Free Education for Sports Medal Winners / Participants of National / International Events

What is the Free Education for Sports Medal Winners scheme?

Free Education for Sports Medal Winners / Participants of National / International Events is a scholarship scheme administered by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the Ministry of Education. It supports elite sportspersons who are pursuing higher education, so that the cost of a university or college course does not force talented athletes to choose between sport and study.

According to the UGC scheme guidelines, the assistance is provided to medal winners of the National Games and to participants in recognised international sporting events who have taken admission to a full-time regular course; including postgraduate diplomas and professional courses, in a university or college. The recognised international events are those held under bodies such as the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia and the World University Service.

Key features

• Administered by the UGC under the Ministry of Education.
• Covers full-time regular courses, including PG diplomas and professional courses.
• Reimburses tuition and non-refundable fees and provides a monthly maintenance allowance, as fixed in the UGC guidelines.
• Delivered through the university, which claims reimbursement from UGC.

What benefits does the scheme provide?

The scheme provides two kinds of support to an eligible sportsperson:

• Reimbursement of the actual tuition and non-refundable fees of the full-time course.
• A monthly maintenance allowance towards living costs while studying.

The financial assistance is reimbursed by the UGC to the university, which applies it to the student's fees and pays out the allowance. Because the exact allowance rate is set and revised in the UGC guidelines, this guide does not fix a single figure; students and colleges should read the current UGC guidelines document for the applicable monthly amount. The grant for subsequent years is released only after the university submits a utilisation certificate and a progress report on the student's sporting performance.

Who is eligible for the Free Education for Sports Medal Winners scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are a medal winner in the National Games, or a participant in an international sporting event recognised by the IOC, OCA or World University Service.
• You have taken admission to a full-time regular course in a recognised university or college.

You cannot apply if:

• You have not won a medal in the National Games and have not taken part in a recognised international event: participation in unrecognised or purely local events does not qualify.
• You are enrolled in a distance-learning or part-time programme rather than a full-time regular course.
• Your institution is not a recognised university or college eligible to claim UGC reimbursement.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Free Education for Sports Medal Winners scheme

The scheme is claim-based and routed through the institution, not a direct student portal.

1. Confirm you meet the criterion — a National Games medal or participation in a recognised international sporting event, and that you are admitted to a full-time regular course.
2. Submit your sports achievement certificate, admission proof and fee details to the sports or scholarship cell of your university or college.
3. The university forwards the claim to the University Grants Commission in the prescribed format, seeking reimbursement of your fees and the maintenance allowance.
4. On sanction, the UGC reimburses the university, which applies the amount to your fees and pays the allowance.
5. For continuation in later years, the university submits a utilisation certificate and your sports progress report to draw the next grant.

Help and where to check

• University Grants Commission: ugc.gov.in, publishes the scheme guidelines, the claim format and the current allowance rate.
• Your university's sports or scholarship cell, the point of contact for applying, since the claim is raised by the institution on your behalf.

Because this is a niche scheme with narrow eligibility, confirm the current guidelines and the recognised list of events with the UGC before applying; the benefit is limited to genuine elite sportspersons in full-time study.