Top Class Education For Scheduled Caste Students

Description
A scholarship scheme by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for Scheduled Caste students pursuing studies beyond class 12th admitted in a full-time course in one of the notified institutions. The total annual family income from all sources must be less than or equal to Rs. 8.00 lakh. The benefit of the Scheme will not be provided to more than 2 siblings in a family. The scholarship, once awarded, will continue till the completion of the course, subject to satisfactory performance of the student. The students who have studied class X from any of the Central/State/Municipal Govt. or Govt. aided schools except KVS schools , shall be automatically qualified under the scheme.

Definitions
Notified Institutions
The institutions notified by MoSJE for Financial Year 21-22 to 25-26, i.e.
An IIM / IIT / IIIT / IIHM / AIIMS / NIT /NIFT / NID / NLU.
A Central Government Institution.
Accredited A++ or A+ by NAAC.
Ranked in Top 100 Institutions by NIRF.
Institution of National Importance as per MoE.
An institute approved by Director General of Civil Aviation.
(Source: https://scholarships.gov.in/public/schemeGuidelines/Top_Class_Education_Scheme_2018_FAQ.pdf)

Benefits
• Payment of Full tuition fee and non-refundable charges (Ceiling of Rs. 2.00 LPA per student for private sector institutions; Ceiling of Rs.3.72 LPA per student for the private sector flying clubs for Commercial Pilot Training and Type Rating Courses)
• Living expenses: ₹ 3000/- per month per student.
• Books and stationery: ₹ 5000/- per annum per student.
• A computer/laptop with accessories (UPS and printer) limited to ₹ 45000/- per student (one-time assistance).

Eligibility Criteria
1. The applicant must be a student.
2. The applicant must be pursuing studies beyond class 12th admitted in a full-time course in one of the "notified institutions" (refer definition).
3. The applicant must be from a Scheduled Caste.
4. The Total Annual Family Income of the applicant must be less than or equal to ₹ 8 Lakh per Annum.

Application Process
Step 1: Step 1: Keep ready the soft copies of the required documents.
Online — http://www.scholarships.gov.in/
Go to http://www.scholarships.gov.in/. and click “New Registration”.
Guidelines for Registration will appear. Scroll to the bottom.
Read carefully the undertaking. Accept the Terms. Click “Continue”.

Step 2: Step 2: A Registration Form will appear. (The fields marked as * are compulsory)
Online — http://www.scholarships.gov.in/
Fill the details and click “Register”.
Your Application ID and password will be displayed.
The same will also be sent as an SMS on your registered mobile number.

Step 3: Step 3: Go to https://scholarships.gov.in/fresh/newstdRegfrmInstruction
Online — http://www.scholarships.gov.in/
Click on “Login to Apply”. Enter your Application ID and password.
Type the Captcha and click “Login”.
On the next screen, provide the OTP received on your registered mobile number. You will be directed to the Password Reset screen.
Create a new password and confirm.
Click “Submit”. You will be directed to the “Applicant’s Dashboard”.

Step 4: Step 4: On the left pane, click “Application Form”. The fields marked as * are compulsory. Fill the details and upload the documents.
Online — http://www.scholarships.gov.in/
You can either click on “Save as Draft” to complete the application later.
Else, click “Final Submit” to submit the application.

Required Documents
• Income Certificate.
• Domicile Certificate.
• Self-attested Degree/Mark Sheet of the last qualifying exam.
• Fee Receipt of ‘Current Course Year’.
• Bank Details of the applicant or of the Parent/Guardian.
• Aadhaar Number.
• Bonafide Student Certificate from the school/institute.
• Recent colour photograph of the candidate.
• Caste certificate (issued by SDM or Tehsildar or any competent authority).
• Declaration Certificate (issued by HoD or competent authority of the university or institute).

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Am I eligible for this scholarship if two of my siblings are availing the benefits of this scheme?
A: No. You won't be eligible in this case.

Q: How will my tuition fee and non-refundable charges be paid?
A: The payment will be made directly to the institution.

Q: Is there a validity to the scheme benefits?
A: The benefits are provided till the complete duration of the course.

Q: What would be the mode of payment of the scholarship?
A: The payment of the scholarship will be through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Q: What if there are more than one student with equal marks for the last available slot in an institution?
A: In such cases, preference will be given to the student with lower family income.

Q: Will I be eligible for the scholarship if I fail to get promoted to the next semester?
A: No. The scholarship will be terminated in that case.

Q: Is there a percentage of slots reserved for girl students?
A: Yes, 30% of the total slots are reserved for girl students.

Q: Can I apply offline for the scholarship?
A: No. You need to visit https://scholarships.gov.in/ to apply.

Q: Is there any application fee?
A: No. The entire application process is completely free of cost.

Q: Do I need to complete the application in one sitting?
A: No. You can save the application as draft and continue at a later time before the deadline.

Q: How do I track the status of my application?
A: You can check the same anytime by visiting the Applicant Dashboard and clicking "Track Status" in the left pane.

Q: What should be the type and size of the documents to be uploaded?
A: The format should be.pdf or .jpeg. The size of each document should not be greater than 200 kb.

Q: In what cases a Bonafide Certificate from the institute is needed?
A: It is needed if the institute is located in a State/UT different from domicile State/UT of the applicant.

Q: How do I know if a field in the application form is mandatory?
A: The mandatory fields have a red asterisk (*) mark at the end.