Unlocking Potential: A Study on Utilization of Post-matric Scholarships by Undergraduate Students

The present research investigates the spending behavior of undergraduate students who benefit from the Post-Matric Scholarship program at two esteemed institutions in Hisar, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University and Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology. A random sampling technique was employed to select 240 students, and data collection was carried out through a structured interview schedule to ensure accuracy and reliability. Analysis of the responses reveals that scholarship funds are utilized in three broad domains: personal expenses, academic-related costs, and financial contributions toward family needs. In the domain of personal use, a significant portion of students allocated their scholarships to mobile recharges, ranking highest in priority (Garrett score: 17027), followed by clothing purchases (Score: 16439). For academic purposes, buying educational supplies and stationery was the top expenditure (Score: 16645), with college fee payments securing the second rank (Score: 16158). In family-related spending, medical needs emerged as the most important use (Score: 15316), followed closely by furniture acquisitions (Score: 14523). These findings highlight how scholarships function as a holistic financial resource, helping students address both educational necessities and household obligations. Not only do they enable learners to engage more fully with academic life, by easing expenses for materials, tuition, and digital access, but they also support personal well-being and family stability. Many students act as contributors to their households, using scholarship funds to offset costs in healthcare, utilities, and sibling education, underscoring the scholarships' role in reducing intergenerational financial stress. By documenting these multifaceted usage patterns, the study emphasizes the importance of maintaining and expanding scholarship initiatives to meet the layered realities of economically disadvantaged students in higher education.