Don’t harass students over pending scholarship dues says Collector Dr S Venkateswar

Tirupati : Tirupati district Collector Dr S Venkateswar has warned the college administrations not to harass students over pending scholarship dues. In a statement on Wednesday, he said that the State government will soon release the pending dues related to Post-Matric Scholarship fees, including the reimbursement of tuition fee (RTF) and maintenance fee (MTF). The RTF will be directly deposited into college managements’ accounts, while the MTF will be transferred to students’ individual accounts.

Addressing the concerns of students and institutions, the Collector stated that withholding certificates, barring students from examinations or creating any kind of mental pressure on students would lead to strict action under the law.

Explaining the government’s new approach, the Collector mentioned that in contrast to the previous administration’s policy of depositing funds in mothers’ accounts, the current government is reverting to the older method of direct reimbursement to college bank accounts starting from the 2024-25 academic year.

Education Minister Nara Lokesh and Social Welfare Minister Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy indicated that the government would also gradually clear the Rs 3,500 crore backlog of scholarship payments from the previous administration, pending approval during the budget session. The Collector emphasised that the government’s commitment to releasing these funds should reassure college administrations, urging them to cooperate fully and refrain from troubling students in any way.