It's not just the cost of the tests. Since none of these exams has a center in Kashmir, students usually have to travel to a different city to take them. The cost of travel alone is much higher than the cost of the test. https://twitter.com/tabakhmaaz_stan/status/1275323082786258946

Apart from this, students outside Kashmir usually pay for expensive coaching and counseling for testing as well as the college application which gives them a significant advantage.

Not to mention the advantages they have because of the uninterrupted school year and internet.

At @findyourwath we've been working towards solving some of these problems. Even though we're helping students free of cost, it's not a solution for people who cannot manage the cost for the tests and travel.

This is a problem all over the world and is usually superficially addressed by private organizations or universities who target high achieving low-income students.

Since we cannot rely on the government in Kashmir, we need similar solutions funded by the community.

These solutions will not only focus on the US (because there's a low upper limit to how many students can get scholarships in US colleges) but other countries with great colleges and especially a relatively better environment.