Travel Grant Scheme for College Teachers, Librarians, Vice-Chancellors and Commission Members (UGC)

What is the UGC Travel Grant Scheme?

The Travel Grant Scheme is a Central Sector scheme implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. According to the UGC guidelines, the Travel Grant Scheme provides financial assistance to permanent teachers of colleges, Vice-Chancellors of universities and Members of the Commission to present their research papers at international conferences held abroad.

The scheme's stated objective is narrow and specific: to enable permanent teachers in colleges, Vice-Chancellors and Commission Members to present their own research paper(s) at international conferences. It is not a general travel or study-tour fund: assistance is tied to the presentation of an accepted research paper.

The institutions whose faculty and heads are covered are those recognised under Sections 2(f) and 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956. In addition, permanent teachers of institutions of national importance are covered within a ceiling of 10% of the total approved cases in a year.

This is a niche, low-volume scheme with a small annual quota, administered directly by the UGC on paper applications rather than through a live online portal. Prospective applicants should confirm that the scheme is currently open and funded before planning travel, because UGC assistance schemes of this kind are periodically revised.

Who is eligible for the UGC Travel Grant Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are a permanent teacher of a college recognised under Sections 2(f) and 12(B) of the UGC Act, and you are presenting a research paper at an international conference abroad.
• You are a Vice-Chancellor of a State University, Deemed-to-be University or Central University recognised under Sections 2(f) and 12(B).
• You are a Member of the University Grants Commission.
• You are a permanent teacher of an institution of national importance, competing within the 10% annual quota reserved for such institutions.

The common condition across all categories is that you must be presenting your own research paper. The acceptance letter from the conference organisers is central to the claim.

You cannot apply if:

• You are a temporary, guest, ad-hoc or contractual teacher. The scheme is restricted to permanent teachers.
• You are attending a conference without presenting a paper, or only chairing a session or attending as a delegate.
• You have already received the grant within the last three years — the benefit is limited to once in three years.
• You teach at, or head, an institution not recognised under Sections 2(f) and 12(B) of the UGC Act.
• Your application is incomplete or reaches the UGC less than two months before the conference.

Where a paper is co-authored, only one application is considered and priority is given to the first author; the other author(s) must submit a no-objection certificate.

How much financial assistance does the scheme give?

According to the UGC guidelines, the level of assistance depends on the category of applicant:

• Permanent college teachers: up to 50% of the total admissible expenditure, which covers travel, registration fee, per diem allowance and visa fee, once in three years.
• Vice-Chancellors and Commission Members: 100% of the admissible expenditure, once in three years.

The assistance is a reimbursement of admissible costs, not a fixed lump sum, so the actual amount depends on the destination, the airfare and the conference fee. Because the ceiling is defined as a percentage of admissible expenditure rather than a rupee figure, applicants should read the current UGC office memorandum to see which cost heads are admissible in a given year.

Conveyance rules. Selected persons must travel by excursion-category air tickets by the cheapest route, in any case not exceeding the Air India fare. For the journey between the applicant's headquarters and the nearest airport, actual fare not exceeding AC II Class train fare is admissible.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the UGC Travel Grant Scheme

The scheme is processed offline through the UGC secretariat. According to the UGC guidelines:

1. Download the prescribed application form from the UGC travel grant guidelines document on the UGC website (ugc.gov.in).
2. Secure your conference acceptance letter confirming that your research paper has been accepted for presentation at the international conference abroad.
3. Complete the application form and attach all enclosures. The acceptance letter, a copy of the paper, proof of your permanent post or office, and, for a co-authored paper, the no-objection certificate(s) from the other author(s).
4. Send the complete application to the Secretary, University Grants Commission, so that it reaches at least two months before the conference begins.
5. Wait for approval: submission does not guarantee sanction. The UGC approves cases subject to admissibility, the annual quota and availability of slots.

Incomplete applications are not considered, and the UGC does not entertain correspondence on rejected or incomplete cases.

Points applicants most often get wrong

• The grant is once in three years, not once a year.
• It reimburses admissible costs at 50% for teachers and 100% for Vice-Chancellors/Commission Members: teachers should budget for the balance themselves.
• Applying is not approval. Do not buy non-refundable tickets before the UGC sanctions your case.
• The two-month advance deadline is strict; late or incomplete files are rejected outright.

Help and where to check the current status

• UGC (University Grants Commission): 011-23604446, 011-23604200
• Email: contact.ugc@nic.in
• Guidelines: the UGC travel grant guidelines PDF and the schemes section of ugc.gov.in

Because this is an older, low-volume UGC scheme, confirm on the UGC website or with the UGC secretariat that the Travel Grant Scheme is currently open and funded, and obtain the latest office memorandum on admissible heads before you finalise any conference travel.