Funds under the scholarship are released from the Central government and credited to the accounts of students directly. While tuition fees for these students are waived, they have to pay the hostel and dining hall charges. Earlier, TISS administration provided aid to students until the funds came through.
For a 22-year-old daughter of a daily wage worker, the dream of completing her course stands on thin ice. “I feel trapped. I can’t ask my father for money,” said the student. Another student, son of an auto-rickshaw driver, is mulling over taking a loan.“We had to pawn my mother’s jewellery to pay ₹55,000 for the first semester,” he said. The Progressive Student Forum (PSF), a student collective, has sought an extension in the deadline for paying fees. The last day for making the payment was November 18, which was extended to November 22. The student union, too, has sought an extension, said Bhatta Ram, president of the union.
Asha Banu, student affairs dean, said that TISS is providing a support mechanism to students in dire need apart from meritorious scholarship and loans.
Prasanta Patnaik