Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

To encourage higher education amongst students of the Scheduled Caste category the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India has introduced the Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students. The program aims to offer full financial support to the students of the Scheduled Caste category. 

Every student from the SC category who is planning to pursue education beyond Class 12 is a potential beneficiary of the program. The students aiming at a variety of institutions can look forward to the scholarship program. 

If the beneficiary performs well in their respective courses after being provided with the scholarship, the benefits continue till the end of the course. Under this program, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment offers around 1500 fresh scholarships. 

Particulars	Details
Name of the Scholarship	Central Sector Scheme for Top Class Scholarship for SC Students
Conducting Body	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India
Sponsor	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Applicable to	Scheduled Caste Candidates
Mode of Application	Online
Official Website for application	https://socialjustice.gov.in/schemes/

About the Scholarship

The Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students is an initiative by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in India aimed at providing quality education opportunities to Scheduled Caste (SC) students. The scheme was launched with the objective of empowering and uplifting the educational status of SC students by supporting them to pursue higher education in premier institutions. It provides financial assistance for tuition fees, accommodation, books, and other necessary expenses. The scheme has been instrumental in increasing the representation of SC students in reputed educational institutions, fostering their academic growth, and promoting social inclusion. It continues to play a vital role in bridging the educational gap and empowering SC students across the nation.

Important Dates Regarding the Scholarship

The Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students is offered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment every year. For the scholarships of the year 2022 and 2023, the application deadline closes on December 2022. 

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is now under the procedure of verifying the personal information of the candidates with the documents submitted at the time of application. The various departments of the ministry perform this task of evaluation. The checking importantly includes the Caste Certificate. The upcoming important dates regarding the examination are given below: 

Event	Date
Application Deadline	31 December 2022
Application Verification for Defects	15 January 2023
Last Date for Institute Verification	15 January 2023
Last Date of Verification by DNO, SNO, & MNO	31 January 2023

Also Read: NSF Scholarship for Indian Students

Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students: Eligibility 

The eligibility criteria for this scholarship are very vast and flexible in terms of family income, merit etc. The SC students willing to apply for higher education can apply for this scholarship if they adequately fulfil the given criteria.

1. The SC students who have a total family income of up to INR 8 Lakhs can also apply given that a) They have been enrolled for a full-time course in any of the mentioned institutions. b) They have secured admission by the general selection criteria of the institution. c) The University or Institution has an adequate amount of slots for the scholarship. 
2. In case the number of eligible candidates who have applied for the scholarships exceeds the number of slots available in an institution the students with top performance in the qualifying examinations will be awarded the scholarship. 
3. In case of ties in marks attained by the students in the aforementioned category, the candidate will a lower family income will be preferred by authorities. 
4. In case the number of students in fresh scholarship schemes is less than the number of slots available in an institution the remaining slots will be transferred to the second and third-year students. 
5. There is an added provision for SC girls in the scholarship scheme. The SC girls have 30% reservation in this scheme. In case there are less number of girls applying for the scholarship, the slots are transferred to the boy candidates. 
6. Only 2 siblings from a single family can avail of the scholarship at a time. An affidavit has to be submitted by the students to prove that they do not belong to any such family already availing the benefits for 2 children. 
7. The scholarship will be automatically terminated in case a student fails to clear their semester exams. Once they clear their examinations the benefits of the scholarship will resume on their own after submission of the respective mark sheet.

Benefits of the Scholarship

The top class education scheme for SC students is offered in the light of equal opportunity for all and upliftment of society by bringing all sections to the same platform. To uphold this idea the candidates are offered various benefits through this scholarship so that they can continue their studies without hassle. 

The various benefits of the Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students are given below. The candidates whose application is approved can avail of these benefits throughout their course. 

1. The scholarship covers the entire tuition fee of the students in private sector institutions for up to INR 2 lakh per year. 
2. In case of enrolment in private flying clubs to get trained as a commercial pilot and type rating courses, the remuneration per year is INR 3.72 Lakh. 
3. It also covers monthly living expenses of up to INR 2,220. 
4. The charges for stationery and books are also covered. Each awardee gets 3,000 per month for these expenses.
5. The scholarship also covers a one-time assistance fee for a Computer or Laptop system. This expense covers a remuneration of 45,000. 

Also Read: Aam Aadmi Yojana Scholarship 2023: Eligibility, Benefits, Application Process

Application Process

The application procedure for this Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students is completely online. The candidates willing to apply should keep visiting the official website for the latest notifications and dates of the same. The application procedure to apply is given below.

1. Visit the official website of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. 
2. Click on the “Apply Now” button that only appears on the website when the applications are open. 
3. Read the terms and conditions and tick the undertaking box to proceed further. 
4. A registration form will appear where the candidate has to choose between various options. The details include the Domicile region, the category of scholarship, the scheme in which the applicant is interested, gender, and personal details like name, birthdate, contact number and email ID.
5. The next detail to enter is the Bank Details for the disbursement of funds. 
6. Enter the Aadhar Number or Bank Account Number for identity verification. 
7. Click on Register. An OTP will be sent on registration to verify the mobile number. 
8. Login details are then sent to the candidate via email or SMS. The candidate has to use those credentials to log in and complete the application form.
9. Once the form is filled the candidates can attach the necessary documents and review the form at once.
10. Click on ‘Submit’. 

Also Read: Tata Scholarships

Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students: Documents Required

There is various documentation required to verify the personal details, educational qualifications and eligibility of the candidates. In case of defects in the documents or information provided the admission will be subject to cancellation. The list of Documents required for the verification procedure is as follows. 

1. Caste Certificate of the candidate.
2. An income certificate to prove eligibility.
3. Bank Account Details of both the applicants and the institute they are admitted to. 
4. Proof of Admission to the institution. 
5. If required the candidates also have to submit the Result of the entrance exam they have taken.
6. A printed fee structure of the program they are studying at the institution. 

Number of Slots Offered

The number of slots offered changes each year in the top class education scheme for SC students. It is based on the number of applicants in the previous years, and the statistics of SC category students going for higher studies each year. The authorities pre-decide the number of slots for the coming years based on previous studies. The year-wise scholarship slots are mentioned hereunder: 

Year	Slots
2021-2022	1500
2022-2023	1600
2023-2024	1700
2024-2025	1800
2025-2026	1900

The slots being offered each year are equally divided among different categories of educational fields. There are various institutions offering these scholarship slots under different categories. Slots offered under various categories are given below.

Categories	Slots	Institutions
Engineering	909	99
Management	189	29
Law	78	27
Medical	191	27
Agriculture	23	08
Fashion	46	16
Hospitality	59	31
Flying Clubs	74	11
National Institutes	10	07
Miscellaneous	09	03
Total	1500	259

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