Scholarships in India 2023-24

Scholarships in India are accessible to students at different levels of education and are provided by the Indian government, educational institutions, and private organizations. These scholarships are provided to poor students and high-ranking students. It helps them with the institute fees and other expenses. The Indian government or non-profit organization has specially taken this enterprise to motivate and financially support students at various levels of education in the central. So, if you are on the hunt for the scholarships available in India and want to apply to those whose criteria you meet, you are at the right place. Let’s explore them.

Scholarships in India

Scholarships in India: Types, Eligibility Criteria, Link, and Application Status.

Private Organisation-led scholarships:

Types Of Scholarship	Eligibility Criteria	Application Status	Benefits
SOF Scholarship of Excellence in English (S.E.E)	Applicant should be an Indian citizen Applicant must be pursuing his or her schooling in Indian schools Applicants should be starting from class 1st to 10th Applicant must have secured 90% or more marks in English subject and 85% overall in previous year examination	July to December	INR 5000 –
L&T Build India Scholarship	Students have to be in the final year BE/BTech degree from core Civil Engineering & core Electrical (EEE alone) Engineering	Closed	A monthly stipend of INR 13,400 –
Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarship Programme	Class 12th passed students who have secured a rank in the CBSE/State Board merit list Must be enrolled in a degree/diploma course at a recognized University/Institution/College The age of the candidates should be below 20 years as of 30 April of the year of application The annual income of the family should be less than INR 4.50 Lakh Also open for specially-abled students with no income criteria	Mostly between May and August	Amount vary as per courses
Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship	The scheme applies to Indian nationals working in India in various capacities of engineering profession in publicly funded institutions. The applicant should have adequate professional qualifications and hold at least a bachelor’s degree. This applicant should have a minimum of five (5) years of service left in the parent organizations on the date of the award. The applicant should not be holding any other fellowship and in the event of selection, he/she will have to opt for only one of the fellowships.	Throughout the year	Rs. 25,000 per month
HDFC Educational Crisis Scholarship	The candidate should be a resident of India. For school students- He/she should be studying in a recognized private and/or Govt. aided th th school between 6 to 12 Standards. For college/university students- He/she should be studying in an AITCE/UGC recognized private/Government/Government college/university pursuing full-time/part-time degree/diploma/vocational training courses. The annual family income from all sources should not exceed Rs. 3, 00,000/- (Rupees three lakhs only) Only one application per family will be considered for the scholarship.	May to August	Upto a maximum of Rs.10, 000/- will be awarded to the selected school students Upto maximum of Rs.25, 000/- to the selected college/university students
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Sashakt Scholarship	Class 12th passed girls who opt to study B.Tech., M.B.B.S., and natural/ pure sciences in B.Sc.	July to August	Vary
Santoor Women’s Scholarship	Passed class 10 from a local government school. Passed class 12 from a government school/junior college in the academic year 2022-23. Enrolled in a full-time graduate program beginning from 2023-24.	Closed	Rs. 24,000 per annum will be awarded
Schindler Igniting Minds Scholarship	A student pursuing any 4-year full time B.E. / B.Tech. from the following mentioned colleges: College Of Engineering Pune (COEP) Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) Cummins College of Engineering for Women, Pune Family income should be less than 300000.00	Jan 17, 2024	Rs 20,000/-

Documents Required for the Scholarship

All scholarships are different and so do their providers. Hence the document required for each scholarship will be different. However, some common documents are asked while applying for any type of scholarship and they are mentioned below.

• Admission related documents
• Admission Proof (With name of institution, admission year and batch)
• Copy of Fee Receipt
• Academic record documents
• Copy of Graduation mark sheet/passing certificate
• Income Proof (any one)
• Income Certificate issued by a relevant government authority (Tehsildar or Magistrate)
• Other Documents (If applicable)
• Disability certificate (if required)
• Sanctioned loan letter
• Death certificate, if there is a death of the sole earning member of the immediate family
• Document any other scholarships received
• One recent passport-size photograph
• Photocopy of applicant’s passbook (other than Gramin Bank)
• Photocopy of Aadhaar Card
• Photocopy of class 10 certificate
• Photocopy of class 12 certificate
• Scanned signature

How can you apply?

To submit your application for any scholarship, you need to follow the following steps. However, these steps are not rigid, some portals have an additional process which you need to follow, and can find them on their portal itself.

Step 1: Visit the online scholarship portal and register.

Step 2: Login and fill in the application form with the required details.

Step 3: Attach the necessary documentation.

Step 4: Submit the application.

Government-led Scholarships-Funded by Central Government:

Types Of Scholarship	Eligibility Criteria	Benefits	Application Status
National Means Cum Merit Scholarship	Applicant parental income from all sources should not be more than Rs. 3,50,000/- per annum  Must have a minimum of 55 % marks or equivalent grade in Class 7th examination (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students) Candidate studying as a regular student in a Government, Government-aided, and local body school Students of NVS, KVS, and residential schools are not entitled to the scholarship	Amount of scholarship is ₹ 12000/- per annum ₹1000 per month	Open till 31-01-2024
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for For the Wards of Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles	Wards/widows of deceased C II) CAPFs & AR personnel died in harness/election duty, wards of personnel disabled due to causes attributable to Government service, and Wards of ExCAPFs & AR personnel in receipt of Gallantry Awards. Wards/widows of retired and serving CAPFs & AR Personnel. Having minimum 60% marks in 10+2/Diploma/Graduation or equivalent in case of a new applicant.	Rs. 3000 per month for girls. Rs. 2500/- per month for boys	TBA
NEC Merit Scholarship Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region	Permanent resident of any of the North Eastern States. Candidates must not receive any other scholarship/financial assistance from any other source. Students who get admission in Diploma, Degree, Post-graduate or registration in M.Phil. / Ph.D. courses of any institute recognized by the Government will only be considered. Parent/guardian’s annual income from all sources shall not exceed Rs 8.0 lakh	Diploma 20,000/-p.a. Degree 22,000/- p.a. Postgraduate 25,000/- p.a. M. Phil./Ph D 30,000/- p.a.	31st January 2024
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme For RPF/RPSF	Dependent wards of Ex/Serving RPF/RPSF personnel and widows (below the Rank of Gazetted officer) Secured 60% and above in Minimum Entry Qualification (MEQ) i.e. 12th Std., Diploma/Graduation. Only two wards per family should be ensured by the beneficiaries Only the institutes/universities/colleges having AISHE regulations will be considered.	₹2500/- per month for male students ₹3000/- per month for female students	Closed
NSP Pre-Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Applicant should be a regular, full-time student studying in classes IX or X in a Government school or a school recognized by the Govt. or by a Central/State Board of Secondary Education. Candidate should have more than 40% disability certified by the competent authority. The annual income of the family should not be more than INR 2,50,000 from all sources per annum.	Maintenance allowance (Per month) For Day Scholar- Rs. 500 For Hosteller- Rs. 800 Book Grant For Day Scholar- Rs.1000 For Hosteller- Rs. 1000 Visually ImpairedCandidates or Intellectual Disabilities For Day Scholar- Rs. 4000 For Hosteller- Rs. 4000 All other types of disabilities For Day Scholar- Rs. 2000 For Hosteller- Rs. 2000	Closed on 15-01-2024
Post Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Candidates studying from Class 11 to post-graduation from any university recognized by the UGC/AICTE are eligible. Students who pursue their studies through correspondence courses are also eligible Employed students whose income combined with the income of their parents/guardian does not exceed the maximum prescribed income ceiling are eligible Students who are pursuing two different courses of study simultaneously can avail the scholarship for any one course	Maintenance allowance (Group I- All Bachelor’s/Post-Graduate Degree courses) For Day Scholar- Rs. 750 For Hosteller- Rs. 1600 Group II (Professional courses leading to Degree/ Diploma, Certificate) For Day Scholar- Rs. 650 For Hosteller- Rs. 950 Group III (All other courses leading to a Graduate degree not covered under Group I & II,) For Day Scholar- Rs. 650 For Hosteller- Rs. 950 Group IV (All Post-matriculation level non-degree courses for which entrance qualification is High School) For Day Scholar- Rs. 550 For Hosteller- Rs. 900	Closed on 15-01-2024
Swami Vivekananda Scholarship (SVMCM)	Students studying in regular mode of Class XI and XII, and at under Graduate level.  The upper ceiling for family income has been fixed at Rs.2,50,000/- per annum Students pursuing M.Phil courses and Doctoral courses from State-aided Institutions	The amount may vary from INR 1,000 per month to INR 5,000 per month.	31st January 2024.
Foundation for Excellence (FEE) Scholarship	Professional Degree Courses Eligible For Scholarships Are B.E./B. Tech, Integrated 5-Year Dual-Degree M.Tech, MBBS And LLB. Only First-Year Applicants Beginning Their Studies In B.E., B.Tech, Integrated 5-Year Dual-Degree M.Tech,MBBS And LLB Are Eligible Admission To Professional Degree Courses/Institutions Is Based On The Merit Rank Awarded At The State Or National Level Entrance Exams, Or Through A Counselling Process Annual Income should be less than Rs 3.00 Lacs	Vary
AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Girls	‘One Girl’ per family and it can be extended to Two Girl Children per family where the family income is less than Rs. 8 Lakh /annum Candidates will be selected on Merit at the qualifying examination to pursue technical education from among such candidates Candidates should have been admitted to 1st year of the Degree or Diploma program in any of the AICTE-approved institute.	Tuition Fee of Rs. 30000/-	5 January 2024
Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	Belong to the minority community (Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, and Zoroastrian/Parsi) Studying in Classes 11,12, graduate, postgraduate, technical or vocational courses, M.Phil. or Ph.D. degree Have secured at least 50% marks or equivalent grades in the previous final examination Applicant’s annual family income of less than INR 2.5 lakh from all sources	Admission and tuition fee Class XI & XII: Rs. 7,000/- per annum Admission and course/tuition fees for technical and vocational courses of XI and XII level Rs. 10,000/- per annum subject to actuals Maintenance Allowance For Class XI & XII including Tech. & Voc. Course*: Rs. 380/- per month for Hosteller & Rs. 230/- per month for Day Scholar For Courses other than Tech. & Prof. courses at UG & PG level*: Rs. 570/- per month for Hosteller & Rs. 300/- per month for Day Scholar For M.Phil & Ph.D.*: Rs. 1,200/- per month for Hosteller & Rs. 550/- per month for Day Scholar	TBA
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles	Wards/widows of retired and serving CAPFs & AR Personnel. Having a minimum 60% mark in Minimum Entry Qualification Pursuing first professional degree program in the field of Engineering, Medicine, Dental, Veterinary, BBA, BCA, B. Pharma, B.Sc. (Nursing, Agriculture, etc.), MBA, and MCA, etc. in an institution recognized by the Government Regulatory Bodies such as All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Council of India (MCI), University Grant Commission (UGC) Have passed each subsequent academic year of the professional courses with a minimum of 50% marks (For renewal)	Rs. 3000 per month for girls. Rs. 2500/- per month for boys	TBA
PG Scholarships for Professional Courses for SC/ST By University Grants Commission (UGC)	Belong to the SC/ST category Pursuing a professional course at the postgraduate level Studying in any of the following Institutions/Colleges/Universities: Universities/Institutions/Colleges included under section 2(f) & and12(B) of UGC Act Deemed to be Universities included under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, and are eligible to receive grants-in-aid from UGC Universities/Institutions/Colleges funded by Central/State Government	The amount of scholarship will be paid @Rs.4500/- per month	TBA
ONGC	Candidate should be a student in 1st year of Graduate Engineering or MBBS courses or 1st year of Master’s degree in Geoscience or MBA.  Have secured a minimum of 60% marks in class 12 for the Engineering/MBBS course and a minimum of 60% marks in graduation and PG. Have a gross family income of less than INR 4.5 Lakhs per annum from all sources (SC/ST ), less than INR 2 Lakhs per annum (for OBC and General Category)	A lump sum amount of Rs 4000/- (Four Thousand) per month	Closed

NOTE: All the scholarships have different eligibility criteria for different categories and so do the scholarship amount and terms and conditions. These may fluctuate with time. So, do not forget to once check the official websites to seek the information before applying.

Documents required for the Scholarship:

As mentioned above, we are adding the list of the common documents that are mostly asked for in all types of scholarships. However, some document requirements highly depend upon the scholarship you are applying for. And you need to submit those documents accordingly.

• Class 10th and 12th marksheet
• Student bank passbook
• Student Id proof
• Residential proof like Aadhar card,pan card,ration card, and driving licenses.
• Income certificate
• Caste certificate
• Domicile certificate
• Disability certificate (if applicable)
• Passport size photograph
• Bonafide certificate
• Mobile number and e-mail ID

National Scholarship Portal: Scholarship Registration

National Scholarship Portal AKA NSP is the portal where you can easily find information about all the government-issued scholarships. If you are registered here, you can easily apply for the scholarships you are eligible for and check the status of your application. It ensures the smooth disbursement of Scholarships to students and a transparent database of students. Here is how you can register to this portal.

How to register on the National Scholarship Portal?

Step 1: Student Registration

• Visit the Website

• Click on the Applicant Corner section

• Select New Registration, then open the registration form.

• Then click on continue and then open a new window.

• As you submit the details and collect the registration number, application ID, and password,

Step2: Student Login

>>Once you are registered,select fresh login to apply for the first time and renewal login to renew your application for your selected scholarship.

>> Fill in the asked details and click on “Submit”

Step 3: For Scholarship Application

• As you submit the details, you’ll be directed to the user dashboard
• From there, click on the ‘Fill in the application form’ section.
• A form will appear, Fill in all the mandatory details
• Hit the submit button
• Upload documents
• Once you submit the form, you’ll be asked to upload the supporting documents.

Step 4: Final Online Submission

Take printouts of the submitted scholarship along with the documents and submit them to their educational institutions.

How to track your application?

Step 1: Visit the NSP portal

Step 2: Login into your NSP account

Step 3: Once logged in, you’ll be directed to your dashboard, where you can find a range of options related to scholarships

Step 4: Look for the “Check Application Status” or a similar option on your dashboard. Click on it.

Step 5: Select the Scholarship Scheme

Step 6: After selecting the scholarship scheme, you’ll be able to see the status of your application. It will indicate whether your application is pending, approved, or rejected.

Step 7: For more details about the status, click on the application ID or reference number. This will provide you with a detailed breakdown of your application’s progress.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, these scholarships are provided to all deserving students and high-ranking students. It helps them with the institute fees and other expenses like laptops, books, and computers. Consider this money to elevate your skills and level up in your career. Do not see it as money for free but an opportunity to grow in your career. Invest in yourself and your education. Also, these are not just the scholarships available right now, there are more scholarships whose applications maybe open by the time you are reading this. So, go, register yourself on the National Scholarship Portal keep an eye on available scholarships and apply before it slips. The registration process is already covered in the article.