From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 29: As many as 50,000 post-SSLC students belonging to backward classes, who could not get admission in hostels run by the Social Welfare Department in the 2014-15 academic year, will be given Vidyasri scholarships of Rs 1,500 a month per head for accommodation purposes.
The amount would be released directly to students’ bank accounts every month, according to Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya.
Speaking to reporters in Bangalore on Tuesday, the minister said the estimated expenditure to the State exchequer would be Rs 75 crore.
The scholarship amount would be given to students studying in government and aided colleges, universities and other institutions.
Students who have failed to get accommodation in hostels would be given the scholarship for ten months at Rs 15,000 a year.
In 2013-14, the scholarship was given to 32,017 students costing a toral of Rs 34 crore.
On account of shortage of hostels, the Department has decided to grant the amount to students to enable them to continue their studies by residing in rented houses.
Currently, the intake in the Social Welfare Department run hostels is 1.25 lakh, he said.
Students could hire either a single room or a house for their stay during the study.
The Social Welfare Department would receive applications online, he said.
Only students who have scored more than 40 per cent marks in previous public examinations and received admissions in post-metric courses in government and aided institutions in the State are eligible for fee reimbursement from the government in 2014-15 academic year.
Students belonging to category-I and visually impaired category should score more than 40 per cent marks while students belonging to category 2A and 3A and other castes should score more than 50 per cent marks in the previous public tests to become eligible for reimbursement of the admission fee.
The Social Welfare Department was expected to reimburse admission fees of nearly 3.5 lakh students in 2014-15.
In the year 2013-14, the department has reimbursed fees of 2.17 lakh students amounting to Rs 158.31 crore.
Students who have failed in previous public examinations are not eligible to avail the fee reimbursement.
However, students are eligible to get fee reimbursement in courses where carryover system facility was available.
Income limit for students belonging to category-I is Rs 2.50 lakh per annum and Rs 1 lakh for other categories of students.
The State Government reimburses examination, tuition, laboratory, sport and library fees.
Students who got admission for PUC, diploma, BA, BCom, BSc, engineering, medical, ITI, D Ed, B Ed, nursing, and para-medical courses are eligible to get fees reimbursed, he said.