Govt orders 50% fee concession for EWS in self-financed univs

Maharashtra state administration issues GR entitling economically weaker section (EWS) students in self-financed universities to receive 50% fee concession.

Mumbai: Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students in self-financed universities received an educational fillip on Thursday when the state administration issued a government resolution (GR), entitling them to receive a 50 percent fee concession. Presently, there are no fee concessions available at self-financed universities.

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According to data from the University Grants Commission, there are 22 self-financed private universities in Maharashtra. As per the GR, 10 percent of the total enrolled students who meet the government’s criteria for EWS will benefit from the 50 percent fee concession in such universities. According to the old government resolutions, the criteria for EWS are income proof (the applicant and his or her family together should not be earning more than 8 lakhs per annum) and property (if the applicant lives in an urban area, he or she should not own a plot of more than 100 square yards).

In 2019, the government had relaxed some norms for self-financed universities in Maharashtra, resulting in several proposals for setting up universities. In March, Chandrakant Patil, higher and technical education minister, held a meeting of private universities and put forward a proposal: to either have the fee regulation authority (FRA) cap their tuition fees or keep 10 percent of their seats reserved for backward category students.

In the event of the universities not having enough EWS students, they can decide, based on their own criteria, which other students to exempt from tuition fees. The 50 percent concession will cover the tuition fee as well as any other fees charged by the university throughout the entire duration of the course. Significantly, self-financed universities will not receive any financial grants or assistance from the government in implementing this scheme.

The GR also states that the process for granting tuition fee exemptions should be initiated by the self-financing universities during the student admission process. Within one month from the last date of admission, each university must submit a report to the government, providing details of the students who have been granted the relevant concessions. The government will then review the reports within a month. The order is to be made effective immediately.