List of State Governments that Provide Study Abroad Scholarships

Before you resort to banks for pricey loans, consider a couple of the state government's study abroad scholarships. Given the rising education expense, financing a foreign education is one of the most challenging problems students face. Aside from tuition prices, which rise yearly, students must account for currency charges, lodging, books and supplies, interest rate increases, and the rupee's declining value. While there are several choices for financing higher education, including education loans, abroad scholarships, personal finances, and loan scholarships, students sometimes lose out on state government reductions that make studying more cheap. Let's examine some of the state government's plans for international education.

Haryana

Under the NSFDC/NSKFDC system, the Haryana Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation distributes education loans. Students can qualify for an education loan of up to Rs 20 lakh for studying abroad. Students must be from a scheduled caste and have an annual family income of up to Rs 3 lakh to qualify for the initiative. They must be a Haryana permanent resident between 18 and 44. Other Haryana government education loan initiatives include Economically Weaker Sections Kalyan Nigam, Haryana Backward Classes, and Education Loans for Persons with Disabilities.

Himachal Pradesh 

The Himachal Pradesh government offers education loans to students from underprivileged backgrounds. The National Minority Development and Finance Corporation, administered by the Ministry of Minority Affairs of the Government of India, makes these loans available to students to assist them in affording job-related and professional/technical training. Students can apply for a Rs 20 lakh education loan with a 3% interest rate for abroad studies. The HP government offers an educational financing program for students with impairments through the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation. Women students are eligible for a 1% interest refund. Students must provide documentation establishing their Himachali status and additional paperwork to qualify for the initiative. Students with disabilities with 40% or more impairments must provide a medical certificate.

Gujarat

Under the auspices of the Gujarat government, the Director of Developing Castes Welfare Department grants education loans for overseas study. Students can obtain an education loan of up to Rs 15 lakh at a 4% interest rate. The Gujarat Unreserved Educational Educational and Economical Development Corporation also provides education loans for higher education abroad. Students who have been accepted to a foreign institution for an MBBS, Bachelor's, or Master's program are eligible for a Rs 13 lakh loan. The unreserved category students receive a 5% interest rate. To qualify for this plan, however, the yearly household income must be less than Rs 3 lakh. The Gujarat government also has a plan called the Interest Subsidy Scheme on Education Loans, which offers a 100% interest subsidy on loans up to Rs 10 lakh, with the government paying the interest throughout the moratorium period.

Goa

The Goa government offers interest-free education loans to those pursuing higher education abroad. Students can apply for an education loan of up to Rs 16 lakh. To be eligible for this plan, however, the yearly household income must be Rs 12 lakh. The loan can be used to study  Home Science, Management, Environment, Engineering, Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Architecture, Finance, Law, Fine Arts, and Computer Science at the undergraduate or postgraduate level.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan Minority Finance and Development Co-operative Corporation provide education financing packages for students from minority communities to pursue higher education abroad and in India. Students can apply for an education loan of up to Rs 30 lakh to further their study overseas with a maximum length of 5 years and an annual interest rate of Rs 6.00 lakh. The ultimate family income in rural regions is Rs 81,000, and Rs 1,03,000 in urban areas. The interest rate on offer is 3%.

The 'Creamy Layer' criteria, widespread among the OBC group, was implemented as a remarkable initiative of NMDFC, with the yearly family income cap set at Rs 6 lakh. This project provides an 8% interest rate for male candidates and a 5% interest rate for female candidates.

Conclusion

These are some of the programmes provided by state governments. In addition to these states, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala have similar lending programs. Some state governments, such as Andhra Pradesh, also provide abroad scholarships. If you are looking for an education loan to study abroad, students should research these programs and understand the qualifying requirements.