Odisha Refunds Rs. 69.23 Crore College Fees to 1.11 Lakh Students Under Free Education Scheme

Odisha refunds 1.11 lakh students Rs 69.23 crores on college fees

Odisha: To the relief of many students, the Odisha State Government has returned Rs 69.23 crores to 1,11,678 undergraduate students after refunding their college admitance fee for the first phase of the 2026-27 academic year. The refund is part of the state's Gyanodaya- Shiksha Ru Samruddhi scheme (KG to PG Free Education Scheme) launched to give free education to eligible students at selected government and government aided institutes.

This refund has come due as the first phase of admitances were completed before the scheme was launched, so students had already paid their admitance fee. The Higher Education Department therefore began processing refunds. The funds have been deposited directly into students' bank accounts. Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj has recommended that they check their accounts to see if they have received their refund.

Odisha College Fee Refund 2026: Key Details

The refund is for the admission fees paid by students during the first stage of undergraduate admissions. This does not imply that each student will get a separate refund of ₹69.23 crore or that all students who were admitted under the overall scheme have already benefitted.

Why Has Odisha Refunded College Admission Fees?

The Gyanodaya-Shiksha Ru Samruddhi scheme was implemented from the 2026-27 academic year but the undergraduate admissions were done prior to this. Students admitted had already paid the required fees to their colleges and universities.

However, to ensure that eligible students are refunded, the Higher Education Department has started a refund process. The government will directly deposit the refund amount into the eligible students’ bank accounts. The last refund was made to 1,11,678 students. A total of ₹69.23 crore was refunded.

Who Is Eligible For The Gyanodaya-Shiksha Ru Samruddhi Scheme?

The Gyanodaya-Shiksha Ru Samruddhi scheme aims to ease the financial burden on eligible students from kindergarten to postgraduate level. At higher education level, eligible students studying regular undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the following institutes:

State Public Universities in Odisha.

• Government Colleges.
• Government aided private Colleges.

However, it should be noted that the recent refund of ₹69.23 crore is only for the first round of undergraduate admissions. It is important to check what scheme guidelines apply to you and what eligibility criteria apply to your institution.

What Should Students Do If the Odisha Fee Refund Has Not Been Credited?

The first step for students who have not received the refund is to check the bank account information submitted at the time of admission through their Common Application Form (CAF) on the Student Academic Management System (SAMS) portal.

 The Higher Education Department has stated that a special link will be available on SAMS through the student login facility, which will allow students to update their bank details and process the pending refunds. Students must follow the steps mentioned below:

• Visit the official SAMS Odisha website.
• Go to student login.
• Check the bank account information submitted through the Common Application Form.
• Check if the refund has been credited to the account.
• Look for the special bank detail correction link on the student dashboard.
• Once the special bank detail correction link is available, correct the bank details through the link.
• Follow further instructions of the Higher Education Department.

Students are instructed that the special bank detail correction link and other related instructions were yet to be notified. It has also not been notified when the remaining refunds would be processed.

Gyanodaya Shiksha Ru Samruddhi: What Does the Free Education Scheme Offer?

The Gyanodaya – Shiksha Ru Samruddhi Scheme, also known as the ‘KG to PG Free Education’ scheme of Odisha, provides financial assistance to students to cover the fees for various levels of education. It also provides fee reimbursement for eligible regular postgraduate students of select government and government-aided colleges.

Where to Find Odisha College Fee Refund?

Students should look to the Odisha Higher Education Department and SAMS for the official word on reimbursements, bank detail corrections and scheme implementation. Official Websites:

• SAMS Odisha - Student Academic Management System
• Odisha Higher Education Department

The government has released ₹69.23 crore to 1.11 lakh students. The rest of the students waiting for the reimbursement are probably unable to complete the process due to the lack of accurate bank information.

FAQs

Q1. How much money has Odisha refunded through the Gyanodaya scheme?

The Odisha government has refunded ₹69.23 crore in college admission fees for the 2026-27 academic year for 1,11,678 students.

Q2. What is the name of the scheme for college fee refund in Odisha?

The refund is being given under the Gyanodaya-Shiksha Ru Samruddhi scheme or the KG to PG Free Education Scheme.

Q3. How many students got college fee refund by Odisha in 2026?

1,11,678 students have been given the college fee refund for this academic year.

Q4. What is the reason behind college admission fee refund in Odisha?

The free education scheme was launched after the first phase of undergraduate admissions. As the scheme was launched after students already paid college admission fees, the Higher Education Department started refunding the fees to eligible students.

Q5. Who are the beneficiaries of the Gyanodaya-Shiksha Ru Samruddhi scheme?

The scheme offers free undergraduate and postgraduate education to eligible students of government and government aided educational institutions of Odisha. Students need to go to the SAMS Odisha website and check their bank account information submitted through their Common Application Form, to see if the refund has been credited to their account.

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