Telangana student NGO slam delays in RTF fee reimbursement, colleges withholding certificates

Hyderabad: According to the data from the Minorities Welfare Department, Telangana, zero out of 1,21,805 applications were sanctioned for post-matric scholarship funds under the Fee Reimbursement Scheme (RTF) by the Government of Telangana.

This data was shared by NGOs—Association for Socio-Economic Empowerment for the Marginalised (ASEEM) and Students Islamic Organisation (SIO)—who wrote to chief minister A Revanth Reddy flagging the issues caused due to the delays in the release of fee reimbursement.

Students from marginalised sections in Hyderabad, especially from the Muslim community, have been facing trouble pursuing higher education and securing jobs.

Delay in releasing scholarships affecting job prospects

The NGOs also said that colleges withholding the original certificates is causing considerable stress.

“These students, who completed their education 1-2 years ago, are unable to pursue further studies or take up jobs because their original educational certificates have been detained by colleges. The reason for this is the delay in the release of the post-matric scholarship funds under the RTF scheme,” a public note from the Hyderabad NGOs said.

The NGOs said that colleges are pressuring students to clear their fees to release their certificates which is a cause for financial strain on the students and their families.

This is linked to the delay in scholarship disbursement is not only affecting students’ academic careers but also impacting their job prospects, as they cannot submit their certificates to potential employers.

The letter to the CM also said that the delay is also placing a heavy burden on the colleges, which are facing financial and administrative difficulties due to this issue.

Downward trend of sanctioning scholarship funds

Data provided by the NGOs from the Minorities Welfare Department, Telangana, showed a downward trend in the number of scholarships reaching the students.

The number of applications submitted and received under the RTF scheme showed that, while 1,21,805 applications were received by the government in 2024-25, zero were sanctioned so far. The data also showed that 1,54,725 applications were received in 2023-24 and only 40 were sanctioned. In 2022-23, 1,63,809 applications were received and 7,927 were sanctioned.

“As the above information shows, the number of applications received has generally decreased year by year and sanctioned applications have been significantly low in 2023-24 and 2024-25, with an alarming zero sanctioned in 2024-25,” the letter said.

The NGOs in their representation said that this downward trend of sanctioning scholarships will increase the dropout rate in higher education among Muslim students and hinder the overall development of the community.

Data on budget allocations

The data also contained budget allocations, amounts released and final expenditure by the Minorities Welfare Department.

In 2022-23, Rs 200 lakh was allocated and Rs 200 lakh was released, out of which Rs 117.45 lakh was spent. In 2023-24, Rs 236 lakh were allocated and released and Rs 120.30 lakh were spent. In 2024-25, Rs 300 lakh was allocated, Rs 225 lakh was released and 41.86 lakh was spent until January 24.

“The Congress party, during its election campaign, promised to address the needs of students from minority and backward communities, including the timely release of scholarships. However, even after a year of the formation of the current government, this critical issue remains unresolved. This situation needs immediate attention and resolution, as it violates the right to education and adversely affects the well-being of students and their families,” the letter to CM Revanth said.