1,789 to get scholarships worth 95L this year

Vadodara: The directorate of students' welfare (DSW) of Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) will disburse scholarships worth Rs 95.12 lakh to 1,789 students for the 2025-26 academic year, providing financial assistance to those from financially weak backgrounds across 14 faculties and two colleges.According to the financial report prepared by the DSW, 2,604 students registered for the scholarships this year. After scrutiny of applications, 1,789 were found to be eligible.Of the beneficiaries, 1,306 students are from regular (grant-in-aid) courses, while 483 students are enrolled in self-financed or high payment programmes (HPP). Officials said the disbursement process is underway and will be completed by the end of the month, after which the funds will be deposited into the students' bank accounts.The scheme also provides special support to students facing difficult circumstances. Among the beneficiaries this year, 77 students lost either their father or mother, while one student is physically handicapped. In such cases, the university provides enhanced assistance.Students from regular (GIA) courses get 100% reimbursement of fees, while those in HPP courses are granted 25% of the fees or a maximum of Rs 10,000. The physically handicapped student will also receive full fee reimbursement.Gender-wise data indicates that 921 girls and 868 boys will benefit from the scholarships this year.Faculty-wise data shows that a large number of beneficiaries are at faculties such as Technology and Engineering, Science, Commerce, Arts and the postgraduate units, reflecting the wide reach of the scholarship programme across academic streams.The DSW scholarship scheme has been a key support system for students at MSU for several years. Data from the past decade shows that thousands of students benefited from the programme annually, with disbursement amounts often exceeding Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1 crore in recent years.