Scholarships for school students in India: what exists and who can apply

Which scholarship can a school student actually apply for, and how much help might it provide? The answer depends on the student's class, school, family income and, for some schemes, community and state of residence. Start with those details when checking a scholarship and the amount it offers.

National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship, PM YASASVI and state schemes have different rules. The National Scholarship Portal brings several schemes together. Each has its own eligibility rules and application timetable. The details below draw on official scheme documents and portal listings checked on 12 November 2026. The portal and each state list other school scholarships too.

NMMS: who can qualify

The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme, commonly called NMMS, offers one lakh fresh scholarships each year at Class IX following a State or Union Territory selection examination. The Ministry of Education's revised guidelines of March 2022 are still linked on the National Scholarship Portal listing for 2026-27. They specify an award of ₹12,000 per student per year. Renewal for Classes X to XII depends on academic progress.

Parental income must be no more than ₹3.50 lakh a year. Eligible students attend government, government-aided or local-body schools. Private schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are excluded, as are Central or State government residential schools providing boarding, lodging and education. Check the school type alongside the other eligibility rules.

Students take the selection test during Class VIII. To enter, they need at least 55 per cent in Class VII, with a five-percentage-point relaxation for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students, bringing their threshold to 50 per cent.

The NMMS test and renewal

The selection examination has a Mental Ability Test and a Scholastic Aptitude Test. The national qualifying score across both tests combined is 40 per cent, or 32 per cent for SC/ST students. Selection also depends on state quotas. At award selection, students also need at least 55 per cent in Class VIII, relaxed by five percentage points for SC/ST students.

Examination entry follows the State or Union Territory authority's procedure. Selected students then complete the scholarship application on the National Scholarship Portal. Check the registration deadline for the selection examination separately from the portal scholarship deadline.

Renewal needs attention too. Students must gain promotion from IX to X and XI to XII at the first attempt. Continuing beyond Class X requires at least 60 per cent in Class X, relaxed by five percentage points for SC/ST students. Students must also submit the renewal application on the portal within the required period.

PM YASASVI has different components

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment describes PM YASASVI as an umbrella scheme for Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Backward Classes (EBC) and De-Notified Tribes (DNT). It includes pre-matric, post-matric, Top Class School Education, Top Class College Education and hostel construction components. Check which component fits the student.

For the pre-matric component, the department's annual report for 2025-26 requires students to study full-time in Classes IX and X in government schools only. Eligible OBC, EBC and DNT students must have annual family income from all sources of no more than ₹2,50,000. The consolidated academic allowance is ₹4,000 a year. States and Union Territories set the detailed selection procedure.

Top Class School Education: check the school

PM YASASVI Top Class School Education supports eligible OBC, EBC and DNT students from Class IX through XII in identified schools. Its specification requires annual household income below ₹2.5 lakh. The specification says “less than”; the pre-matric component says “does not exceed”. A family at exactly ₹2.5 lakh should check the current official notice.

Identified schools may be public, aided or private. For a private school, check that it is on the identified list. Assistance covers tuition, hostel fees and other required school charges, capped at ₹75,000 per student per year in Classes IX and X and ₹1,25,000 in Classes XI and XII. Treat these amounts as maximum support, rather than fixed payments.

The scheme's specification bases selection on marks in the final examination of the previous class. The portal prepares State-wise merit lists for each class, separately for boys and girls, within the available slots, and at least 30 per cent of the scholarships are reserved for girls. Applicants must study in, or have secured admission to, a shortlisted school and apply through the National Scholarship Portal.

For 2026-27, Top Class School Education is open for fresh applications on the National Scholarship Portal until 30 November 2026, though the portal has asked students from Rajasthan, Keralam and Karnataka to wait. Check the portal for each academic year's dates and notices.

Using the National Scholarship Portal

The National Scholarship Portal, or NSP, is an application platform. Its public eligibility checker uses details including domicile, income, community, institution, course and previous marks. It identifies schemes a student may apply for; the award decision comes separately.

One-Time Registration, or OTR, is required before applying. NSP's linked FAQ says online OTR is free. It requires an active mobile number and identity or e-KYC information. Registration also includes face authentication. Common Service Centres also offer the whole process with assistance, from OTR to the application form, for a total charge of ₹30.

For students without Aadhaar, the FAQ provides an Aadhaar enrolment-slip route, or a parent or legal guardian's Aadhaar route for a minor. Applicants must follow the relevant e-KYC instructions and requirements for later updates.

For a fresh application, log in through Students, then Apply For Scholarship. Complete Basic Information, use Apply Fresh to generate an application ID, open the application, select the eligible scheme, upload its required documents and choose Final Submit. After getting an OTR or application ID, complete the remaining steps through Final Submit.

Documents, deadlines and payment

Each scheme has its own document requirements. The NMMS FAQ, for example, asks for a parent's income certificate from the competent authority and, if applicable, a caste certificate. Applications then go through verification and merit processing.

For 2026-27, NMMS applications on the National Scholarship Portal are open until 15 November 2026. Check the portal for each academic year's dates before acting. After login, NSP shows the status of fresh and renewal applications, and a separate PFMS link tracks payment. After submitting, use these to follow the application and payment.

From 2026-27, NSP permits one merit-based scheme a year, counting fresh and renewal applications, and one or more welfare-based schemes, subject to eligibility. Scheme benefit restrictions still apply. PM YASASVI's school specification, for example, bars other government assistance for the same items or purpose already covered.

State routes need their own checks

Check the relevant state's official notice for state-funded schemes and centrally sponsored scholarships that states administer. West Bengal's pre-matric guidance, for example, directs applications through OASIS, with personal, academic and bank details, supporting documents and school or state verification. Follow the route specified for your state.

Support can also begin before Class IX. West Bengal's Shikshasree page identifies eligible permanent residents from SC/ST communities in Classes V to VIII at government, government-aided or government-recognised schools, subject to its other conditions. Check class, community and domicile together.

What to do in practice

Start with the student's class and school type, then check income, community and domicile against the exact scheme. Check whether the application is fresh or a renewal. Gather that scheme's documents and read its dated official notice. For NMMS, keep examination entry separate from the NSP application. After submitting, follow verification and application status. Eligibility, selection and payment are separate steps.