// Scheme sheet
- Responsible ministry / authority
- Ministry of Education (Department of Higher Education)
- Benefit type
- Scholarship
- Coverage
- Central — All-India
- Who it is for — beneficiary group
- College and university students from families below the income ceiling, above the 80th percentile of their board stream
- What the beneficiary receives
- ₹12,000 a year for the first three years of a degree course, ₹20,000 a year for the fourth and fifth years of professional or technical courses, and ₹20,000 a year at postgraduate level. About 82,000 fresh scholarships a year, half reserved for girls.
- Eligibility
- Above the 80th percentile of successful candidates in the relevant stream in the Class XII board examination; enrolled in a regular degree course (not distance or diploma); family income below the ceiling set in the scheme guidelines; not already holding another scholarship or fee reimbursement.
- Rules, limitations & exceptions
- Renewal requires at least 50% marks in the annual examination and 75% attendance. Drop-year students are not eligible. Verification runs through the institution’s nodal officer and then the state or district.
- Required documents
- Class XII marksheet, Aadhaar or other ID, student’s bank passbook, income certificate, and caste or disability certificate where applicable.
- How to apply
- Register once on the National Scholarship Portal with Aadhaar, then apply under this scheme within the annual window. The institute verifies, then the state, and payment is made by direct transfer.
- Official portal
- https://scholarships.gov.in/
- Helpline / contact
- 0120-6619540
- Last verified
- 13 Sep 2026
A merit-cum-means scholarship for higher education, run by the Department of Higher Education. It is a grant, not a loan, paid annually by direct transfer. Eligibility is set by board-examination performance rather than by an entrance test: applicants must be above the 80th percentile of successful candidates in their stream in the Class XII board examinations. About 82,000 fresh scholarships are awarded each year, half of them reserved for girls. Applications run through the National Scholarship Portal, which requires one-time registration with Aadhaar.