The Higher and Technical Education Department Maharashtra has announced that all post-Class 10 scholarship schemes in the state will now be implemented through a new integrated system called MahaScholarship on the MahaDBT 2.0 portal from the academic year 2026-27.
The announcement was made by Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, who said the new platform is aimed at making the scholarship process more student-friendly, transparent, and time-bound.
As per the Government Resolution passed by the department, the new system has been made possible via MahaIT as part of an administrative reform initiative in terms of scholarship processes.
One platform to cover all scholarship programs
Currently, there are separate processes to apply for scholarships across various departments. It involves filling up different forms and submission of separate forms. In this regard, officials stated that it causes a lot of inconvenience and confusion among the students.
Through MahaScholarship program, all scholarships provided by different departments will now be managed on a single digital portal where students can access information regarding eligibility criteria, application form, renewal, verification, and benefits received.
The government believes this integration will reduce the burden on students and improve the efficiency of scholarship delivery across Maharashtra.
Application process to become simpler
One of the biggest changes under MahaDBT 2.0 is the reduction in the amount of information students need to fill in while applying.
Earlier, depending on the scholarship scheme, students often had to enter more than 130 fields of information. Under the new system, this has been reduced to nearly 65 fields.
Several details and documents will now be automatically fetched through Aadhaar, the CET Cell, and other government databases wherever applicable. Officials said this would reduce repeated data entry, minimise errors, and help avoid ineligible applications.
Faster verification & direct benefit transfer
The state government has also simplified the scrutiny and approval mechanism for scholarship applications. The existing four-level verification process has now been reduced to two levels.
This should help to hasten the approval process and ensure that the scholarship amount is remitted in accordance with the stipulated timeframe.
Furthermore, students can monitor the application status online, and the scholarship money will get credited to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts directly.
Easier process of renewing scholarships
The process of renewal of scholarship grants has also undergone changes with an aim to save the students from submitting duplicate forms each year.
Pre-filled forms of scholarship renewal will help students to skip filling up the form in full each year. They will only need to update changed information, such as fee details.
In a significant relief for students applying under income-based schemes, the income certificate submitted during the first year of the course will remain valid for the entire duration of the programme. This is expected to reduce repeated documentation and visits to government offices.
Eligibility rules to remain unchanged
The government has clarified that while the technical and administrative process is being revamped, the eligibility criteria, financial limits, and nature of benefits under individual scholarship schemes will remain the same.
Detailed guidelines regarding application procedures and scheme-specific information will be made available on the MahaDBT 2.0 portal before implementation.
Speaking about the initiative, Chandrakant Patil said the move marks an important step towards student-centric digital governance. He added that the new system is expected to bring greater speed, transparency, and ease to the scholarship process while ensuring smoother benefit delivery for students across the state.
