IIT Scholarships: Financial aid options for IIT Bombay Students

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay offers multiple scholarships to support students with academic merit and financial need. Two of its key initiatives are the Merit-cum-Means (MCM) Scholarship and the Free Messing facility for SC/ST students, designed to ensure that financial constraints do not hinder access to quality education.

Students must note that once they avail any of the Institute’s scholarships, they cannot accept financial aid from other government, semi-government, or private sources. Any such scholarship received or applied for must be declared at the time of application.

Merit-cum-Means (MCM) Scholarship

The MCM Scholarship benefits around 25 per cent of the sanctioned undergraduate intake, supporting students who demonstrate both strong academic performance and financial need. Eligibility requires a parental income below a prescribed threshold and satisfactory academic standing — typically a minimum SPI/CPI of 6.0 with no backlogs.

Under the scheme:

Students from families earning up to Rs 1 lakh per year receive a full tuition fee waiver and a Rs 40,000 annual scholarship. Women students also get an additional Rs 10,000 Women Merit Scholarship.

Those with annual family income between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh receive a tuition fee waiver and Rs 30,000 per year, with women students again eligible for the Rs 10,000 merit scholarship.

Students from families earning between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh receive a tuition fee waiver and Rs 20,000 per year, plus the additional Rs 10,000 Women Merit Scholarship.

In special cases, the Scholarship Committee reviews individual applications to decide on continued eligibility.

Free Messing Facility for SC/ST Students

Under this scheme, IIT Bombay provides free messing benefits to undergraduate students from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories. Eligible students are exempted from basic mess charges and receive tuition fee waivers, hostel rent exemptions, and a monthly pocket allowance of Rs 500.

This facility applies to students enrolled in BTech, BS, BDes, and Dual Degree (BTech + MTech) programmes. For dual degree students, the free messing benefit typically extends for the first four years.

IIT Bombay’s scholarship structure thus ensures inclusive access to education, encouraging academic excellence while supporting students from diverse economic and social backgrounds.