West Bengal Cabinet approved the “Student Credit Card scheme” on June 24, 2021. Trinamool Congress had promised to launch this scheme in its election manifesto.

Students Credit Card Scheme:

This scheme will be implemented and launched on June 30, 2021. Under the scheme, student can get a soft loan of up to ?10 lakh with the help of credit card to enroll into higher studies. Loans will be given for higher studies in India as well as abroad. Loans will be given at 4% interest rates. State government would act as guarantor.

Who can get the loan?

Anyone who has spent 10 years in West Bengal can avail loan benefits under the scheme. Loan will be available for undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral study. One person is eligible to get loans under scheme till 40 years of age.

How loans can be repaid?

Students will be provided Fifteen years to repay the loan after they get a job.

Background:

Similar scheme is run by Bihar government. Bihar government has launched “Student Credit Card Scheme” on October 2, 2016. Under this scheme, interest free loan of up to 4 lakh rupees is provided by state government to the poor 12th pass students of Bihar state to enroll into higher education. It was launched to benefit the students of Bihar with poor background and who are eager to complete their higher education. Loans are provided only to those students who are permanent resident of Bihar.