Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday announced that the State would bear the tuition fees and special fees to be paid by students belonging to the BCs, MBCs and Denotified Communities (DCs) in government and government-aided colleges. The measure would ensure that these students would not suffer on account of the hike in the tuition fees and special fees. Already, the government is bearing the examination fees to be paid these students.
Under the scheme to help the students pursue their higher studies, the government has been bearing the exam fees in full while the special fees, tuition fees and cost of books. Though the educational institutions have hiked the special fees, tuition fees and special fees, the scholarship remained unchanged since 1980.
Further, the CM has ordered that the fees fixed for the students from these communities who wish to join professional courses in government colleges should be paid to them in full. She also directed that in the coming years, whenever fees for various courses go up, the departments concerned need not anticipate any orders from the government but pay the hiked fees to the students of the above communities at the earliest. The measure would cost Rs 16.54 crore to the State exchequer and benefit 74,181 students.
At present, special guides are being given to the students in SSLC and Plus Two courses in Kallar Reclamation Schools and the inmates of the hostels managed by the Backward Classes Department, studying in SSLC and Plus Two. This scheme would be extended to these students in eight backward districts - Perambalur, Sivaganga, Tiruvannamlai, Villupuram, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Krishnagiri and Cuddalore. The CM has allocated `2.47 crore for this scheme, which would benefit 2,21,400 students.