Scholarships in India: who can get what, and where to apply
Most students who qualify for a scholarship never apply. Here are the main government, private, state and study-abroad scholarships, with who can apply and how much they pay.
Three rules that save students every year
- Applying is free. Anyone asking for a fee to "process" a scholarship is a fraud.
- Apply only on the official site. Government portals end in .gov.in or .nic.in. Search the portal name rather than clicking forwarded links.
- Keep these ready: income certificate for the current year, category certificate, an Aadhaar-linked bank account in your name, marksheets, fee receipt and a bonafide certificate from your college.
Government scholarships, all India
Applications for most central schemes run on the National Scholarship Portal from about July to October, with renewals each year. Check the exact dates on scholarships.gov.in.
| Scheme | Who can apply | Amount | Apply on |
|---|---|---|---|
| NMMS (National Means-cum-Merit) | Class 9 in a government or aided school; 55% in Class 8 (50% SC/ST); family income up to ₹3.5 lakh; selected through a state exam in Class 8 | ₹12,000 a year, Class 9 to 12 | scholarships.gov.in |
| CBSE Single Girl Child | Only girl child; 70% in CBSE Class 10; studying Class 11 in a CBSE school; family income up to ₹8 lakh | ₹1,000 a month for Class 11 and 12 | cbse.gov.in |
| PM YASASVI Top Class (schools) | OBC, EBC or DNT; Class 9 or 11 in a listed school; selected through the YASASVI test; family income up to ₹2.5 lakh | ₹75,000 a year (Class 9–10); ₹1.25 lakh a year (Class 11–12) | scholarships.gov.in |
| Central Sector Scheme (CSSS) | Top 20 percentile of your Class 12 board; regular degree course; family income up to ₹4.5 lakh | ₹12,000 a year (UG years 1–3); ₹20,000 a year (PG, and years 4–5 of professional courses) | scholarships.gov.in |
| Post-matric scholarship for SC students | SC; Class 11 to PhD; family income up to ₹2.5 lakh (the ministry has announced a rise to ₹4.5 lakh) | Course fees plus allowances | scholarships.gov.in · state portal |
| Post-matric for ST, OBC and minority students | By category and family income; rules set by each scheme and state | Fees plus allowances; varies by state | scholarships.gov.in · state portal |
| Top Class Education for SC students | SC; full-time UG or PG at a notified top institution; family income up to ₹8 lakh | Up to ₹2 lakh a year | scholarships.gov.in |
| PM YASASVI Top Class (colleges) | OBC, EBC or DNT; UG at a notified top institution | Up to ₹2 lakh a year (more for pilot training) | scholarships.gov.in |
| National Fellowship and Scholarship for ST students | ST; full-time UG, PG or PhD; family income up to ₹6 lakh | Same as CSSS: ₹12,000–20,000 a year | scholarships.gov.in |
| AICTE Pragati (girls) | Girls in the first year of an AICTE-approved diploma or degree (or second year by lateral entry); family income up to ₹8 lakh; two girls per family | ₹50,000 a year | scholarships.gov.in |
| AICTE Saksham (disability) | 40% or more disability; AICTE-approved diploma or degree; family income up to ₹8 lakh | ₹50,000 a year | scholarships.gov.in |
| AICTE Swanath | Orphans, children of armed forces personnel killed in action, of parents with life-threatening illness, or who lost parents to COVID-19; AICTE-approved course; family income up to ₹8 lakh | ₹50,000 a year | scholarships.gov.in |
| INSPIRE-SHE | Top 1% of your Class 12 board, or top 10,000 in JEE Advanced or NEET; studying natural or basic sciences; age 17–22 | ₹80,000 a year (B.Sc and M.Sc) | online-inspire.gov.in |
| Students with disabilities (pre- and post-matric, top class) | 40% or more disability; Class 9 onward; income limit ₹2.5 lakh (₹8 lakh for top class) | ₹13,800 to ₹1.9 lakh a year by level | scholarships.gov.in |
| PM Scholarship for wards of police, CAPF, Assam Rifles and RPF | Children or widows of eligible personnel; professional degree; 60% in the qualifying exam | ₹2,500 a month (boys), ₹3,000 a month (girls) | scholarships.gov.in |
| Ishan Uday (North East) | Domicile of a North Eastern state; UG course; family income up to ₹4.5 lakh | ₹8,000 a month | scholarships.gov.in |
| PM-USP Special Scholarship (J&K and Ladakh) | Domicile of J&K or Ladakh; Class 12 from there; UG outside the two UTs | ₹30,000 (general) to ₹3 lakh (medical) a year | scholarships.gov.in |
| ICAR National Talent Scholarship | Agriculture UG through ICAR's exam, at a university outside your home state | ₹2,000 a month | scholarships.gov.in |
Private and company scholarships
These come from company foundations and trusts. Several take applications through Buddy4Study, their official partner portal; applying there is free.
| Scholarship | Who can apply | Amount | Usual window | Apply on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliance Foundation UG | First-year full-time UG; 60% in Class 12; household income below ₹15 lakh (preference below ₹2.5 lakh); online aptitude test | Up to ₹2 lakh for the whole degree; 5,000 awards | Aug–Oct (2025: 21 Aug – 4 Oct) | scholarships.reliancefoundation.org |
| Reliance Foundation PG | First-year PG in select engineering, technology, energy and life sciences courses; GATE 550+ or CGPA 7.5+ | Up to ₹6 lakh; 100 awards | Aug–Oct | scholarships.reliancefoundation.org |
| HDFC Bank Parivartan ECSS | Class 1 to PG; 55% in the last exam; family income up to ₹2.5 lakh; preference after a family crisis | ₹15,000 (school) to ₹75,000 (professional PG) | Aug–Dec (2026: to 15 Dec) | Buddy4Study |
| Tata Capital Pankh | Class 11–12, UG, diploma or ITI; 60% in the last exam; family income up to ₹4 lakh | Up to ₹10,000–18,000, by marks and level | To 15 Nov (2026) | Buddy4Study |
| Kotak Kanya | Girls; first year of a professional degree (engineering, MBBS, integrated law and others) at an NIRF or NAAC institute; 75% in Class 12; family income below ₹6 lakh | ₹1.5 lakh a year until graduation | Oct–Nov (2025: to 15 Nov) | Buddy4Study |
| Kotak Suraksha | Students with disabilities in graduation; 50% in the last year; family income up to ₹3.2 lakh | Up to ₹1 lakh a year | Varies | Buddy4Study |
| Aditya Birla Capital (girls) | Girls in a 4-year professional UG course at a government college; 60% last year; family income up to ₹6 lakh | ₹45,000 (one year) | Oct–Dec (2025: to 7 Dec) | Buddy4Study |
| Azim Premji Foundation (girls) | Girls who studied Class 10 and 12 in government schools, now in a degree or diploma, in 18 states including UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Odisha, Karnataka and the North East | ₹30,000 a year for the whole course | Sep onward | azimpremjifoundation.org |
| Santoor (Wipro, girls) | Girls from government schools in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka or Chhattisgarh, entering a 3-year-plus degree | ₹24,000 a year (2024-25 figure) | Varies | santoorscholarships.com |
| Sitaram Jindal Foundation | Class 11 to PG; family income up to ₹4 lakh (salaried) or ₹2.5 lakh (others) | Monthly support by course | Open all year | sitaramjindalfoundation.org |
Amounts and dates are from the latest cycle we could confirm; windows move a few weeks each year.
Scholarships for study abroad
Most open 8 to 12 months before the course starts. Compare countries first on study abroad.
| Scholarship | Who it's for | What it covers | Official site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulbright-Nehru Master's | Indian graduates with work experience, for a US master's in fields linked to India's development | Tuition, airfare, living costs and health cover | usief.org.in |
| Chevening | Future leaders with work experience, for a one-year UK master's | Full tuition and living costs | chevening.org |
| Commonwealth Scholarships | Master's and PhD in the UK, nominated through the Ministry of Education | Full funding | cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk |
| Inlaks Shivdasani | Postgraduate study at top UK, US and European universities | Grant of up to US$100,000 | inlaksfoundation.org |
| JN Tata Endowment | Graduates going abroad for a master's or higher study | Loan scholarship of up to ₹10 lakh, low or no interest | jntataendowment.org |
| National Overseas Scholarship | SC, ST and other eligible groups; master's or PhD with an unconditional offer from a QS top-500 university; about 125 awards a year | Tuition, flights and a living allowance | nosmsje.gov.in |
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's | Master's studied across two or more European universities | Tuition waiver and about €1,400 a month | Erasmus+ catalogue |
| DAAD (Germany) | Mainly master's and PhD | Full or partial funding | daad.in |
Your state's scholarships
States pay the largest amounts, mostly fee reimbursement for SC, ST, OBC, minority and low-income students. Each state uses its own portal:
| State | Portal name |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra | MahaDBT |
| Uttar Pradesh | UP Scholarship & Fee Reimbursement portal |
| Bihar | PMS Online (Bihar post-matric) |
| Karnataka | SSP (State Scholarship Portal) |
| Telangana | TG ePASS |
| Andhra Pradesh | Jnanabhumi |
| West Bengal | OASIS · SVMCM (Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means) |
| Rajasthan | SJE / SJMS scholarship portal |
| Gujarat | Digital Gujarat |
| Madhya Pradesh | MP Scholarship Portal 2.0 |
| Odisha | State Scholarship Portal (PRERANA) |
| Punjab | Dr Ambedkar Scholarship Portal |
| Himachal Pradesh | HP ePASS |
| Kerala | DCE Scholarship portal |
| Other states and UTs | Many run their schemes on scholarships.gov.in; others on their own portal |
We list portal names, not links, on purpose: fake look-alike scholarship sites are common. Search the name and open the result that ends in .gov.in or .nic.in.
Not enough? Add a loan the government subsidises
Families earning up to ₹4.5 lakh can get the interest paid during the course. See education loans.
Not sure which ones you qualify for?
Send your class, course, state, category and family income. A person replies within 12 to 15 hours, free.
Sources
- NSP centrally funded scholarships 2026: eligibility and amounts (Buddy4Study)
- Central Sector Scholarship 2025-26: income limit ₹4.5 lakh (Free Press Journal)
- Post-matric scholarship for SC: ₹2.5 lakh limit, planned rise to ₹4.5 lakh (Careers360, Mar 2026)
- CBSE Single Girl Child scholarship 2025-26 (CollegeDekho)
- Reliance Foundation Scholarships 2025-26 (Reliance Foundation)
- Private scholarships in India (Buddy4Study)
- HDFC Parivartan ECSS 2026 (CareerIndia)
- Tata Capital Pankh 2026-27 (Buddy4Study)
- Kotak Kanya and Aditya Birla Capital 2025-26 (Brainware University notice)
- Azim Premji Foundation scholarship for girls (Careers360)
- Study-abroad scholarships 2026 (Career Launcher)