As India enters an era of growth, development, and prosperity, the need for highly educated and skilled masses is of utmost value. Despite the rising costs of higher studies, the Government of India has established numerous provisions to encourage and assist individuals who wish to pursue their higher education.

The National Scholarship Portal is one such initiative; its objective is to support deserving students through monetary aid in the form of national scholarships. It is a one-stop digital platform that significantly reduces any hindrance one may face while applying for scholarships.

Currently, the portal offers 21 registered scholarship schemes through 9 ministries/departments. These national scholarships are offered by the Central Government, State Governments and other government agencies like the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Check Out: National Scholarship Portal (NSP)

National Scholarship Schemes

The National Scholarship Portal provides a single platform for the release and dispersal of relevant information relating to various national scholarships. A list of the ministries/departments and the scholarships they offer are as follows:

Central Schemes

Ministry of Minority Affairs:

• Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities
• Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities
• Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Professional & Technical Courses CS
• Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority students

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities:

• Pre-Matric Scholarships for PWD
• Post-Matric Scholarships for PWD
• Scholarships for Top-Class Education for Children with disabilities
• National Fellowship for PWD

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: 

• Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Student Only (UT)
• Upgradation of Merit of SC Students
• Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC Students studying in Class IX & X in UTs only
• Top-Class Education for SC Students
• Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship SC

Check Out: Minority Scholarships

Ministry of Tribal Affairs: 

• National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students – Scholarship

Department of School Education and Library: 

• National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE)
• National Means Cum Merit Scholarship

Department of Higher Education: 

• Central Sector Scheme Of Scholarships For College And University Students

WARB, Ministry of Home Affairs: 

• Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme For Armed Police Forces And Assam Rifles

RPF/RPSF, Ministry of Railway:

• Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme For RPF/RPSF

Ministry of Labour and Employment:

The ministry gives post-matric and pre-matric financial assistance for the education of the wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers and Aam Aadmi Bima Yojna Scholarship for Andhra Pradesh.

University Grants Commission (UGC) Scholarship Schemes

The University Grants Commission, along with the Ministry of Human Resource Development, provides numerous national scholarship schemes, some of which are:

• ISHAN UDAY – Special Scholarship Scheme For North Eastern Region
• PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child
• PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders (1st and 2nd Rank Holders)
• PG Scholarship Scheme for SC ST Students for pursuing higher education.

Check Out: Inspire Scholarship

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Scholarship Schemes

All India Council for Technical Education, under Ministry of Human Resource Development, provides the following scholarships for various technical courses:

• PRAGATI Scholarship Scheme for Girls (Degree/Diploma) for Technical Education, for the degree as well as diploma students.
• SAKSHAM Scholarship Scheme for differently-abled Students (Degree/ Diploma) for Technical Education for the degree as well as diploma students.

Check Out: Pre Matric Scholarship

Application Process

An individual that wishes to apply for one of the many national scholarships offered needs to follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Register on the National Scholarship Portal

• Visit https://scholarships.gov.in/ to register.
• Click on ‘New Registration.’
• Go through ‘Guidelines for Registration’ (click on ‘Continue’ to proceed).
• Fill in required details such as personal information, educational qualifications, etc.
• Click on ‘Register.’
• A student application ID and password will be sent to the registered mobile number.

Step 2: Log In 

• Click on the login button on the National Scholarship Portal.
• Enter the application ID and password.

Check Out: Post Matric Scholarship

Step 3: Apply for National Scholarship

A candidate that wishes to apply for any of the national scholarships provided can simply click on the link and submit the necessary details. 

• Click on ‘Application Form.’
• Fill in all the details.
• Click on ‘Save & Continue.’
• Upload necessary documents.
• Click on ‘Save as Draft’ (To confirm if the correct information has been entered)
• Click on the ‘Final Submit’ button.

Step 4: Check Application Status

The National Scholarship Portal offers the provision of tracking the application status of your scholarship. 

• Login through National Scholarship Portal
• Check the status of your application through the ‘Check Your Status’ tab. 

Additionally, the candidate can check if their application has been accepted and the reimbursement status of the scholarship. 

Check Out: SC Scholarship