PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme - Eligibility, Interest Rate, benefits & How to Apply

The Union Cabinet approved the new central scheme, the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme, which provides financial assistance to students pursuing higher studies. This scheme will help universalise access to higher education for talented youth in India.

Learn more about the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme details, objectives, benefits, eligibility, and application process. 

PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme details

What is PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme?

The PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme provides loans to meritorious students so that financial constraints do not prevent youth from pursuing higher education. This scheme is an initiative that aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, which recommended that financial assistance should be available to meritorious students through numerous measures in public and public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). 

The PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme applies to all Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), scheduled banks, and cooperative banks. It has an outlay of Rs. 3,600 crore for 2024-25 to 2030-31. This scheme will help overcome any financial obstacles to pursuing higher education and enable the youth to achieve their dreams.

This scheme will supplement the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Education Loans (CGFSEL) and Central Sector Interest Subsidy (CSIS), the two-component schemes of PM-USP implemented by the Department of Higher Education. 

Under the PM-USP CSIS, students with an annual family income of up to Rs. 4.5 lakh pursuing technical/ professional courses from approved institutions receive full interest subvention for education loans of up to Rs. 10 lakh during the moratorium period.

Thus, the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme and PM-USP will provide holistic support to all deserving students pursuing higher education in Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs) and professional/ technical education in approved HEIs. 

PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme objective

The main objective of the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme is to provide guarantor-free, collateral-free loans to eligible students. 

PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme benefit  

• Students securing admission to the top 860 HEIs in India will receive financial assistance under the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme.
• The PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme will provide guarantor-free, collateral-free loans to meritorious students to pursue higher studies. This will benefit around 22 lakh students who get admission to Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) based on the latest NIRF rankings. 
• Under the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme, students will get a credit guarantee of 75% of the outstanding default for loans up to Rs. 7.5 lakh. This will help and support banks in making education loans available to students. 
• Students with an annual family income of up to Rs. 8 lakh will also receive a 3% interest subvention for a loan of up to Rs. 10 lakh during the moratorium period. Around 7 lakh fresh students are expected to benefit from the interest subvention under this scheme.

PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme eligibility

All students who have secured admission to Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs) are eligible under the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme to get loans from banks and financial institutions to cover their tuition fees and other course-related expenses. Students are eligible to get an educational loan, irrespective of their family’s annual income group.

The scheme will cover students admitted to the top QHEIs of the nation determined by the NIRF rankings, including all HEIs, private and government, ranked within the top 100 in NIRF in overall, domain-specific and category-specific rankings. State government HEIs ranked 101-200 in NIRF and all central government-governed institutions are also covered under this scheme.

The QHEIs list is updated every year using the latest NIRF ranking. More than 22 lakh students securing admission in 860 qualifying QHEIs will be able to avail of benefits under the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme.

Students receiving other Central/State Government scholarships, interest subventions or fee reimbursements are not eligible to apply for loans under the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme.

Students dismissed from the institution on disciplinary/ academic grounds or who stop their studies in between are not eligible for interest subvention or credit guarantee under this scheme. However, if they discontinue studies for medical reasons, for which relevant documents are submitted to the head of the educational institution, they will be eligible to get interest subvention and credit guarantee under this scheme.

Interest subvention under PM Vidyalaxmi

Under the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme, a 3% interest subvention is provided for a loan of up to Rs. 10 lakh to students having an annual family income of up to Rs. 8 lakh during the moratorium period. However, students availing benefits under any other government scholarship or interest subvention schemes are not eligible for interest subvention under this scheme. 

The interest subvention under this scheme will be given to one lakh students every year. Preference is given to students from government institutions who have opted for technical/ professional courses. 

How to apply for loan under the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme?

The PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme application process will be administered through an entirely digital, interoperable, transparent, simple, and student-friendly portal. The Department of Higher Education will launch a unified portal of PM-Vidyalaxmi on which students can apply for education loans and interest subvention through a simplified application process that can be used by all banks. Payment of interest subvention will be made through Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallets and e-vouchers.

PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme documents required

The list of documents required under the PM Vidyalaxmi scheme will be provided on the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme. However, the general documents that may be required under this scheme are as follows:

• Aadhaar card
• Bank account details
• Admission details
• Identity proof documents

The PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme will maximise access to quality higher education for India’s youth and ensure financial inclusion in education. This scheme will provide collateral and guarantor-free loans to meritorious students seeking admission to QHEIs. This scheme will empower millions of students from the poor and middle class to pursue their higher education and secure their financial future.

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