There are some basic needs that we all work on fulfilling first and one of those basic needs is education. Accessing quality education is one of the primary aims of most individuals, however, sadly with time, the expenses of quality education are also rising. The central and state governments are working on and have already introduced several govt schemes to provide financial assistance to deserving students so that financial constraints don’t stop them.
One such scheme has been introduced by the state government of West Bengal called the West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme. The state govt scheme aims to provide monetary support to meritorious students in the form of affordable loans so that they can pursue higher education.
Read the article to learn about the details of the scheme ranging from its meaning and objectives to eligibility and application process.
Overview
| Name of the scheme | West Bengal Student Credit Card |
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| Introduced by | State government of West Bengal |
| Objective | To provide monetary support to meritorious students in the form of affordable loans. |
| Target Group | Students residing in the state of West Bengal |
| Amount of loan | Up to Rs. 10 lakh |
| Rate of Interest | 4% per annum |
| Application mode | Online |
Read More: New Government Schemes Launched On The National Education Day
What Is The West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme?
The state government launched the West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme, for the students residing in the state. The scheme aims to provide monetary support to meritorious students in the form of affordable loans so that they can pursue higher education in their preferred fields.
The scheme allows eligible students to apply for educational loans with very low rates of interest which doesn’t make the loan a huge burden on the students’ shoulders.
Features
The Credit Card scheme comprises various features aimed at making the lives of students easier. Some of the key features it offers are mentioned below in brief:
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The scheme allows beneficiaries to apply for an educational loan of up to 10 lakh Rupees.
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The state govt scheme also has a provision of a 1% concession awarded to those students who pay back the whole amount of interest during their course.
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Students can repay the loan with interest in 15 years including the moratorium period of one year.
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Under the Sarkari Yojana, students are also given the option of opting for a life insurance policy. The premium of the insurance policy will be deducted from their loan accounts.
Benefits
There are several benefits of the Credit Card scheme that would help students in building their professional lives. Some of its key benefits are:
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The loans drawn up under the scheme come with an annual interest rate of 4%.
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Students aren’t required to deposit any collateral or security of any kind to apply for the loans.
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The state govt scheme doesn’t require contributions by students if the loan amount is up to 4 lakh Rupees. However, if the loan amount is more than Rs. 4 lakh, students are required to contribute 5%. If a student receives scholarships then the student contributions would be adjusted from the scholarship.
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The guardians of the students are required to sign the loan application.
Eligibility Criteria Of West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme
Interested individuals first need to ensure whether they fit into the eligibility criteria of the Credit Card Scheme or not. The eligibility criteria are as follows:
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The student should be a resident of the state of West Bengal or should be living in the state for at least 10 years.
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Applicant should be 40 years old or above.
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Applicants must be admitted to colleges or universities or other institutions like IIMs, IITs, NLUs, NITs, etc. in India or abroad.
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Applicants must be enrolled in coaching institutes if they are planning to appear for competitive exams like IAS, medicine, engineering, SSC, IPS, etc.
Application Process Of West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme
Interested and eligible applicants can apply for the Sarkari Yojana through online methods at their convenience. The procedure is laid down below:
Step 1: Please visit the official website of the West Bengal govt and click on ‘Student Registration’.
Step 2: A pop-up box will appear on your screen requesting you to apply as per the location of your selected institution (within India or abroad).
Step 3: Enter the details of your institution like its name, state, and details of the course.
Step 4: Complete registration by setting up a password and OTP verification.
Step 5: Log into your account and click on ‘Apply Now’.
Step 6: Fill in the details of your guardians and your bank account details.
Step 7: Upload the required support documents.
Step 8: Recheck your application and click on ‘submit’.
Please note that if you don’t have an Aadhaar or PAN card, click on ‘No’ and submit an undertaking form instead.
Documents Required Of West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme
Applicants are required to submit some supporting documents while applying for the state govt scheme. The list of the documents is as follows:
How To Track One’s Application?
Applicants can track the status of their applications for the Credit Card Scheme by following some steps. Those steps are as follows:
Step 1: Please visit the official website of the West Bengal.
Step 2: Log into your account.
Step 3: The status of your loan application will be visible on your dashboard.
Conclusion
The West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme is an exceptional scheme launched by the state govt to attack the monetary constraint issue of the students. After all, no one should miss out on the opportunity to access quality education in their chosen fields.
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