Vocational Training Fee reimbursement for the students belonging to Scheduled Caste category, Maharashtra 2026‑27

Maharashtra pays the course fee for Scheduled Caste (SC) students who train at an industrial training institute (ITI). The scheme is run by the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department and covers SC trainees admitted to seats under the PPP scheme in Government ITIs and Private ITIs through the central admission process. The amount depends on family income and on whether the student passed SSC (Class 10). A Government Resolution (GR) of 1 August 2019 approved the benefit for SC trainees.

To qualify, you need an ITI seat that came through the PPP route or a private ITI seat, filled through the central online admission process (CAP). Management quota seats do not qualify.

What you get

The benefit has three cases:

The scheme page sets these three rows. For an SSC pass with income up to Rs. 2.5 lakh, the benefit comes through the Government of India scholarship rather than this scheme. The official pages I could read do not give that scholarship’s amount, so check it on the same portal. The GR summary also says SC and ST trainees on a Class 10 entry course are eligible for the central Post Matric Scholarship.

For the 100% band, the GR summary works out the reimbursement by taking the fee a Government ITI charges for the course away from the private ITI fee, then paying 100% of the rest. The SC calculation is 100% of the remaining fee after the Government ITI course fee is deducted from the private ITI fee.

Who can apply

• Domicile: You must be a domicile of Maharashtra.
• Category: You must belong to the SC category and give a caste certificate. The student has to be from the Scheduled Caste category and provide a caste certificate.
• Marks: The official pages I read set no minimum percentage. The benefit changes with whether you passed or failed SSC.
• Family income: The overall family income limit is Rs. 8 lakh. Father and mother income is counted together in the related ST scheme; this SC page does not say more.
• Course and institution: The course must be a DGT, New Delhi or MSCVT approved course.
• Family size: The benefit is limited to two children in the family.
• Orphans: An orphan candidate needs a recommendation letter.
• Age: The official pages do not publish an age limit.

Who cannot apply:

• Students admitted under the management quota.
• Students who got benefit for an earlier course at a government or private ITI.
• Students who got benefit for a training programme sponsored by the state or central government, a local body, a company or a corporation.
• Students whose progress is unsatisfactory because of misconduct, a failed academic year, or a shortfall in attendance.

Attendance is compulsory, and you must attend each semester or annual exam. In a medical emergency, the institute’s Regional Joint Director can certify or recommend the case.

How to apply

1. Confirm your admission first, since it must be a PPP or private seat taken through the central online admission process.
2. Fresh and renewal applications for 2026-27 are accepted only on the MahaDBT 2.0 portal. Go to the MahaDBT 2.0 portal.
3. The MahaDBT help guide describes registration with an Aadhaar number, with an OTP sent to the mobile number linked to Aadhaar.
4. Fill in your profile: personal, domicile, income and caste details come first.
5. Log in, then use the portal’s Find Eligible Schemes page to reach this scheme.
6. Use the application tracking tool to see the status at each stage.
7. If DBT payment does not reach you because of Aadhaar seeding issues, quote your scholarship application ID.

Students whose earlier applications were marked “Sent Back” must re-submit them on the MahaDBT 1.0 portal.

Documents you need

Seven documents are asked for under the GR: Aadhaar card, ration card, SSC or HSC mark sheet, previous year mark sheet for renewal, domicile certificate, income certificate from a competent authority, and caste certificate.

How students are selected

The reimbursement is paid only to students who meet the scheme criteria. The official pages I read do not describe a merit list or a separate selection round.

Renewal

• You must still be on the rolls of your institute in the next year.
• Your attendance must meet the DGT criteria.
• Attach the previous year’s mark sheet when you renew.
• A failed academic year or a shortfall in attendance can make you ineligible, as set out above.

Important dates

• 2026-27: Fresh and renewal applications are accepted only on MahaDBT 2.0. The official pages I could read do not give a last date for 2026-27.
• 2025-26: The MahaDBT 1.0 portal was active for fresh applications for the 2025-26 academic year.
• 2024-25: Applications opened on 25 July 2024 and the last date was 31 March 2025.

For help, the MahaDBT helpline number is 022-49150800. The scheme’s own page is the MahaDBT scheme page.

This page covers SC students only. The same portal lists a separate scheme for socially and educationally backward class and open category (EWS) students. For that group, the portal sets 80% of the fee for income above Rs. 2.5 lakh up to Rs. 8 lakh.