Students from economically weaker and marginalised sections across Telangana are bearing an unintended financial burden, as government-approved overseas scholarships remain unreleased for years, forcing families to take bank loans to fund foreign education.
The backlog under the Telangana Congress government's overseas scholarship programme has grown sharply since the party came to power in 2023-24. From 188 pending cases in 2023-24, the number climbed to 256 in 2024-25 and further to 386 in 2025-26, according to data released by the Social Welfare Department.
The scheme, launched by a previous state government to help students from various communities study at universities abroad, offers up to Rs 20 lakh per student or the actual cost, whichever is lower. Eligible destinations include the USA, Canada, Germany, France, the UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The package also covers a one-way economy class airfare and visa charges.
During 2023-24, of the 1,313 applicants who sought overseas scholarships, 1,310 received approval with a sanctioned budget of Rs 236.25 crore. However, even three years after approval, the government is yet to disburse Rs 42.75 crore owed to 188 students. Of these, 148 belong to tribal communities.
The backlog grew further in subsequent years. In 2024-25, 246 out of 1,108 applications remained unpaid, with Rs 89.70 crore in scholarships held up. In 2025-26, all 394 applications from minority and SC community candidates were approved with Rs 54.50 crore sanctioned, yet not a single student has received any funds so far.
Over the last ten years, 9,986 out of 10,008 applications received approval. Of those, 862 applicants across multiple years are still waiting for their scholarships, with the largest share, 386, from the current academic year. Additional pending cases include 29 from 2022-23 and three from 2021-22.
With funds stuck in the pipeline, students and parents have been left to manage on their own, approaching banks for loans to pay tuition fees and meet other education expenses abroad.
