Documents required for NSP scholarship application (2026)

• Aadhaar — Identity + DBT routing
• Income certificate — Family income proof; from Tehsildar (typical limit Rs. 2.5L for PMS-SC/ST)
• Caste certificate — For SC/ST/OBC/Minority schemes
• Bank passbook + cancelled cheque — Aadhaar-linked account preferred
• Class 10 mark sheet — For post-matric (proves you're past matric)
• Previous-year mark sheet — For renewal applications + merit-cum-means
• Institute Bonafide certificate — On college letterhead with student ID, fee details
• Institute fee receipts — For reimbursement-based schemes
• Domicile certificate — For state-specific schemes
• Photograph — Recent, white background

• Disability certificate — For PwD scholarships
• Marriage certificate — For married women applying
• Father's death certificate — For widow-of-deceased schemes
• Bank statement (last 6 months) — Some schemes require
• Affidavit of family income (if no ITR) — For self-employed families

• Aadhaar-bank linkage is mandatory — DBT fails without it.
• Income certificate must be from Tehsildar/SDM (not employer); validity typically 1 year.
• Renewal is auto-recommended for continuing students if last year's scholarship was credited — login + click renewal.
• State top-ups layer on central NSP — check state portal (e.g., MahaDBT, e-Pass Karnataka, Tamil Nadu e-District).
• Multiple scholarships — generally barred; only one per student per year for same purpose.
• Scheme deadlines — strict, typically October-November each year. Late application not accepted.

Online at scholarships.gov.in (NSP). State scholarships via state portals.

→ Official source: https://scholarships.gov.in/fresh/usercategorySelectionForm

If your application is verified by institute but stuck at district/state, file RTI to State Welfare Department under §6 for processing officer + verification chain status + projected disbursement.

→ Use our 🪄 AI RTI Drafter to generate a free §6(1) application asking for the rejection reason in 60 seconds.

• Q: Can I apply for multiple scholarships? — Generally no — one scholarship per student per year. Some institute-specific allow combination with central.
• Q: Do I need Aadhaar-linked bank? — Yes — DBT routing requires Aadhaar-bank linkage.
• Q: What if my college isn't registered on NSP? — College must register on NSP first. Escalate to State Welfare Dept + UGC/AICTE.
• Q: Income certificate — annual? — Yes — typically 1-year validity. Renew before next application cycle.
• Q: What if scholarship hasn't come in months? — Check status at scholarships.gov.in → if stuck at “District/State Verified”, file RTI to State Welfare Dept.

1. Gather mandatory documents above before applying — saves a re-visit
2. Apply via official portal (link above) — no agent needed
3. Track status: see our status-check guides
4. If rejected for “documents inadequate”: request specific deficiency under §4(1)(d) RTI Act
5. For state-specific guidance: see state portals directory

• 🪄 AI RTI Drafter — type problem, get §6 application
• 🎤 AwaazRTI — voice-to-RTI in 11 Indian languages
• 🔮 Outcome Predictor — score draft win-likelihood
• ⚖️ First Appeal Generator — §19(1) draft on Day 31
• 📅 Timeline Calculator — track 30-day window

• Track status: How to check scholarship status
• State-by-state: Scholarship across all 36 states
• If rejected, file RTI: Full RTI guide
• Citizen RTI playbook: All 100+ scenarios
• All documents checklists: All 30 checklists

• Statutory references: as cited in Specifications above
• Official portal: linked in “Where to apply” above
• RTI Act 2005 §§4, 6, 7, 19

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.