Tamil Nadu increases hostel food allowance for school and college students

The Tamil Nadu Department of Social Justice has announced an increase in the monthly food allowance for students residing in its school, residential school, and college hostels across the state. This revision is effective from October 2026 and will continue until March 2027, with the government allocating ₹29.41 crore for its implementation during this period.

The move is intended to enhance the nutritional intake and improve student retention rates in government-run hostels and residential schools. The increase specifically applies to students staying in Social Justice hostels, aiming to ensure their access to nutritious and high-quality food.

Revised Monthly Food Allowances

Under the new provisions, the monthly food allowance for school hostel students has been raised by ₹400, while college hostel students will receive an additional ₹500 per month. The Department of Social Justice issued a government order to formalise these changes.

The revised allowances are detailed below:

Implementation and Related Schemes

While the increase is effective from October 2026, a member of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Association noted a lack of clarity regarding the exact implementation date for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare hostels. The circular from the department, according to the member, does not specify when these hostels will begin implementing the new allowance or the date students will receive the revised amount.

This initiative follows other welfare measures by the state government, including the ‘Tamil Pudhalvan’ scheme. Launched by Chief Minister Thiru M.K. Stalin in Coimbatore on 09 August 2024, the ‘Tamil Pudhalvan’ scheme provides a monthly assistance of ₹1,000 to 3.28 lakh eligible boy students pursuing higher studies. This scheme, for which ₹360 crores were allocated in the current financial year, aims to promote higher education among boys from economically weaker families and address low enrolment ratios from government and government-aided schools. Boy students who studied from 6th to 12th standard in government and government-aided schools in Tamil medium are eligible, even if they are availing other scholarships. The scheme is implemented through the online portal ‘UMIS’.

Ad-Hoc Bonus for Government Employees

In a separate development, the Finance (Allowances) Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, sanctioned Ad-hoc Bonus and Special Ad-hoc Bonus for the Accounting Year 2024-2025 through G.O.Ms.No.01, Dated: 01 January 2026. An Ad-hoc Bonus equivalent to 30 days emoluments, with a ceiling of ₹3,000, was sanctioned for ‘C’ and ‘D’ Group regular and temporary Government employees, employees of Local Bodies, and Aided Educational Institutions, including teachers. A Special Ad-hoc Bonus of ₹1,000 was sanctioned for full-time and part-time employees paid from contingencies or on a special time scale of pay for the same accounting year. Eligibility for the full Ad-hoc Bonus requires employees to be in service on 31 March 2025 and to have rendered a full year of service from 01 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Proportionate amounts are applicable for those with six months or more service but less than a year during 2024-2025.

Further reading

• NEET PG counselling: deemed university fees up to 1,471% in Tamil Nadu
• NMMS Tamil Nadu 2026-27 applications open: apply by November 3
• NMMS question papers 2026 available for download, including Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
• PGD in information technology colleges in Tamil Nadu 2026: courses, fees, admissions
• PGDCA Tamil Nadu 2026: Apply by October 20

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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