‘Barrier to education’: Maharashtra Govt should directly pay tuition fee of orphan students, suggests MLA

Raising concerns about education of orphan students in Maharashtra, an MLA has suggested a separate fee concession scheme for the students, alleging financial difficulties faced by such kids in pursuing higher education. A discussion on the issue is scheduled for July 3 in the legislative assembly upon his request.

The Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Rais Sheikh, argued that the orphans are forced to pay the entire tuition fee during college admissions despite a government order for compensation. The minister flagged the issue after receiving a request from social activists.

Referring to their plight, he said that it is difficult for these orphan students to bear the cost of education as they do not have parents or guardians, due to which they are deprived of education. No matter how much an institution lends a hand to provide education, the question of cost inevitably arises. The cost of their education is completely dependent on private assistance which has become a matter of great concern, he remarked.

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On 6 April 2023, the minister noted, the Department of Women and Child Development issued a government resolution which does not have a provision for direct fee compensation for orphans in higher education. In view of this, there is an urgent need to implement a separate "Direct Education Fee Compensation Scheme" for orphan students in the educational institution.

Under this scheme, Sheikh recommended, the state government should pay the fee directly to the concerned college at the time of admission so that orphan students are not deprived of education due to financial difficulties, and demanded immediate action by the government in this regard.

What is orphan reservation?

Based on the decision made in a cabinet meeting, the Maharashtra government revised its order for implementation of 1% reservation for orphans similar to the model used for persons with disabilities, revision of the definition of orphans, and classification of orphans into three categories.

As per the order, orphans will receive a 1% reservation in education and government, semi-government, aided institution recruitment. This reservation applies to admissions in educational institutions, hostels, vocational training, and government recruitment. Accordingly, 1% of the total available positions in recruitment and educational admissions will be reserved for orphans. The eligibility criteria mandates an orphan certificate issued by the Department of Women and Child Development and domicile in Maharashtra.

Request for support to orphan students

Activists had urged the minister to raise the issue in the House, requesting support for such students. In a letter to the MLA, the Mission Awareness Foundation argued that currently, there is no dedicated scholarship for orphan students, who are thus assessed under general caste and category-based norms.

As a result, open category orphans are required to pay the full fees upfront while those from the reserved categories receive only a 50% concession. “This creates a severe financial barrier for these students, many of whom have no surviving parents or guardians to support their education. In many cases, this leads to students being unable to continue their education or being forced to rely on personal donations and help from others,” the organisation argued.

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The foundation urged Rais Qasam Shaikh to advocate for the implementation of a dedicated reimbursement scheme where the government directly pays the full tuition fee for orphan students at the time of admission. “This small yet significant step will go a long way in supporting vulnerable students and empowering them to pursue higher education with dignity and hope,” it added.