswanathan, Founder Chancellor, VIT announced Rs 62 lakhs as scholarships in the form of 100 per cent fee waiver for 25 VIT-AP University students who have lost a parent who was the bread-winner of the family due to COVID-19 for the current academic year 2021-22. Estimates on "COVID orphans" in India range from 30,000 to around 1.5 lakh.

These 25 students are pursuing various engineering and non-engineering programmes. During the first COVID wave last year, VIT-AP had offered a building as a quarantine centre and donated Rs 75 lakhs to AP CM Relief Fund in two phases (25 Lakhs + 50 lakhs) in order to aid the government's efforts in the fight against COVID.

“VIT-AP hopes that such students do not face financial difficulties and will be able to complete their study on time,'' Dr S V Kota Reddy, Vice Chancellor, VIT-AP University said in a press release.