TCF schools are located in rural areas and urban slums where sending a child to school means losing a bread-earner. To ensure that education is affordable for every student, a pay-as-you-can afford system is in place, whereby, scholarships up to 95% are awarded on the basis of need. 'Need' is ascertained on the grounds of the overall household income of each family, its circumstances and education related expenses.

Applicants for financial assistance provide necessary details about their family income and resources by completing a scholarship form. TCF school staff, through visits to the applicants' homes, verifies this information. Finally, school principals send completed scholarship forms, along with their recommendations to the Regional Office where the final decision is taken.

Scholarships are given for one academic year and the recipients are eligible to reapply. Deserving students get uniforms and textbooks free of cost. Others are provided the facility of purchasing uniforms and textbooks on easy installments. This facility is offered to reduce the financial burden on parents at the beginning of the academic year, a time when they have to buy uniforms and textbooks for all their school-going children.

Many TCF students attend school by paying as little as Rs. 10 per month, including the cost of uniforms and books.