West Bengal Freeship Scheme: State Government to Pay College Tuition Fees! Who is Eligible for the West Bengal Freeship Scheme? Know the Application Process

West Bengal Freeship Scheme: Many students and guardians often worry about the high cost of technical courses like engineering or pharmacy. However, a special scheme by the West Bengal government can significantly alleviate this concern. The “West Bengal Freeship Scheme” (WBFS), operated under the Department of Higher Education, Government of West Bengal, helps meritorious students by covering their college tuition fees. Launched in 2011, this scheme plays a crucial role in promoting technical education in the state.

The primary objective of this scheme is to support meritorious students from economically weaker families who are pursuing undergraduate degree courses in engineering, pharmacy, or architecture. It is not a direct cash scholarship; instead, the government pays the tuition fees on behalf of the student. However, all other expenses apart from the tuition fee must be borne by the beneficiary.

Eligibility for West Bengal Freeship Scheme (WBFS)

To apply for this scheme, certain specific eligibility criteria must be met. These are detailed below:

• Permanent Resident: The applicant must be a permanent resident of West Bengal.
• College Admission: The student must be enrolled in a government or private engineering/technical college within West Bengal.
• Family Income: The annual family income must be less than ₹2.5 lakhs.
• Entrance Exam: The applicant must have successfully qualified in a state or national level entrance examination, such as WBJEE or JEE Main.
• Special Condition: Candidates selected under the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) scheme or the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship (SVMCM) are not eligible for the WBFS.

Application Process

The application process for the Freeship scheme differs slightly for government and private colleges.

• Government Colleges: For government colleges, the application form is typically provided by the college itself. Students need to fill it out and submit it back to the college with the required documents.
• Private Colleges: For private colleges, the application process is conducted online through a portal managed by the Directorate of Technical Education, Department of Higher Education.

Documents Required

During the application, scanned copies of the following documents must be uploaded to the portal, and attested copies must be submitted to the college for verification later:

• Domicile Certificate of West Bengal.
• Family Income Certificate.
• Applicant’s Aadhaar card and a recent passport-sized photograph.
• Marksheet of the previous qualifying examination.
• Admission receipt for the current course.

Important Scheme Information

Students can apply for this scheme based on their academic results from the previous year, meaning even second or third-year students are eligible to apply. The scheme also has a provision for annual renewal.