Maharashtra Integrates MahaDBT Scholarships with CAP: Simplified Admission and Scholarship Process from 2026

Maharashtra's higher and technical education ministry has announced a transformative restructuring of its scholarship distribution system that will streamline the application process for thousands of students. The government plans to integrate its MahaDBT scholarship portal with the Maharashtra CET Cell's centralised admission process (CAP), eliminating the need for separate scholarship applications following college admission. Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil announced this initiative on Wednesday, emphasizing how the change addresses long-standing student complaints about cumbersome documentation and delayed approvals.​

Streamlined Process and Eligibility

Under the new system, eligible students will receive scholarship approval directly during the centralised admission process rather than applying afterward on the MahaDBT portal. Students will no longer need to renew applications annually; instead, they must submit only marksheets and attendance records from the previous academic year. This integration will initially apply to select professional courses during the next academic year, with full implementation planned by 2027-28. The Maharashtra CET Cell will coordinate with the IT department managing the MahaDBT scholarship login portal to streamline data transfer between admission and scholarship systems.​

Coverage and Government Support

The Maha DBT scholarship integration will initially cover engineering, medicine, pharmacy, management, law, and teacher training courses. Maharashtra runs comprehensive scholarship and freeship programmes for disadvantaged groups, including scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), other backward classes (OBC), economically weaker sections (EWS), socially and economically backward classes (SEBC), minorities, and women. Currently, 70-80% of Maharashtra students receive some form of financial assistance through these programmes. The state allocates approximately Rs 8,000 crore annually across various scholarship schemes managed by different departments.​

Addressing College Fee Issues

Current challenges include colleges demanding full fees at enrollment while awaiting state reimbursements. Minister Patil suggested allowing colleges to recover reimbursement amounts through government-guaranteed loans with interest covered by the state. The chief minister has restructured the account head for processing college dues, with the higher and technical education department already clearing its outstanding payments. The government is also considering regulating additional charges levied by professional colleges by including them within the umbrella tuition fee decided by the Fee Regulating Authority, though this requires calculating increased state reimbursement obligations.