Bhubaneswar: She is the first student from her Kondha tribe community in Bissamcuttack block of Rayagada district to crack a medical entrance examination. Kabita Hikaka (19), daughter of a daily wager, has cracked National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) this year, scoring an ST rank of 137 and an overall 4,027, and secured an MBBS seat at SLN Medical College and Hospital, Koraput.Kabita, daughter of Laba and Kamala Hikaka of Sahada village in Bissamcuttack, has received her admission intimation. The process is scheduled to be completed between Aug 28 and Sept 6. But her determination, sacrifice and persistence face a hurdle — the cost of the medical education.Laba, who earns around Rs 300 a day as an unskilled worker and supports a family of four, said the immediate admission expenses would be around Rs 37,000, while the total cost of the five-year MBBS course is expected to be around Rs 7 lakh. “I am very happy that my daughter has got a medical seat. But I cannot imagine arranging that much money with my daily wage. I request the govt to help her continue her studies,” he said.So far, her school has helped her with medical coaching. Seeing her academic performance and interest in science, Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV), Bhubaneswar, from where she completed higher secondary education, extended free medical coaching to her, along with other promising students.Kabita has always been a promising student. She cleared Class X from OAV at Bhaleri in Bissamcuttack, scoring 90.8%. Kabita knew she would have to put in extra effort to realise her ambition. “Although my teachers provided us with the best coaching for NEET preparation, I felt that alone would not be enough. I studied for seven to eight hours every day beyond my regular classes and turned to free coaching on social media,” she said.After completing Class XII in 2024 with 77%, Kabita returned home and continued her NEET preparation largely through social media. Her perseverance paid off in her third attempt.Arranging a smartphone for Kabita’s studies, however, and even travelling to Bhubaneswar to meet her once a month were difficult for her father buther family has not allowed financial constraints to get in the way of her studies. “I never wanted her studies to stop because of money,” Laba said.Now, for a family dependent on daily wages, arranging around Rs 7 lakh is a daunting prospect.