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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The 2026 Shubhra Kar Linux Foundation Training (LiFT) Scholarship application is closed: applications were due by 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 30, 2026. The Linux Foundation says the next cycle is expected to open in April 2027, but it has not announced an exact date or deadline. LiFT awards eligible recipients access to Linux Foundation training and a certification exam at no cost.
Is the LiFT Scholarship application still open?
No. The 2026 application period opened on April 1 and closed at 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 30, 2026. The Foundation announced the completed awards on June 30, 2026. The original application announcement mistakenly gave the notification date as June 30, 2025; the later results announcement confirms that the 2026 recipients were announced on June 30, 2026. The application announcement and the results announcement establish the cycle dates.
When will the next Linux Foundation scholarship application open?
The current Linux Foundation Scholarships page says 2027 applications will open in April, without giving a specific day. The Foundation’s General FAQ says the annual program typically launches around April 1 and is usually open for 30 days. That describes the usual pattern, not a confirmed 2027 opening date or deadline. Check the official scholarship page for the next announcement rather than treating April 1 or a 30-day window as fixed dates.
What does the LiFT Scholarship cover?
The Shubhra Kar Linux Foundation Training (LiFT) Scholarship provides eligible recipients access to Linux Foundation training courses and a certification exam at no cost. The program aims to increase diversity in open-source technology and was renamed in memory of Shubhra Kar, the Linux Foundation’s long-time chief technology officer. For the 2026 cycle, the Foundation reported more than 500 recipients across 123 countries. It also reported more than 5,900 applications across 16 categories. These are figures reported by the Linux Foundation, not independently audited totals.
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Who can apply, and how should you choose a category?
LiFT does not use one universal eligibility test. The 2026 application offered 16 categories, each with its own requirements; applicants needed to satisfy every requirement for the category they selected. The categories served a range of backgrounds and fields, including:
- Students, teenagers and people early in their careers.
- Women in open source and volunteer developers.
- Technology professionals working in areas such as systems administration, digital trust, cloud, networking, AI platform stacks, RISC-V and cybersecurity.
- Daily Linux users, professors and researchers, unemployed open-source professionals, and public-sector or military applicants.
When the next application becomes available, compare the category-specific criteria with your own status, experience and work or contributions. Do not assume that qualifying for one category means you qualify for another; consult the requirements in that cycle’s application.
How to prepare for the next application
- Check the official scholarship page in April 2027. The Foundation has indicated that applications will open in April, but has not set an exact date.
- Read the full requirements for the category you intend to select. The 2026 program used distinct criteria for each of its 16 categories; wait for the next cycle’s criteria before assuming they are unchanged.
- Prepare an original, personal response. The 2026 announcement encouraged answers grounded in applicants’ own insights and warned that AI-composed or copied responses could lower an application score or lead to disqualification.
- Submit before the deadline stated for that cycle. The 2026 deadline was 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 30, but that date should not be assumed for 2027.
How many LiFT scholarships does the Linux Foundation award?
For 2026, the Linux Foundation reported more than 500 recipients from 123 countries. Its current scholarship page and the June 30 results announcement report more than 4,250 scholarships awarded since 2010. The April 1 application announcement gave an earlier, lower cumulative figure of more than 3,750; the later sources report the higher total.
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