The State Government’s decision to renew the Arivu educational loan assistance scheme for students from minority communities does not seem to have ended their woes.
Even though the scheme by Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation (KMDC), discontinued in 2019, was renewed in November this year following protests, the two-year break in the scheme seems to have added to the problems of students.
Problem of arrears
“Colleges are demanding that we pay the arrears of fees for two years. For some courses like medicine, it comes to ₹2 lakh per year. Unless we pay it, colleges will not renew the admissions. That is difficult for a poor family like ours,” said Mohammad Mustafa, a medical student.
“If we had the money to pay arrears of two years, why would we seek education loans?” asked Shanti David, an architecture student.
What is more, the Government has renewed the scheme with a rider. It says that the scheme will not be applicable for any courses other than those of the medical and professional courses selected by the Karnataka Examination Authority in the new (fresh) cases.
Guidelines laid down by the Government Order dated August 17, 2020, will be followed while approving new applications, said a notification on the KMDC website.
The new order reduces the scope of courses and lays down conditions. They include non-sanction of tuition fees for fresh students of degree, diploma, and ITI courses and upfront payment by students of 12% of the total loan outstanding from the corporation when submitting a renewal application online at district offices. It also says that the maximum loan available for CET/NEET approved courses would be 50% of the course fee or ₹2 lakh, whichever is higher.
Similarly, the upper limit for loans for dental/MBBS under Government quota is maximum of 50% of tuition fee, including renewal. For students selected through CET for engineering, M.Tech, MCA, BSc. (agri), Ayurveda, ISMH, D.Pharm, B.Pharm, and others in government or private colleges, the upper limit is half of tuition fees. Students and parents say this is worrying, as it restricts their choices.
Not eligible
Baburao Utture, who runs a streetside store in Chikkodi, said he was discouraged from applying for the scheme as it did not cover diploma courses that his son had got into. Alla Baksh from Sedam, who plans to join a private ITI college, said he was disappointed as KMDC officers told him he was not eligible.
Social Welfare Minister B. Sriramulu said he would ask officers to resolve these issues. “We understand the problems of students. We will see if the provisions in the scheme are unfavourable to them,” he said.
