Gandhinagar: In a move aimed at empowering tribal students, the Gujarat government has announced key changes to the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for better access to higher education and employment opportunities. Under the revised provisions, effective from the academic year 2025–26, the state will cover the prescribed tuition fees for tribal students pursuing medical, engineering, and other professional courses in private institutions.

The decision was taken under the chairmanship of Education Minister Dr. Kuberbhai Dindor, ahead of the admission process for the upcoming academic session. Key changes under the scheme include the following:

• The annual tuition fee limit for medical, engineering, and other courses in private sector institutions has been set at ₹6.00 lakh, ₹2.50 lakh, and ₹1.00 lakh respectively. With this change, from the academic year 2025–26, if there is any tuition fee in addition to the amount fixed by the Government of India for these courses, that amount will also be borne by the State Government.
• Academic year: All students who were admitted in or before 2024–25 and have availed the scholarship benefit will continue to receive it as per the prevailing guidelines at the time of admission until the completion of their course.
• It has been decided to provide scholarships as per the prescribed norms to students who have taken admission in FRC (Fees Regulation Committee) and non-FRC courses or institutions that are not empanelled. From the academic year 2026–27, such courses and institutions will be reconsidered.
• Additionally, students who have taken admission in private universities that have not obtained NAAC accreditation will also be eligible for scholarships for the academic year 2025–26.
• Meritorious students who secure admission through the merit list within the percentage of seats allocated for the government quota in professional courses from the academic year 2025–26 onwards will be eligible for scholarship benefits.

It is noteworthy that this scheme is aimed at empowering tribal students to pursue education without financial burden. Each year, the state disburses approximately ₹650 crore to benefit over 2.5 lakh tribal students under this initiative. DeshGujarat