Pune: Students who have scored the highest marks in Class 12 and CET are finding it difficult to pay the hefty fees for engineering and other professional courses, which often exceed lakhs of rupees.
To aid such bright and deserving students, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has introduced the 'Tuition Fee Waiver' (TFW) scheme.
Under this scheme, students who gain admission will have their entire tuition fees waived. This initiative allows students to complete their engineering and professional education without the burden of high fees.
The State CET Cell conducts the admission process for all professional courses. Recently, the CET Cell has released the tentative schedule for the commencement of actual admissions for all courses.
As a result, students and parents are eagerly anticipating the admission rounds. Typically, government engineering colleges charge around ₹50000 as tuition fees, whereas private engineering colleges charge fees exceeding lakhs of rupees.
For students from economically weaker backgrounds but with good academic records, AICTE’s TFW scheme provides a much-needed respite. According to the technical education department, approximately 7,000 seats are available under this scheme for engineering degree courses in Maharashtra alone.
Students need to select the TFW option while applying for the CAP rounds (Centralized Admission Process). Each college reserves 5 per cent of its seats under this scheme.
Due to the limited number of seats, only students with high scores are eligible for admission under TFW. If admitted, their entire tuition fees will be waived, and they will only need to pay nominal college fees. Students are advised to gather detailed information about the scheme to avail its benefits.
Which Courses are Covered Under TFW?
The TFW scheme is applicable to all courses under the AICTE, including engineering, pharmacy, MBA, MCA, architecture, hotel management and catering technology, M.Tech, and direct second-year engineering.
Key Features of the TFW Scheme:
Annual income limit of ₹8 lakh.
5 per cent of seats reserved in each college.
Admission through CET Cell’s CAP rounds.
A separate merit list is prepared for this scheme.
Selection of TFW option is necessary while applying.
Available to students of all castes and religions.