The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has extended its scheme of Tuition Fee Waiver (TFW) to postgraduate courses. Under the scheme, an extra 5 per cent seats will be offered (maximum) in each course for students who are underprivileged and economically backward. The students selected under this scheme will be provided full tuition fee.
A maximum of five per cent (in addition to the existing seats available) seats will be created in each course under the scheme, according to the official release.
However, the students are only exempted from paying tuition fees, Other expenses will have to be borne by the students. “The waiver is limited to tuition fee only and the student will have to pay all other expenses,” states the AICTE statement.
Earlier, the scheme was available for bachelor’s, diploma and postgraduate diploma level programmes. But now it has extended to all programmes including the postgraduate courses such as MBA, MCA, PGDM, PGDCA courses.
In an official statement, AICTE stated, “It has been decided to extend the benefits for the TFW scheme to the meritorious students of economically poor background (students) pursuing MBA, MCA, PGDM, PGDCA, courses”.
Eligibility criteria to avail the scheme:
Those students whose family income is less than Rs 6 lakh per annum are eligible for the scholarship. The students will be given a complete fee-waiver. The scholarship is available under all AICTE recognized colleges where no other scholarship is provided.
Another con of this scheme is that the students who get admission under the scheme will not be allowed to change their course or branch later, a provision which is provided to students under normal enrollments (after fulfilling the criteria for the other course).
Application procedure:
An official release by AICTE stated that the scheme will be applicable only after 30 per cent seats of the course are filled. A separate notification will be issued by the college or AICTE for the said supernumerary seats every year. Candidates will have to apply during the time. Other than the required documents needed for admission, an income certificate will also be required for admission on these seats.