Pre Matric Scholarship Program for School Students
COVA has started this initiative as part of the 3rd Generation Philanthropy Program and instead of giving scholarships to students directly from the donations mobilised, these resources are used to enable students to procure all the required documents and then apply online for Pre Matric Scholarships available with the Governments of India and of Telangana.
The Pre Matric Scholarships for Minority students are given by the Central Government and the procedures are streamlined and scholarships can be availed without much difficulty.
COVA successfully started the program in 24 schools during 2017-18 and enabled 3011 minority students to access government scholarship to the extent of approximately One Crore at a cost of just Rs: 1.62 lakhs and enabled each student to get Rs. 3321 as scholarship on an average. In 2018-19 COVA helped 3557 students from 32 schools to apply for Pre Matric Scholarships together they received Rs. 1,20,45,161 from the government as scholarships at an average of Rs. 4259 per student. COVA had spent a total of Rs. 2,28,652/– received as donations from individuals and one organisation. Hence for every rupee donated, COVA was able to generate Rs. 52 as scholarships. Similarly, during 2019-20 COVA enabled 3522 Students to collectively access Rs 1,24,75,705 with each student receiving an average of Rs. 3542 as scholarship. With an expenditure of Rs. 4 lakhs for the program during this period, the students got Rs. 32 as scholarship.for every rupee spent.
Program Officers of COVA helping students submit Online Applications.
However, the State Government is tasked with disbursing scholarships for SC, ST and BC Students and the procedures were not defined, there was no information in the public domain and the corruption involved in obtaining Caste and Income Certificates prevented students from applying. In fact for the year 2017-18 only 75 SC and 80 BC students in whole of Hyderabad could get the scholarships in 2017.
COVA took up this issue and started advocacy with the government for defining procedures and uploading on the EPASS Portal for access to public, managed to put in place systems to enable students to get caste and income certificates along with opening of bank accounts within Rs. 120 and thereby was able to enable over 600 SC,ST and BC students to apply online for the Pre Matric Scholarships between October 2019 and Mid-March 2020. However, due to the abrupt closure of schools in Mid March due to the Pandemic, we could not get to our target of helping at least 3000 ST, SC and BC students till the end of the academic year in May 2020.
Now as most systems are in place through advocacy by COVA and with the schools have reopened from 1st February 2021, COVA will be able to help at least 6000 SC, ST and BC Students during 2021 and thousands of students of Telangana will be able to benefit in the years to come. Further, COVA will also help another 6000 minority students to apply making a total of 12000 students during 2021. But for the Pandemic and the delay in reopening of schools, we could have helped up to 15000 students this year.
Total Budget for the Program from February 2021 to December 2021 will be Rs. 14,50,000
NGOs and Civil Society Groups can take up this program in their areas of Operation. COVA Peace Network will be happy to share a Handbook that gives detailed guidance for the implementation of the Pre Matric Scholarships Program.
From Disappointment to Hope: Enabling Poor Students to Secure Government Scholarships
Danish was a student of the 8th standard at Jamia Darul Huda Hyderabad. His father works as washer man in the same school he is studying at. Danish had applied for a scholarship through an agent where he had to pay Rs. 200 for uploading his application at the national Scholarship Portal. He did not receive any message and could not get the scholarship during 2016-17. Danish said that “disappointed at not receiving the scholarship despite spending over Rs 250 for agent’s fee and documents my parents thought it is a waste of money and time and were not planning to apply for scholarships again”.
But in 2017-18 COVA facilitated the online uploading of his scholarship form on the National Scholarships Portal free of charge and followed up with the authorities. His application is approved and he has received the scholarship amount of Rs. 4200 in his bank.
Ghosia Sarwat’s father Md. Saleem works at the printing press for the daily district paper ‘VIKAAS’ and earns meager amount. When Md. Saleem applied for scholarship for his younger daughter in the National Scholarship Portal last year, it was rejected because of some errors. Ghosia Sarwat is a student of the 7th standard at St. Stephen’s High School at Faluknuma, Hyderabad.
But in 2018-19 COVA facilitated the online uploading of Ghosia’s scholarship form on the National Scholarships Portal free of charge and followed up with the authorities. Her application is approved and she received Rs: 5600/- of scholarship amount to her bank account. Ghosia with the scholarship amount from the government paid her school fees. Ghosia’s father who earns less money was happy that the government approved the release of the scholarship for his daughter. He says “the burden is less on me if the government and COVA help my daughter for education in future”.
M. Sushmita is a class 10thstudent of MH Gupta High School in Santoshnagar. Her father is an attender in a private school and mother works as a maid in houses. Belonging to the SC community, Sushmita and her parents had never heard about the Pre Matric Scholarships Scheme. After the awareness about the scheme provided by COVA along with facilitation to obtain all the required documents and free online submission of the form by operators of COVA who had visited her school, Sushmita got a scholarship of Rs. 3000 in February 2020.
Her father, Mr. M. Jangaih while thanking COVA expressed hope that his two other children will also be able to get the scholarships when they reach higher classes and this will greatly ease the pressure on him about the expenses for educating them and make it possible to continue their studies.
R. Sangeetha is a student or 8thclass of MH Gupta High School in Santoshnagar with 2 siblings also studying in the same school .Her father is a auto driver and the family had never heard about the Pre Matric Scholarships Program for SCs till COVA informed them and help them to obtain all the required documents and facilitated online submission all free of charge. She received Rs. 3000 as scholarship in February 2020 and the entire family, school management and teachers are happy.
Video made by COVA circulated among school teachers, students and parents to spread aware about Pre-Matric Scholarship
Aligned with UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG’s)
COVA follows UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goal’s and strives towards achieving its targets for a sustainable and just society. Here are the SDG’s which we follow for 3rd Generation Philanthropy’s Pre-Metric Scholarships.
