Full fee reimbursement for female students from OBC, EWS categories in professional courses

According to information provided by the office of Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, the scheme is effective from the current academic year. It applies to girls seeking admission to professional courses in the state through Common Admission Process (CAP) rounds and is expected to benefit approximately 205,499 girls.

Previously, girls from OBC and EWS categories received 50 percent fee reimbursement.

As per the GR, girls who have already applied under the previous system must submit fresh applications. The state has approved an additional expenditure of Rs. 906.05 crore for this purpose.

However, students and beneficiaries have expressed concerns when Finance Minister Ajit Pawar initially announced this in the budget on June 28.

While welcoming the decision, students demand that instead of reimbursement, the government should directly pay the fees at the time of admission, thereby waiving them.

Pointing out past delays in reimbursements causing uncertainty and stress among students, one beneficiary of the existing 50 percent reimbursement scheme stated, “The income condition is meant to prove our inability to bear expenses. Yet, we are expected to pay the full fee and wait for reimbursement. It would be more helpful if the government waived the fee for girls and paid it directly to the institute upon admission.”