Government schemes for students in India — scholarships, loans, exam aids (2026)

Indian students. Income ceiling Rs 2L (OBC) / Rs 2.5L (SC/ST) / Rs 8L (EWS, Top Class) for most. Marks ≥ 50% (general) / 60% (Top Class).

80+ scholarships unified portal. Pre-Matric, Post-Matric, Top Class. Apply Aug-Oct annually. DBT to Aadhaar-linked bank.

• Where to apply: NSP scholarships.gov.in
• Official portal: https://scholarships.gov.in

Single portal for 38+ banks' education loans. 4-12% interest. Up to Rs 10L unsecured / Rs 1Cr+ secured. Apply once, multiple offers.

• Where to apply: Vidya Lakshmi portal
• Official portal: https://www.vidyalakshmi.co.in

Free coaching for civil services, JEE, NEET, banking. 100% govt-funded. Apply at empanelled centres.

• Where to apply: Ministry of Social Justice
• Official portal: https://socialjustice.gov.in/schemes

2,000+ courses from IITs/IIMs/Universities. Free + credits via SWAYAM platform. Class 9 to PhD.

• Where to apply: SWAYAM portal
• Official portal: https://swayam.gov.in

NCERT-aligned content for school students. Hindi + 10+ regional languages. Free. App + web.

• Where to apply: DIKSHA portal
• Official portal: https://diksha.gov.in

For SC/ST/PwD students. Up to Rs 80L for masters/PhD abroad. ~125 selections/year.

• Where to apply: Ministry of Social Justice
• Official portal: https://socialjustice.gov.in/scheme/52

Pre-matric + post-matric for OBC, EBC, DNT students in Class 9+ at top institutions. Income < Rs 2.5L.

• Where to apply: NSP / scholarships.gov.in
• Official portal: https://yet.nta.ac.in

Rs 30,000/year for girl students in technical education. Family income < Rs 8L. 5,000 selections/year.

• Where to apply: AICTE portal
• Official portal: https://www.aicte-pragati-saksham-gov.in

Rs 80,000/year for science stream students (B.Sc/Int M.Sc). Top 1% in 12th. 10,000 selections/year.

• Where to apply: Inspire portal
• Official portal: https://www.online-inspire.gov.in

Class 8 to 12. Rs 12,000/year. State exam cleared. Income < Rs 3.5L. State-administered.

• Where to apply: State Education Dept
• Official portal: https://scholarships.gov.in

Free coaching + online + offline for girls preparing JEE. SC/ST/Minority/EWS. CBSE-administered.

• Where to apply: CBSE Udaan portal
• Official portal: https://cbseacademic.nic.in/udaan.html

Digital education loan certificate via DigiLocker. Single-window education loan EAS-based.

• Where to apply: DigiLocker
• Official portal: https://digilocker.gov.in

NSP for scholarships, Vidya Lakshmi for loans, sector-specific portals (Inspire, AICTE, SWAYAM) for niche. Common docs: Aadhaar, caste/income/disability cert, marksheet, fee receipt, bank account.

• Student helpline 0120-6619540 (NSP) — 9 AM-9 PM
• Education Ministry CPGRAMS — pgportal.gov.in
• State Education Dept helpdesks — vary by state

• Multiple scholarships claimed — NSP auto-blocks duplicates; only one scheme per year DBT.
• Caste/income cert expired — must be current FY. Re-apply at Tehsildar.
• Bank Aadhaar de-linked — DBT bounces. Visit bank for NPCI mapper.
• IV verifier didn't act — escalate to Principal + DNO. Most “rejections” are IV pending.

Most “delays” or “rejections” clear within 7-15 days of an RTI being filed. Use this 5-question template:

1. Status of my application no. _____ dated _____ as on date.
2. Name + designation of dealing officer assigned to my file.
3. Reasons for delay beyond the statutory timeline.
4. Copy of any noting / movement of my file in the past 30 days.
5. Likely date of disbursement / decision.

Auto-fill the PIO + your case: Open the RTI Drafter →

Yes — NSP allows registration for both. Disbursal under one scheme per year (whichever higher).

Up to Rs 7.5L: no collateral. Above: collateral or co-borrower (parent). PSU banks more flexible than private.

Yes — B.Sc / Integrated M.Sc. Engineering / medicine excluded.

Most universities accept SWAYAM credits up to 20% of degree. Check with your university.

File RTI to Institution + DNO + State Nodal. Use our scholarship RTI generator.

• 25 how-to-apply guides
• 15 rejection-recovery guides
• 30 documents-required checklists
• Full RTI Playbook — 100+ scenarios

• Each scheme's official portal (linked above).
• Ministry budget documents + scheme operational guidelines.
• Citizen feedback via AwaazRTI (composite, identifying details removed).

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.