Reinforcing its commitment to equitable access to quality higher education, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has issued revised guidelines for the Top Class Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste (SC) Students for the 2024–25 academic year, significantly strengthening financial support and institutional responsibility.
The government said the renewed framework reflects its priority to uplift SC students by removing financial barriers to premier higher education and ensuring fairness and transparency in implementation.
The scheme covers the entire tuition fee and academic expenses for deserving students in India’s leading institutions.
As per the updated norms, the Central Government will directly transfer full tuition fees and all non-refundable institutional charges into students’ accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with a ceiling of ₹2 lakh per year for private institutions.
In addition, students will receive a comprehensive academic allowance—₹86,000 for the first year and ₹41,000 annually thereafter—to support expenses such as books, laptops and living costs.
Students benefiting from the scheme will not be permitted to draw from any other Central or State scholarship simultaneously.
The scheme is open to SC students whose annual family income is ₹8 lakh or below, and who secure admission to notified premier institutions, including IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NITs, NLUs, NIFT, NID, IHMs and other accredited colleges. Only first-year entrants will receive fresh scholarships, with renewals tied to satisfactory academic performance until course completion.
For 2024–25, the ministry has earmarked 4,400 fresh scholarships, within the broader scheme cap of 21,500 slots for 2021–26.
A mandated 30% reservation for SC girls aims to improve gender representation, though institutions may reassign unfilled slots to boys if eligible female applicants are unavailable.
To protect student interests, institutions must verify caste and income certificates, publicise the scheme, and track academic progress, including assistance through bridge courses and mentoring for academically weaker students.
Strict compliance is required—institutions failing to meet standards may be de-notified. However, currently enrolled beneficiaries will continue receiving support until they complete their studies.
To boost transparency, the government has introduced social audits, steering committee oversight, and the removal of institutions not applying for the scheme for three consecutive years or lacking mandatory AISHE codes or KYC verification on the National Scholarship Portal.
Additional safeguards include limiting benefits to two siblings from a family and cancelling eligibility if a student shifts institutions after selection.
The revised guidelines underline the government’s firm resolve to empower SC students through structured support, accountability, and wider inclusion, ensuring opportunities to compete at the highest academic levels.
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