National Scholarship Portal (NSP) 2026

Direct answer. NSP is the single national portal for 100+ central + state government scholarships. Pre-matric, post-matric, merit-cum-means, top-class, minority, disability, single-girl-child, defence — all in one login. Apply at https://scholarships.gov.in. Aadhaar + bank required. ₹0 application fee. Annual cycle Sept–Nov; DBT credit Jan–March.

• Single portal: https://scholarships.gov.in
• Login with Aadhaar / Mobile + OTP.
• Annual cycle: applications Sept–Nov, DBT Jan–March.
• Multiple compatible scholarships in one application form.
• Helpline: 0120-6619540 (NSP) / scholarships-helpdesk@gov.in.
• Stuck? 🪄 RTI in 60 sec.

NSP launched 2015 by Department of Higher Education, MoE. Replaced multiple disjoint scheme-specific portals. Currently lists 100+ scholarships from 15+ central ministries + every state.

• Pre-matric SC (Ministry of Social Justice) — for SC students Class 1–10.
• Pre-matric ST (Ministry of Tribal Affairs).
• Pre-matric OBC (Ministry of Social Justice).
• Pre-matric Minority (Ministry of Minority Affairs) — Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi.
• Pre-matric Disabilities (DEPwD).
• Most pay ₹150–550/month (state schools rate, hostel rate higher).

• Post-matric SC/ST/OBC/EBC/Minority/PwD — for Class 11 onwards.
• Maintenance allowance + course fee + tuition fee.
• Sample: Post-matric SC pays ₹230/month (day scholar) to ₹820/month (hostel) + course fees.

• Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College Students — top 20 percentile in Class 12, ₹10,000–20,000/year.
• National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMSS) — Class 9 onwards, ₹12,000/year.
• Top Class Education — for SC/ST/OBC in central institutes (IITs, IIMs, NITs).

• National Fellowship for SC/ST/OBC (UGC-administered) — for MPhil/PhD.
• Maulana Azad National Fellowship — minorities, MPhil/PhD.
• PM Special Scholarship Scheme — J&K + Ladakh students.
• National Overseas Scholarship — for SC/ST/De-notified Tribes for studies abroad.
• Ishan Uday — North-East students for graduation.

• CBSE Merit Scholarship for Single Girl Child — Class 11–12.
• State schemes: Bhagya Lakshmi (Karnataka), Ladli Lakshmi (MP), Sukanya Yojana (UP), etc.

• PM's Scholarship Scheme for Wards of Armed Forces / CAPF / Police personnel.

• Indian citizen.
• Student in recognised institution (Class 1+, school / college / university).
• Aadhaar + bank account in student's name.
• Income certificate within scheme cap (varies — typically ₹2.5 lakh for SC/ST pre-matric, ₹4.5 lakh for merit-cum-means, up to ₹8 lakh for some).
• Caste / Disability / Minority / Domicile certificate as applicable.

1. Aadhaar card (mobile-linked)
2. Bank passbook (Aadhaar-seeded, student's name)
3. Income certificate from Tehsildar/SDM (only valid issuer)
4. Caste / Disability / Minority / Domicile certificates as applicable
5. Mark sheets of last qualifying exam
6. Bonafide certificate from current institution (with Principal seal)
7. Photograph + signature scan
8. Tuition / course fee receipt (post-matric)

1. Visit https://scholarships.gov.in.
2. First-time: “Register” → Aadhaar + mobile OTP → set password.
3. Returning: “Login” with credentials.
4. “Fresh Application” — pick academic year.
5. Fill: personal details, course details, family income, caste, address.
6. Upload documents (each < 200 KB, PDF/JPG).
7. Choose scholarships to apply for (system auto-matches eligibility).
8. Submit → receive Application ID (save).
9. Institution verifies in 15 days.
10. District / State verifies in 30 days.
11. DBT credit in Jan–March of academic year.

• Late application — annual deadline is hard. Set calendar alert mid-October.
• Income certificate from Patwari (not valid) — use Tehsildar/SDM-issued only.
• Bonafide certificate missing — for college students, principal-attested bonafide is critical.
• Aadhaar–bank name mismatch — single character difference rejects DBT.
• Multiple bank accounts — keep one Aadhaar-seeded account for DBT.
• Skipping institution verification follow-up — Principal/Office must verify; nudge them in writing.
• State scholarship claimed twice — sometimes both NSP central + state portal flag duplicate.

• DBT only since 2024 — no cheques. Aadhaar-seeded bank mandatory.
• State Scholarship Portals — Maharashtra (MahaDBT), Karnataka (SSP), Tamil Nadu (Tnsmm) now process state scholarships separately. Apply on both NSP + state portal for full coverage.
• PFMS integration — direct fund release via PFMS to bank.
• Renewal must be done annually by 31 October — auto-renewal not available.

Yes — most are stackable as long as eligibility doesn't conflict. NSP shows compatibility automatically. State + central scholarships often double up.

Depends on scheme:

• Pre-matric SC/ST: usually ₹2.5–3 lakh cap
• Post-matric SC/ST: ₹2.5–3 lakh
• OBC: ₹1 lakh (very low cap)
• Merit-cum-means: ₹4.5 lakh
• EWS scholarships: ₹8 lakh

Use NSP eligibility checker.

Jan–March of the academic year, after institution + district + state verifications. If delayed past May → file RTI for sanction status.

No — scholarships are grants. Only education loans are repayable.

Renewal blocked if you change institution/course mid-year without prior approval. Apply for transfer approval at the previous institution before moving.

File First Appeal under §19(1) RTI to State Welfare Department within 30 days. Or correct the issue (income certificate, bonafide etc.) and reapply next year.

Yes — National Fellowship for SC/ST (UGC), Maulana Azad National Fellowship (minorities), Inspire Fellowship (science). Most have age limit 30 / 35.

Yes — private colleges affiliated with recognised universities are eligible. Private deemed universities also OK. Unrecognised private institutes blocked.

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• National Scholarship Portal
• Ministry of Social Justice
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs
• Ministry of Minority Affairs
• Ministry of Education
• Helpline: 0120-6619540

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Last reviewed: 3 May 2026.