The state government’s decision to raise the income limit for availing the student fee subsidy for engineering degree programs is set to benefit a large number of students in Goa. With the income limit hiked to Rs 12 lakh per annum, officials expect that 90% of students enrolling in the first year of engineering programs for the 2024-25 academic year will be eligible for the scheme.

The state government’s decision to raise the income limit for availing the student fee subsidy for engineering degree programs is set to benefit a large number of students in Goa. With the income limit hiked to Rs 12 lakh per annum, officials expect that 90% of students enrolling in the first year of engineering programs for the 2024-25 academic year will be eligible for the scheme.


The subsidy is offered under the Diamond Jubilee Government Investment for Technical Education (DJ-GIFT) scheme, which was originally introduced without any income restrictions. At its inception, this allowed about 90% of engineering students to take advantage of financial aid. However, the state government later introduced an annual income cap of Rs 5 lakh, which significantly reduced the number of eligible students. As a result, only around 50% to 60% of students were able to benefit from the subsidy in recent years.

With the income limit now raised to Rs 12 lakh, officials believe the scheme will once again benefit the majority of Goan students. "Only students from other states will not be eligible for the subsidy. Nearly all Goan students are set to benefit from the DJ-GIFT scheme now," said an official from the Department of Technical Education.

What the Subsidy Offers

The DJ-GIFT scheme provides substantial fee subsidies for engineering students, particularly those attending private colleges in Goa. Under the scheme, students are required to pay a fixed base fee, which is determined by the government, and the remaining amount is covered by the state.

For students admitted to engineering programs in the academic year 2024-25, the base fee has been set at Rs 1 lakh per year. This fee will progressively increase over the next few years, with students paying Rs 1.1 lakh in 2025-26, Rs 1.2 lakh in 2026-27, and Rs 1.3 lakh in 2027-28.

In comparison, the total annual fees for degree courses at private engineering colleges in Goa can go up to Rs 2 lakh per year. With the DJ-GIFT subsidy, a student would only be responsible for paying the base fee—Rs 1 lakh—while the state covers the remaining amount.

Students attending government-run engineering colleges, where fees are already heavily subsidized, are also expected to benefit from the scheme. However, the fee structure at these institutions remains significantly lower than that of private colleges.

DJ-GIFT: A Vital Support for Goan Families

The DJ-GIFT scheme has been instrumental in making higher education more affordable for Goan families. By significantly reducing the financial burden on students pursuing engineering degrees, the scheme has helped foster technical education in the state.

The recent revision to the income eligibility criteria comes as a relief to many middle-income families who had previously been excluded due to the Rs 5 lakh limit. Officials explained that many families with an income between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 12 lakh were struggling to afford the high fees at private engineering colleges, and this adjustment is expected to ensure that almost all students from Goa can access affordable technical education.

For instance, under the earlier Rs 5 lakh cap, only about half of the students qualified for the fee subsidy, resulting in higher out-of-pocket costs for many families. The revised income limit will expand the pool of eligible students, restoring the subsidy to nearly 90% of Goan engineering students, as it was when the scheme was first introduced.

"With the increased income limit, more families will be able to send their children to private engineering colleges without worrying about the high tuition fees," said a representative from one of Goa's private engineering institutions. "This move ensures that engineering education remains accessible to a larger portion of Goa's population, particularly those from middle-income groups."