Pune: At least 63 students from Maharashtra studying in foreign universities are facing a financial crisis as the state govt has failed to credit or renew their payments under the Minority Foreign Scholarship Scheme.The affected group includes 28 students from the 2024–25 academic year awaiting second-semester payments, and 35 students from the 2025–26 academic year enrolled in the Jan–March period.In a letter sent last month, the state’s social welfare department urged the minority development department to immediately allocate Rs15.75 crore to clear the dues. The letter warned that the current budget holds only Rs1.21 crore— an amount insufficient to cover tuition fees, health insurance, and skyrocketing living expenses abroad.An official from the social welfare department revealed that following the urgent request, the minority development department transferred approximately Rs13 crore at 10:15 pm on March 31. However, officials said even this amount is inadequate.“The actual requirement is significantly higher, but Rs15.75 crore was the absolute minimum needed on an immediate basis,” the official said. “On average, we spend Rs25 lakh per student. We are currently in the process of disbursing what we have, but it is a dire situation. These students have no other support system and are entirely dependent on this govt funding.”The social welfare department has also formally requested that the minority development department take over the entire management and disbursement process for these scholarships.“The minority development department is the authority that selects the students and provides the funds; they should also be responsible for the disbursement. We have already conducted training for their staffers to handle this transition,” the official added.The delay has sparked outrage among student advocates. Akshay Jain, chairman, Maharashtra State Youth Congress (Media and Communications), called the situation “shameful”.“It is unacceptable that the govt has funds for other expenditures but neglects students who represent the future of our state,” Jain said. “Students are receiving emails from their universities warning that they will not be allowed to appear for exams without fee payment. These scholarships must be released immediately, and strict action should be taken against officials responsible for this delay.”Jain also urged the govt to coordinate directly with foreign universities to ensure no student is forced to discontinue education due to the state’s administrative failures.Yogesh Mhase, secretary, minority development department, did not respond to calls or messages seeking comment.
