Post-Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities

Objectives

Objectives of the schemes are:

1. To support students with disabilities for their study in classes IX and X onwards so that the incidence of drop-out, especially in the transition from the elementary to the secondary stage is minimized,
2. To improve participation of students with disabilities in classes IX and X and at the pre-matric stage of education.
3. To support students with disabilities to study further in order to prepare themselves to earn their livelihood and to find a dignified place for themselves in the society as they face several barriers physical, financial, psychological, mental in pursuing studies and living with dignity. At times such students are deprived of harnessing their latent skills and thereby miss the opportunity.
4. All Graduate & Post Graduate courses recognised by UGC will be covered under Post-Matric Scholarship

Scope

Scholarships under this scheme will be available for studying in classes IX, X, XI, XII, post-matriculation diploma/certificates and Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in India and Master’s Degree from any University recognised by UGC, to students with disabilities who are covered under the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 and the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 and/or under any relevant legal statute in force.
Only Indian Nationals will be eligible for scholarships. Scholarship under the Scheme will be awarded by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability, Government of India.

Conditions of Eligibility

General Conditions

• The scholarships are open to nationals of India only.
• The students having less than 40% disability (Certified by competent medical authority of the state Governments/UTs.) are not eligible.
• Not more than two disabled children of the same parents will be entitled to receive benefits of the scheme. Provided in case the second child is a twin, the scholarship under this scheme will be admissible to both the twins.
• Scholarship for studying in any class will be available for only one year. If a student has to repeat a class, she / he would not get scholarship for that class for a second (or subsequent) year.
• A scholarship holder under this scheme will not hold any other scholarship/stipend. If awarded any other scholarship/stipend, the student can exercise his/her option for either of the two scholarships/stipends, whichever is more beneficial to him/her and should inform the awarding authority through the Head of the Institution about the option made. No scholarship will be paid to the students under this scheme from the date he/she accepts another scholarship/stipend. The student can however, accept free lodging or a grant or ad-hoc monetary help from the State Government or any other source for the purchase of books, equipment or for meeting the expenses on board and lodging in addition to the scholarship amount paid under this scheme.
• Scholarship holders who are receiving coaching in any of the pre-examination training centres with financial assistance from the Central Government/ State Government will not be eligible for stipend under the coaching schemes for the duration of the coaching programme.

For Post-matric scholarship

1. These scholarships will be given for the study of all recognized post-matriculation or post-secondary courses pursued in recognized institutions with the following exceptions:  “Scholarships are not awarded for training courses like Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Courses and Private Pilot license Courses. Courses at Training – Ship Dufferin (Now Rajendra), courses of training at the Military College, Dehradun, courses at Pre-examination Training Centres of all India and State levels.”
2. Only those candidates who have passed the Matriculation or Higher Secondary or any higher examination of a recognized University or Board of Secondary Education will be eligible.
3. Courses at the level of post-graduate degree/diploma/ certificate are also covered under this scheme.
4. Candidates who after passing one stage of education are studying in the same stage of education in different subject e.g. B.Com. after B.A. in other subject will not be eligible. However, students pursuing L.L.B/B.Ed/B.El.Ed. after passing B.A./B.Sc./B.E. etc. are eligible for Post-Matric Scholarship under this scheme.
5. Students who are pursuing two different courses of study simultaneously can avail the scholarship for any one course only provided pursuance of such courses are permissible under the rules/regulations of the Educational Authority concerned.
6. Students studying in Class XI of the Higher Secondary School courses of the XII Class of the Multipurpose High School will not be eligible for it being a continuous school course. However, in cases where X^th class examination of such courses is treated as equivalent to Matriculation and students who after passing X^th class join other courses, such students will be treated as postmatric students and will be eligible for the award of scholarships.
7. Students who after failing or passing the under graduate examinations in Arts/Science/Commerce join any recognized professional or Technical certificate/diploma/degree courses will be awarded scholarships if otherwise eligible. No subsequent failure will be condoned except courses in Group-I.
8. Students who pursue their studies through correspondence courses are also eligible. The term correspondence includes distant and continuing education.
9. Employed students whose income combined with the income of their parents/guardians does not exceed the maximum prescribed income ceiling are made eligible to post-matric scholarships to the extent of reimbursement of all compulsorily payable non-refundable fees.

Note 1: It is mentioned under para 5.3(i) (conditions of eligibility) above, of this scheme that the scholarship will be given for the study of all recognised post-matriculation or post-secondary courses pursued in recognised institutions, the list of courses grouped (I to IV) is only illustrative and not exhaustive. The State Governments/Union Territory Administrations are, thus, themselves competent to decide the appropriate grouping of courses at their level.

Value of Scholarship

Post-Matric Scholarship: The value of Post-matric scholarship includes the following for complete duration of the course:-

• Maintenance allowance,
• Additional allowance for students with disabilities, for the complete duration of the course, and
• Reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees,
• Study tour charges,
• Typing/printing charges for preparing Reports/projects,
• Book allowance for students pursuing correspondence courses,
• Book bank facility for specified courses,

The details are as follows:

Maintenance allowance

Additional Allowances depending on disabilities of the student

• Reader Allowance for blind Scholars: Rs.240/- per month for all the groups of courses.
• Transport Allowance: Rs.160/- per month for disabled students, if such students do not reside in the hostel, which is within the premises of educational institution. The disability as per the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 is defined as blindness, low-vision, leprosy- cured, hearing impairment, locomotors disability, mental retardation and mental illness.
• Escort Allowance: Rs.160/- per month for severally handicapped day scholar students with low extremity disability.
• Special Allowance: Rs.160/- per month is admissible to any employee of the hostel willing to extend help to a severely orthopedically handicapped student residing in hostel of an educational institution, who may need the assistance of a helper.
• Coaching Allowance: Rs.240/- per month towards extra coaching to mentally retarded and mentally ill students.

The provisions in (B) to (D) will also apply to such leprosy-cured students.

Reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees

• Scholars will be paid enrolment/registration, tuition, games, Union, Library, Magazine, Medical Examination and such other fees compulsorily payable by the scholar to the institution or University/Board. Refundable deposits like caution money, security deposit will, however, be excluded.

Note : Compulsory non-refundable fee charged by recognized institutions against free and paid seats of recognized courses can be fully reimbursed as per the fee structure approved by the competent State/Central Government authority.

Study Tour Charges

• Study tour charges up to a maximum of Rs.1600/- per annum, limited to the actual expenditure incurred by the student on transportation charges etc. will be paid to the scholars studying professional and technical courses, provided that the head of the institution certifies that the study tour is essential for the scholar for completion of his/her course of study.

Typing/printing charges for preparing Project Reports/Thesis

• Project Reports/Thesis typing/printing charges up to a maximum of Rs.1600/- will be paid to research scholars on the recommendation of the Head of the Institution.

Book Allowance for Students pursuing Correspondence /Distance Education Courses

• The students pursuing such courses are also eligible for an annual allowance of Rs.1200/- for essential/prescribed books, besides reimbursement of course fees.

Book Banks

1. Book Banks are to be set up in all Institutes where disabled students are in receipt of Post Matric Scholarship. Normally, one set of text books will be purchased for two disabled students in the same category. However, in case two students of the same type of disability or group of course are not available, one set of books may be allowed for one such student also. Separate set of books shall be purchased for different type of disability of the student.
2. The details of courses covered for setting up of Book Banks, ceiling of admissible expenditure per set of books are given below

1. The Institutions will be encouraged to set up IT-enabled libraries for the benefit of the students.
2. For storage of books and contingencies etc., the cost of steel almirah for storing books of each Book Bank including contingencies like transportation etc. the following expenses are admissible:
   • Rs. 2000 or actual cost whichever is less.
   • 5% of the grant may be earmarked for expenses on binding, stiching etc.

For more information about the scholarship, click here.

Source: National Scholarship Portal