Matters India reporter
Darjeeling, May 18, 2019: The management of the Salesian College Sonada in Darjeeling has slashed admission fees by 50 percent in an effort to attract students of academic merit and lighten parents’ financial burden.
“It is our continued effort to make higher education affordable for students whose parents can ill afford to send children out station for higher studies,” explains Principal Father George Thadathil, who has given leadership in college education for almost 20 years.
For the past 19 years, the college, situated in Gorabari village, has tried to provide world class facilities, the Salesian priest claimed.
The college now charges 15,000 rupees for the 2019-2022 session. Earlier it charged 30,000 rupees and a tuition fee of 10,000 rupees a semester for BA Honours subjects and slightly higher for B.Com (Accounting, Finance and Management) and BCA.
The college has kept multiple fee structure for various streams like BA Honours, General, Mass Communication, BCA and B.Com to be paid tri-monthly in September, December, March and June.
Speaking about facilities the college offers, director of Radio Salesian Father C.M. Paul says, “Salesian College is the only College in North Bengal and entire northeast India with a Radio Station and Television Studio offering students opportunity for hands on training to gain professional skills.”
Besides slashing the admission fee, the college located on NH 55 (Hill Cart Road) midway between Kurseong and Darjeeling, has introduced Tuition Waiver Scholarship Scheme offering 166 students making available a total sum of about 8.8 million rupees in various categories like Academic Merit, Sports, Media Skills, Specially Abled persons and BPL with quota for Male, Female and Transgender groups.
Of scholarships awarded to 166 students, 40 seats are reserved for meritorious students with BPL certificate and 30 seats are reserved for students with media skills who will be required to produce eight hours of radio or four television programs each month.
Full tuition fee waiver is offered to 30 students who secure over 90 per cent in class XII examinations and 50 percent fee reduction is given to 30 students who secure 80 plus per cent.
“It is great news for students, especially meritorious students from economically backward classes to avail of such scholarship waiver schemes,” says Student Council Vice-President Ashwini Tamang.
An excited Student Council President Rakesh Sharma is quick to add, “The scholarship tuition waiver scheme is a boon, offering higher education opportunities not only to academically deserving students but also to other categories like sports, and media skills.”
Third year B.Com \Accounting Honours student Sharma expressed his delight when he heard that the college is offering 40 scholarships to BPL (Below Poverty Line) certificate holders, 16 for differently abled and 16 for transgender students saying, “I am simply proud that our college is coming forward to help economically and socially marginalized students offering them chance for higher education.”
The students availing scholarships under various categories are required to maintain stipulated SGPA (Sessional Grade Point Average) in the university exams failing which they relinquish the tuition waiver.