Post-matric scholarship and fee reimbursement (JnanaBhumi)
How students in Andhra Pradesh in ITI, polytechnic, degree and higher courses get fee reimbursement (RTF) and money for food and hostel (MTF) through JnanaBhumi, and what they must do.
About this guidePending verification
Published on 12-11-2026. Not every fact has been checked against its official source yet: confirm at the office.
For whom: SC, ST, BC, EBC, Kapu, minority and disabled students, their mothers and parents.
Answer the questions below first. Then the documents and steps open.
1Your situation
We show only what your answers need.
- Which group are you in?
- Does all of this apply to your family? Yearly income up to ₹2,50,000. Land under 10 acres wet or 25 acres dry (25 acres of both together). No one is a government employee or pensioner (sanitary workers are exempt from this rule). No one owns a four-wheeler (a taxi, tractor or auto is fine). No built-up property (home or shop) of 1,500 sq ft or more in a town. No one pays income tax.
- What are you studying, and where?
- Is this a fresh application or a renewal?
Your answers stay on this phone.
Each step below says who it is for. Confirm yours at the office, then change your answer here.
This route does not apply to your situation
This scheme is only for SC, ST, BC, EBC, Kapu, minority and disabled students (G.O.Ms.No.115, 2019).
→ If you are not sure which group you are in, ask your college or secretariat.
Sources: 2, 1
This route does not apply to your situation
If any one of the rules on family income, land, jobs, vehicles, town property or income tax is not met, this scheme does not apply (G.O.Ms.No.115, para 7).
→ If you think your family's details are recorded wrongly, ask at your village / ward secretariat.
Sources: 2, 1
This route does not apply to your situation
From 2020-21, for PG courses the scheme is only for Convener-quota students in State-funded universities and government degree / PG colleges; it does not apply to PG in private aided or unaided colleges (G.O.Ms.No.77, 2020).
→ See how to ask for an education loan through the government schemes:
→ Education loan (PM-Vidyalaxmi, interest subsidy)
Sources: 5
This route does not apply to your situation
The scheme does not cover correspondence / distance courses or management / spot quota seats (G.O.Ms.No.115, para 6(b)).
→ If you are not sure which quota your seat is in, ask your college.
Sources: 2, 1
We could not confirm whether this applies to you
Under the 2019 order, students of private universities do not get this scheme. But a February 2026 order (G.O.Rt.No.37) gives RTF and MTF to students in government-quota (35%) seats for 2024-25 and 2025-26 only. We found no order for 2026-27 or later. Ask your university or the district Social Welfare office.
Sources: 2, 8
We could not confirm whether this applies to you
Students of deemed universities do not normally get this scheme. But a June 2026 order (G.O.Ms.No.13) gives the fee (RTF) to SC and ST students in UG courses at deemed universities in the state, where sponsors (P4) bear the state's share. Ask your university, or the district Social Welfare or Tribal Welfare office, whether there is such a sponsor for you.
Sources: 7, 2
This route does not apply to your situation
The scheme does not cover students of deemed universities (G.O.Ms.No.115, para 6(b)). The 2026 order makes an exception only for SC and ST students.
→ See how to ask for an education loan through the government schemes:
→ Education loan (PM-Vidyalaxmi, interest subsidy)
Sources: 2, 7
We could not confirm whether this applies to you
The 2019 order (G.O.Ms.No.115) sets the scheme for courses from ITI to Ph.D, except Intermediate. The pages we read do not say whether Intermediate students have another scholarship or how to ask. Ask your junior college or the district welfare office for your group.
Sources: 2
2Documents you need
Tick the ones you have. They are kept in this browser.
Details
If you don't have it: Your college gives it to you.
Not confirmed: The JnanaBhumi page we read does not say which certificates (caste, income and so on) go with the form. Ask your college.
Sources: 1
Details
Sources: 1, 3
Details
Sources: 1
Details
If the mother has died or is not there, the natural guardian's account.
Not confirmed: The order says only that a document is uploaded, not which one. Ask at the secretariat.
Sources: 2, 1
Details
Sources: 6, 7
Nothing to get ready before these steps.
3Your steps
· Do them in order. Tick each one when it is done.
- Do this nowIf: ST
ST students: JnanaBhumi has announced that you must complete One Time Registration (OTR) on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) before the scholarship application, and that without it you cannot submit your registration.
Do that first.
Open the official pageNot confirmed
The OTR user manual would not open (server error). Ask your college or secretariat what details are needed.
Sources: 1
- Do this nowIf: Fresh (first year of this course)
Get the JnanaBhumi Scholarship Application Form (JSAF) at your college, fill it in, sign it and give it to the principal.
Sources: 1
- Do this nowIf: Fresh (first year of this course)
The principal checks your details and submits them online on JnanaBhumi at the time of admission.
When it is done you get an SMS; keep the JnanaBhumi application ID. If no SMS comes, ask at the college.
Not confirmed
A 2019 order (G.O.Ms.No.81) set the colleges' time limits for 2019-20: registering fresh students, and their one-time biometric authentication, within 15 days of admission; registering renewals by 15 July. We found no later time limits.
Sources: 1, 3
- Do this nowIf: Fresh (first year of this course)
Go to a nearby MeeSeva centre with your JnanaBhumi application ID and Aadhaar number.
Look at your application, correct any mistakes, and submit it with your fingerprint or iris (biometric) authentication.
Not confirmed
It is a 2019 order that makes it free; we found nothing later. If anyone asks for money, ask for a receipt.
Sources: 1, 3
- Do this nowIf: Renewal (you had it for this course last year and moved to the next year)
For a renewal, the principal enters on JnanaBhumi the date you joined this year and last year's exam hall ticket / roll number.
When it is done you get an SMS.
Sources: 1
- Do this nowIf: Renewal (you had it for this course last year and moved to the next year)
At the college, look at your application details and give your biometric authentication.
Sources: 1
- Do this nowIf: Fresh (first year of this course) / Renewal (you had it for this course last year and moved to the next year)
The food and hostel money (MTF) goes to the mother's account.
Linking the mother to the student and entering her bank account is done by the Welfare and Education Assistant at the secretariat. Ask at your village / ward secretariat (now the Swarna Gramam / Swarna Wardu office) whether those details are right.
Sources: 2, 1, 10
- Do this nowIf: Fresh (first year of this course) / Renewal (you had it for this course last year and moved to the next year)
Attend college regularly: the scholarship is released only with 75% aggregate attendance.
From 2025-26, release of the fee to colleges depends on face-recognition (FRS) attendance in the college.
Sources: 2, 1, 6
- Do this nowIf: ST / BC / EBC (other than Kapu) / Kapu / Minority / Disabled (differently abled)If: Fresh (first year of this course) / Renewal (you had it for this course last year and moved to the next year)
If sanctioned, your full fee (tuition, special and other fees and the exam fee, as fixed by the authorities) is paid by the government straight to the college's account (RTF).
You do not pay it yourself.
Sources: 6, 2, 1
- Do this nowIf: SCIf: Fresh (first year of this course) / Renewal (you had it for this course last year and moved to the next year)
SC students: if sanctioned, the fee money (RTF) comes to the student's own account, as the Government of India guidelines require.
You then pay the college with it; take a receipt.
Not confirmed
The orders we read do not say within how many days you must pay the college. JnanaBhumi's screens for colleges cite G.O.Ms.No.35 for a complaint by the college when the fee is not paid to it within 7 days of release; we have not read that order. Ask your college.
Sources: 6, 7, 1
- Do this nowIf: Fresh (first year of this course) / Renewal (you had it for this course last year and moved to the next year)
For food and hostel (MTF), each year: ITI ₹10,000, polytechnic ₹15,000, degree and higher courses ₹20,000, paid to the mother's account.
If the student is in a hostel, pay the mess charges from it straight away.
Not confirmed
The 2019 order says two instalments, in July and December; we found no current release dates.
Sources: 2, 1, 4
If something goes wrong
If it is rejectedIf the application is rejected or stuck, first ask your college principal why.
If the application is rejected or stuck, first ask your college principal why. If you think it is a mistake, complain through the student's JnanaBhumi login or the PGRS grievance system: at your village / ward secretariat on any day, at the Collectorate on Mondays, or on the PGRS website or app. You need Aadhaar to complain. Follow it with the grievance number sent by SMS; if you are not satisfied with the answer you can re-open it twice.
PGRS (Public Grievance Redressal System) · Open the official page
Sources: 1, 4, 9
If it is lateIf the money has not come, first ask the college whether your 75% attendance was recorded.
If the money has not come, first ask the college whether your 75% attendance was recorded. Then ask the district welfare office for your group (the Deputy Director), or complain on PGRS. PGRS sets a time limit for each kind of grievance, from 24 hours to 90 days.
District welfare office, or PGRS · Open the official page
Sources: 2, 3, 9, 4
AlsoColleges must not withhold the certificates of students eligible for the scholarship, and must not insist on fees at admission from any student eligible for the fee scheme (G.O.Ms.No.81, 2019; G.O.Ms.No.64, 2020).
Colleges must not withhold the certificates of students eligible for the scholarship, and must not insist on fees at admission from any student eligible for the fee scheme (G.O.Ms.No.81, 2019; G.O.Ms.No.64, 2020). If this happens, complain on PGRS. The student's JnanaBhumi login also takes complaints, but the 2020 order names it only for a college's facilities and classes.
PGRS (Public Grievance Redressal System) · Open the official page
Sources: 3, 4, 9
Official websites for this work
- JnanaBhumi (Andhra Pradesh) College scholarships and fee reimbursement
- PGRS (Andhra Pradesh) Complain to the state government
Related guides
The 10 official pages and papers this guide is written from
- JnanaBhumi: 'Post Matric Scholarships (RTF) / (MTF)' (About Scheme, About Eligibility, How to Apply, Government Orders) and 'Latest Updates'Social Welfare Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh (JnanaBhumi portal; site by APCFSS), Tabs 'About Scheme' (RTF to college accounts, MTF to the mother's account, amounts), 'About Eligibility' (eligible and ineligible students, income eligibility), 'How to Apply' (fresh: steps 1–4 with the JSAF form, the principal and MeeSeva biometric; renewal: steps 1–2), 'Government Orders' (list of six orders); 'Latest Updates' (ST students: One Time Registration before applying). The page is built by script; its text was read from the site's own script file. Read through the Open Telugu relay (the site refused a direct request with 403) · read on 02-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.115, 30-11-2019: Scholarships to every eligible SC, ST, BC, EBC (other than Kapu), Kapu, Minority and Differently Abled student for post-matric courses (ITI, Polytechnic, Degree and above) – OrdersSocial Welfare (Edn) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Paras 1 and 3 (groups and departments; courses from ITI to Ph.D except Intermediate), 4 (the two components), 6 (eligible and ineligible students, 75% attendance), 7 (income eligibility), 8 and 9 (mode of disbursement and entitlements: MTF to the mother, or the natural guardian; two instalments, July and December; the mother's account mapped by the Welfare and Education Assistant). The order named the schemes 'Jagananna Vidya Deevena (RTF)' and 'Jagananna Vasathi Deevena (MTF)' (30-11-2019) · read on 02-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.81, 07-05-2019: JnanaBhumi – modifications in procedure and software, JnanaBhumi 2.0 from 2019-20Social Welfare (Edn.2) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Para 7.2.4 (institutions must not withhold the certificates of students eligible for the scholarship), 7.9 and 7.10 (biometric one-time authentication; at MeeSeva free of cost to students, the MeeSeva charges borne by the Director of Social Welfare), 8.2 (timelines table) (07-05-2019) · read on 02-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.64, 06-11-2020: Institutions not to insist on payment of fee from eligible students at admission; counselling of mothersSocial Welfare (Edn) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Paras 1–3 (no non-refundable fees from eligible SC and ST students at admission; certificates not to be withheld), 6(vi) (complaints through the student's JnanaBhumi login or the grievance portal), 6(viii) (mothers pay the hostel mess charges from the MTF) (06-11-2020) · read on 02-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.77, 25-12-2020: PG courses – only students admitted under Convener quota in State-funded universities and Government Degree/PG collegesSocial Welfare (Edn) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Paras 2 and 3 (from 2020-21; not for PG in private aided and unaided colleges) (25-12-2020) · read on 02-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.87, 20-11-2024: Post Matric Scholarships – Reimbursement of tuition fee – mode of disbursement of RTF from 2024-25Social Welfare (EDU.I) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Para 1 (i)–(iii): RTF of students other than SC to the colleges' accounts from 2024-25; from 2025-26 subject to FRS attendance in the colleges; SC students' RTF to the students' accounts as per Government of India guidelines (60% borne by GoI); para 2 (FRS attendance) (20-11-2024) · read on 02-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.13, 30-06-2026: Post Matric Scholarships (PMS) – extension of benefits to SC and ST students in Deemed to be Universities through the P4 modelSocial Welfare (EDN.I) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Para 1 (the 2019 ineligible list still cited), para 4 I–VIII (UG courses in deemed universities in the state, where sponsors bear the state share; SC students paid to their Aadhaar-linked accounts, who pay the institution; ST students' fee to the college). Read through the Open Telugu relay (goir.ap.gov.in timed out directly) (30-06-2026) · read on 02-11-2026
- G.O.Rt.No.37, 11-02-2026: Students admitted into Private Universities under Government quota (35%) – applicability of Post Matric Scholarships (RTF) and (MTF)Social Welfare (EDN.I) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Para 1 (for 2024-25 and 2025-26 only). Read through the Open Telugu relay (11-02-2026) · read on 02-11-2026
- PGRS: Frequently Asked QuestionsGovernment of Andhra Pradesh: Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS), How to register (secretariat every day, Collectorate on Mondays, portal, mobile app; Aadhaar needed); status by grievance number; re-opening twice; time limits from 24 hours to 90 days. Read through the Open Telugu relay (timed out directly) · read on 02-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.1, 09.02.2026: Prescribing roles and responsibilities of District Swarna Gramam & Swarna Wardu Officers and Mandal / Urban officersDepartment of Swarna Gramam and Swarna Wardu, Government of Andhra Pradesh (A.P. Government Orders Issue Register), Paragraph 2 (Village/Ward Secretariats renamed Swarna Gramam and Swarna Wardu Offices, Ordinance No. 2 of 2026) (09-02-2026) · read on 31-10-2026