Telangana Scraps Fee Reimbursement & Introduces FAST Scholarships

July 17, 2014 10:20 am

Chief Minister KCR announced a complete overhaul of Government provided assistance to students so far being done through fee reimbursements. He announced that the cabinet decided to scrap fee reimbursement and introduce a new scheme named ‘Financial Assistance for Students of Telangana (FAST)’. The decision came after a month of the all party meet held to discuss the issue. The all party meet too decided the program needs corrections to provide help to the right deserving students.

Only students whose families were natives of Telangana prior to 1956 will be eligible to avail fee reimbursement and scholarships for professional courses from this year. The Telangana Cabinet on Wednesday approved 1956 as the cut-off year to determine the nativity of Telangana students. 1956 was the year when the Hyderabad state was merged with Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh. Family income criterion too is considered for the scholarship.

KCR said it is Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu who is delaying EAMCET counseling by politicizing fee reimbursement and refusing to bear those of AP students and that he is not the one to be blamed. KCR said Telangana would provide scholarship and reimburse fees for students from it’s state whatever State they study and asked what is the harm for AP CM in following the same procedure.

“On one hand, he boasts of building a new capital city like Singapore for AP by spending Rs 1.50 lakh crore. But he doesn’t have money to pay the fees of Seemandhra students. We are ready to pay the fees of our students wherever they study. In the same way, we want him to pay the fees of their students, what’s wrong in this?” Mr Rao asked.

“A committee will be set up with officials of finance, social welfare and education departments. They will finalise the modalities on the certificates or proofs that students need to submit to avail the benefits. The modalities will be issued shortly,” he said.

Asked whether the cut-off year will stand judicial scrutiny, Mr Rao said that there are precedents and previous judgements that upheld States’ rights to determine residence to extend Govt schemes.

KCR also said that in united Andhra Pradesh, the fee reimbursement scheme was a big scam. Several colleges claimed fees with bogus students and made a lot of money. Telangana Talkies reported few days ago that last year’s figures indicate the Govt had paid almost Rs 15000 per year per student and yet colleges provide education with low quality. Since Telangana has been formed now, the CM said the program would be corrected and the Govt.would offer benefits of the scheme only to genuine Telangana students.

On the charge that the delay in fee reimbursement policy decision is making students migrate to other States, the CM shot back saying why will a student need fee reimbursement in the first place when he can afford to study in other States!