If you are a resident of Tamil Nadu then you may have heard about First Graduate Certificate. It is quite a beneficial scheme for students who want to pursue their higher education but are not able to do so because of financial issues. The Tamil Nadu Government provides a first graduate certificate to such students who are from economically weak sections of society so that they can get higher education at concessional fees. This scheme is implemented by the Government to motivate and encourage students who belong to families with no degree holders so that they can pursue higher education and make their careers.
Continue reading the article to know whether you are eligible for the first graduate certificate or not. In this guide, we will tell you how you can apply for it to receive timely financial aid for your higher education. We have shared a detailed step-by-step guide for applying along with other information that you might find helpful.
What is the First Graduate Certificate?
A first graduate certificate or No graduate certificate is a certificate that is provided to students who want to pursue higher education. With this certificate, students can get their first graduate fee concession or scholarship for their higher education. Students are eligible for first graduate certificates only when there are no graduates in their family such as siblings who didn’t get the first graduate scholarship or fee concession. The First Graduate Certificate is granted by Tahsildar under the Tamil Nadu State Government.
The First Graduate certificate is specially provided to educate children who belong to uneducated families so that the children and their families can have a guaranteed bright future. Furthermore, the certificate is also provided to underprivileged students who could not apply for higher education due to low financial status.
Eligibility to Get First Graduate Certificate
The Tamil Nadu Government issues the certificate to those candidates who fulfill the following eligibility criteria to obtain their first graduate certificate:
- The primary thing is that the applicant should be a resident of Tamil Nadu.
- His or her other family members including siblings should not graduate.
- Siblings should not have received this First Graduate Certificate.
Documents Needed While Applying for the First Graduate Certificate
If you want to apply for the First Graduate Certificate then you must have the necessary documents to register for this certificate. The following are the documents that you will need while applying for the First Graduate Certificate:
- Aadhar card
- Ration book
- PAN number
- Driving Permit
- Electoral Photo ID Card Passport
- The applicant’s school transfer certificate (TC).
- Father and mother’s self-declaration form.
- Father and mother’s school transfer certificates.
- The applicant’s recent academic credentials.
Amount of the First Graduate Scholarship
The candidates who have applied for First Graduate Certificate and then got their certificate will receive a good amount of money. Candidates will receive the scholarship amount as mentioned below:
- Day-scholar candidates will get ₹25,000per year
- Hosteller will also get ₹25,000 per year
What are the benefits of the First Graduate Certificate?
The main benefit of the first graduate certificate is that it offers candidates who are at higher education institutions significant fee concessions and scholarships in Tamil Nadu. This scholarship is for both students who are studying non. governmental and privately run colleges and universities. If you want to take advantage of this scheme, you just need to register for it and obtain the certificate while you apply for college admission.
Step-By-Step Process to Apply For The First Graduate Certificate
Follow the steps described below to apply for the first graduate certificate online:
- Firstly, visit the official website of the e-Sevai department of the Tamil Nadu Government which is www.tnesevai.tn.gov.in.
- After that, use your login credentials to enter the site, and make sure to choose ‘citizen login’ to access the site.
- In case you are a new user, then you can create an account on the portal by providing a few basic details. These details include your full name, district, taluk, mobile number, email id, and aadhaar number and then create your desired user id and password.
- At last, enter the captcha code to complete your registration process at the site.
Once you log in to the web portal by entering your user id and password, the site will load your personal dashboard. After that you need to follow the steps to apply for the first graduate certificate:
- On the website, click on the ‘services’ tab which is present on the left side of the dashboard.
- You will see the list of the services of different departments in alphabetical order. From there, choose ‘revenue department.’ Alternatively, you can also search for a specific service by typing the title directly in the search bar present at the top of the page.
- After that, choose the service ‘REV-104 first graduate certificate’ and click on the ‘proceed’ option to continue.
- One thing that you need to remember is that students must have a unique Citizen Access Number (CAN number) to apply for the first graduate certificate. So in case you do not have the CAN number, then you need to register for it before applying for the first graduate certificate.
Now, to fill out the form, follow the steps mentioned below:
- You can access your form by filling in details such as:
CAN (Citizen Access Number)
Name
Father’s name
Mobile number
Email id
Date of birth
- Then in the search results, choose the corresponding option button against your application number and click on proceed option.
- Mention if any other person in your family is also pursuing graduation. However, remember that you are eligible for the first graduate certificate only when no other member of your family has completed a graduate degree.
- The form will pre-fill your personal details like your name, current address and contact details as these are non-editable. And then click on ‘next’ to move further.
- There, fill in the details of your family members like their educational qualifications, whether they are alive, and their age, and specify your relation to them.
- After that, enter your education details and click ‘proceed’ to go to the next page.
- There, you need to upload the supporting documents. These documents will include a photo of the applicant, address proof, school transfer certificate, mother’s transfer certificate, father’s transfer certificate, and self-declaration of the applicant as well.
- The last step is to pay the fee of ₹60 for the application to complete the process.
- Once you finish the payment, make sure to download the digital receipt that you may need in the future for reference.
These are the step-by-step detailed process of applying for the First Graduate Certificate.
How can you apply for the CAN for the First Graduate Certificate?
In case, you do not have a CAN number, then follow the steps to register and apply for obtaining the CAN number:
- Firstly, follow the steps listed in the above section till you reach step REV-104 of the first graduate certificate page.
- There you will see the CAN registration form at the top of the page.
- In the form, provide all the necessary details in the proper format.
- Then verify your identity by entering the OTP sent to your mobile number.
- At last Click on the ‘register’ button to submit the form.
Once you successfully register for your CAN, the site will show your CAN number. You can note it down somewhere or screenshot the page as you will need to use it to download the first graduate certificate.
How can you check the status of your First Graduate Certificate online?
After uploading the required documents and submitting your application, you can check the status of your first graduate certificate by logging into the official website of the revenue department. Here are the steps to check the status of the first graduate certificate application:
- Firstly, log in to the TN e-Sevai web portal by using your login id and password that you have created.
- Then click on the ‘check status’ option which is present under the service tab in your dashboard.
- From there you can check the current status of your first graduate certificate application using this service.
How can you download the First Graduate Certificate Online?
When the VAO and tahsildar approve your application and digitally sign the certificate, then you can download it using the same web portal that you used for registration. The following are the steps to download the first graduate certificate online easily:
- Firstly, log in to the official web portal and click on the ‘check status’ option.
- There, enter your application number and click on the ‘search’ option.
- When you find your application and your certificate is ready then you can download it just by clicking on the ‘download certificate’ option and that’s how you will get your First Graduate Certificate.
The final words
The Tamil Nadu Government issues the first graduate certificate which is also known as the no graduate certificate to students who are from families with no earlier graduates so that their children can pursue higher education and make their careers. Candidates or students who obtain this certificate receive concessions for their higher education fees and are also eligible for scholarships at colleges and universities that are in Tamil Nadu. If you are a resident of Tamil Nadu and you fulfill the eligibility criteria as mentioned above then you must apply for First Graduate Certificate with which you can pursue higher education and make your dreams come true. We hope that you found this guide helpful and informative and now you can also easily apply for your First Graduate Certificate.
FAQs
1. What is the cost you have to pay to apply for your first graduate certificate?
Ans. The application fee for the first graduate certificate is ₹60 and you can pay it using any mode including UPI, net banking, debit or credit cards while filling out the online form. Moreover, there are no other charges and once you pay the application fee, you can download the certificate as many times as you want without paying any additional charges.
2. What is the validity of the first graduate certificate?
Ans. The certificate is valid for a maximum period of three years from the date of issue. So you should apply for the certificate once you complete high school. You can submit it at the time of your college admission to get the benefit of the concession fees and other eligible scholarships for first graduates.
3. Is the candidate required to visit the tahsildar office to get their first graduate certificate?
Ans. No, it is not mandatory to visit the tahsildar office to get your First Graduate Certificate as you can simply download it online. The Tamil Nadu Government enables a convenient and easy-to-use portal through which you can get the certificate online. The whole process of obtaining a First Graduate Certificate from the application to certificate download is available online.