Student faces admission cancellation in Australia over Maha scholarship delay

Nagpur: A postgraduate student at the University of Melbourne claims she faces cancellation of admission and academic sanctions due to delay in disbursement of the minority scholarship for foreign education by Maharashtra govt.The girl student, pursuing a master of biotechnology, was selected under the state govt's minority scholarship scheme for the academic year 2026-27. A resident of Maharashtra, the student hails from a low-income background.Now stranded in Australia without financial support, she claimed that despite submitting all mandatory documentation by April 2, 2026, the administrative funds have not yet reached the university. The student also claimed she is unable to manage basic survival and rent expenses.As per the Govt Resolution (GR) issued in 2022, scholarship funds are to be disbursed to the respective international university after receiving relevant documents from students. The girl student said more than two months have elapsed since the complete submission on April 2."Now, the University of Melbourne has placed an administrative hold on my student account, blocking enrolment for the upcoming semester and withholding exam results. The university has issued a warning that the admission will be cancelled entirely if the sponsored fee payment is not processed immediately," she wrote in her letter to govt.In her letter, the student also attached communication received from the university in this regard. TOI has accessed the letter and the communication she received from the university.An official said the social welfare office in Pune forwarded complete scholarship proposal to the minority development department in Mumbai via email on June 1. "However, officials in Mumbai claim non-receipt of the documentation and cite a lack of state funds," the student said.The matter has been escalated to the Chief ministers Office (CMO) and the department secretary Yogesh Mhase, urging immediate intervention.Rajiv Khobragade of NGO The Platform, which has been raising the issue with govt, said, "Leaving a state-sanctioned scholar stranded abroad without the promised tuition fees and living expenses is institutional torture."