BREAD Society was depending on funding scholarships from NRI Foundations since inception in 1989 till 2003-04. Scholarships were awarded primarily for B.Tech, MBBS and polytechnic courses during this period in accordance with the wishes of the funding agencies.

Education system has undergone a sea change over the last fifteen years or so with the advent of corporate junior colleges coinciding with the introduction of CETs for admissions to professional vocational colleges. Underprivileged students, however bright they may be, got eliminated from professional courses, as they could not afford the high cost of specialized coaching for CETs.

A field study conducted by BREAD in 2002 has led to opening up of all courses of higher education for assistance under the BREAD scholarship programme in 2003.

The Governing Body of BREAD revised the eligibility criteria after wide ranging consultations with sponsors, educators, social scientists etc. This resulted in identifying the underprivileged students as those with government high school education background and continuing present education in government or aided colleges. The meritorious from among such students were identified based on the marks in the qualifying examinations and CET scores (where applicable).

BREAD realized the need to mobilize resources on its own to be able to achieve its objective of serving the cause of higher education of the bright underprivileged students in a more meaningful manner. TANA Foundation played a major role in supporting and standing by BREAD during this period of evolution.

ACE (Adopt a Child to Educate) a comprehensive higher education programme was conceived by BREAD. TANA Foundation adopted 50 of the 55 scholars in the first year (2003-04). TANA Foundation also sponsored 38 Under Graduate-non-professionals for the first time in the history of BREAD in the same year, besides the 7 polytechnic scholars. BREAD continues to sponsor about the same number of ACE scholars each year.