BR Ambedkar Open University offers free education for tribal, transgender, specially-abled students

Dr BR Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU), Hyderabad, has announced free education for tribal, transgender, and specially-abled students under the Samatha Support Scheme. Registrations will begin today on the official website, online.braou.ac.in. The last date for submitting applications is August 13.

The vice chancellor of BRAOU, Ghanta Chakrapani, revealed that for the past four decades, the university has brought education to communities that had historically been uneducated. Officials have investigated some primitive tribal communities which have not been able to acquire higher education due to low income resources and inability to reach the university’s study centres.

BRAOU online has come up with a special programme for these communities, based on the motto: “Education at your doorstep”. Instead of the usual Rs 3,200 yearly tuition fees, tribal students will be able to avail degree education free of cost under the Tribal Free Education Plan.

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BRAOU free education scheme

The children of Gond, Koya, Chenchu and other tribal communities will have to pay an admission fee of Rs 500 to receive free education, which will be provided near their residential areas. The university will also grant free textbooks to all students.

The eligibility criteria for ‘adivasi’ youth under the Samatha Support Scheme is given below.

• Valid Community Certificate issued by the Government of Telangana
• Should be a Telangana permanent resident
• Income certificate proving annual parental income to be less than Rs 2 lakh

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The eligibility criteria for transgender fee waiver are as follows:

• For urban areas, annual parental income should not exceed Rs 2 lakh
• For rural areas, annual parental income should not exceed Rs 1.5 lakh
• White Ration Card

The eligibility criteria for ‘Divyanganjan’ (specially-abled) students are given below.

• Sadharam certificate issued by the Government of Telangana
• Minimum disability percentage is 40%
• Annual parental income not more than Rs 6 lakh

In addition to the admission fee, all reserved candidates under the Samatha Support Scheme have to pay the examination fee.