A recent change in the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) policy has created uncertainty for hundreds of Maharashtra students planning to pursue higher education in the United Kingdom under state government scholarship schemes. The revised rules no longer recognise scholarships funded by the Maharashtra government as official financial sponsorship for UK student visas, raising concerns over visa approvals and university admission deadlines.

The clarification, issued by UKVI on April 17, states that only financial sponsorship provided by a national or federal government, recognised universities, certain international organisations and approved multinational companies qualifies as official sponsorship for student visa applications. Funding from regional or state governments, local authorities, devolved administrations and state-owned bodies no longer meets the UK’s sponsorship criteria.

As a result, students relying solely on Maharashtra government scholarships could face visa refusals if they are unable to independently satisfy the UK’s financial requirements.

The policy change affects beneficiaries of several overseas scholarship programmes administered by the Maharashtra government, including schemes for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), minority communities, open category students, and scholarships managed by the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE).

Students say the revised rules come at a critical time, as universities across the UK are issuing admission offers for the upcoming academic session. Any delay in obtaining visas could result in students losing their university seats despite securing scholarships based on merit.

Another major concern is the widening gap between the financial support provided under Maharashtra’s scholarship schemes and the UK’s minimum maintenance requirement. The state currently provides an annual maintenance allowance of approximately £9,900 for students studying in the UK. However, UK immigration rules require students studying in London to demonstrate access to £1,529 per month, amounting to £13,761 for a nine-month academic period.

Students have also sought revisions to maintenance allowances for those pursuing higher education in countries such as the United States and Australia, citing rising global living costs.

To address the issue, scholarship recipients have urged the Maharashtra government to coordinate with the Union Ministry of External Affairs or the Ministry of Education so that scholarship funding can be routed or endorsed through the Central government, making it compliant with UKVI sponsorship rules.

They have also recommended introducing a single-window scholarship system to ensure that verification, approval and fund disbursal are completed by May or June, allowing sufficient time for visa processing before university deadlines.

The concerns have been formally submitted to the Maharashtra government by The Platform, a Nagpur-based socio-legal organisation, through representations to the Chief Minister’s Office and departments administering overseas scholarship schemes.

Rajiv Khobragade, a member of The Platform, described the issue as an administrative challenge requiring urgent intervention. He warned that unless a timely solution is found, deserving students could lose valuable international education opportunities, while Maharashtra’s reputation as a supporter of global higher education may also be adversely affected.