AICTE to create 5% supernumerary seats for economically backward students

Students with family income less than Rs 6 LPA will be eligible for these seats and they will get a full tuition fee waiver. The scheme has been extended from bachelor's level courses to postgraduate courses including MCA, PGDM etc for meritorious students.

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Scholarship to be available for students with the family income less than 6 LPA per annum. (File Photo)

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has extended its Tuition Fee Waiver (TFW) scheme to postgraduate courses. Under this scheme, an additional 5 per cent seats will be offered (maximum) in each course for students belonging to economically weaker section of the society. The students selected under this scheme will not have to pay any tuition fee. A full tuition fee will be provided to them.

The TFW scheme was earlier available for bachelor’s, diploma and postgraduate diploma level programmes. The scheme has recently been extended to all programmes including the postgraduate courses such as MBA, MCA, PGDM, PGDCA courses.

“It has been decided to extend the benefits fo the TFW scheme to the meritorious students of economically poor background (students) pursuing MBA, MCA, PGDM, PGDCA, courses,” states an official statement by the AICTE.

Eligibility criteria

The scholarship is available to students with family income less than Rs 6 lakh per annum. The students are expected to have a complete fee-waiver. The scheme is available under all AICTE recognised colleges where no other scholarship is provided. A maximum of five per cent supernumerary (in addition to the existing seats available) seats will be created in each course under the scheme, according to the official release. “The waiver is limited to tuition fee only and the student will have to pay all other expenses,” states the AICTE statement.

Students who secure admission under the scheme will not be allowed to change their course or branch later, a provision which can be available to students under normal enrolments (after fulfilling the criteria for the other course).

Application procedure:

The scheme, states the official AICTE release, will be applicable only after 30 per cent seats of the course are filled. Each admission year, a separate notification will be issued by the college or AICTE for the said supernumerary seats. Candidates will have to apply during the time. In addition to the documents required for admission, an income certificate will also be required for admission on these seats.