Scholarships for Students in India 2026 — Govt, State & Private (Free List)

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TL;DR: Free, updated list of scholarships for Indian students — NSP pre/post-matric, NMMS, PM YASASVI, INSPIRE, AICTE Pragati/Saksham, Reliance, Tata & more.…

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19 scholarships open to Indian school and college students — 10 government, 3 state, 1 merit, 5 private. Each entry gives who it is for, how much it pays, when the window opens and how to apply.

At a Glance

Scholarship	For	Amount	Window
NSP Pre-Matric Scholarship	Class 1-10	Rs. 100-500 per month depending on class and state; covers books, stationery, uniform	Typically June–September each year on scholarships.gov.in
NSP Post-Matric Scholarship	Class 11-College (Degree, Diploma, Professional)	Rs. 5,000-20,000 annually; hostel allowance Rs. 10,000-15,000 for outstation students	Typically July–September each year
National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS)	Class 8-12	Rs. 12,000 annually (Rs. 1,000/month) for Classes 8-12	Typically April–May for Class 8 entry; state-wise examination schedule varies
PM YASASVI (Young Aspirer Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India)	Class 9-12, UG, PG	Rs. 75,000-1,25,000 annually depending on level (Class 9-10, 11-12, UG, PG)	Typically March–May each year; online applications on buddy4study.com and official portal
INSPIRE Scholarship for Girls (Science Talents)	Class 8-12 (STEM focus)	Rs. 10,000 annually plus career mentoring; INSPIRE Internship Summer Camps during summer	Typically March–June; selection via school nomination and merit assessment
Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY - Legacy/Now INSPIRE Fellowships)	Class 11-UG (Science stream)	Rs. 5,000-7,000 monthly stipend during UG; summer camp allowance; mentorship from IISc scientists	Typically October–November for exams; application June–July
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students	College & University (UG, PG)	Rs. 500-750 monthly; full-time degree course, max 2-5 years	Typically June–August through college portal
PRAGATI Scholarship (AICTE Girls in Technical Education)	UG Technical/Engineering (B.Tech, B.Sc, Diploma)	Up to Rs. 50,000 per year (varies by institution and category)	Typically July–October; institution-wise application through AICTE portal
SAKSHAM Scholarship (AICTE for Differently-Abled)	UG Technical/Engineering (B.Tech, Diploma)	Up to Rs. 50,000 per year; may include assistive device allowance	Typically July–October through AICTE portal
PM Scholarship Scheme for Ex-Servicemen (CSD)	Class 8-College (UG, PG)	Rs. 2,000-5,250 monthly depending on level; full tuition fee reimbursement in some cases	Typically June–August for new enrollments; mid-year entries on case-by-case basis
Reliance Foundation Scholarship	UG, PG, Professional (Medicine, Law, Engineering)	Full tuition fee + Rs. 20,000-50,000 annual living allowance depending on course and family income	Typically February–April; online portal application
Tata Scholarship Programs	UG (Engineering, Management, Sciences)	Rs. 50,000-2,00,000 annually depending on program and family income; may include internship placement	Varies by Tata program; typically March–June; apply through respective institution or Tata Trusts portal
Sitaram Jindal Scholarship	Class 12-PG (Sciences, Engineering, Management)	Rs. 50,000-2,00,000 annually + internship opportunities at Jindal entities	Typically May–July; online application portal on buddy4study.com and official site
HDFC Bank Educational Crisis Scholarship	UG & PG (All courses)	Rs. 10,000-50,000 one-time grant or annually depending on case severity	Year-round rolling basis; apply anytime through HDFC Foundation portal
Aditya Birla Foundation Scholarship	Class 11-College (UG, PG)	Rs. 30,000-1,00,000 annually + mentoring by Aditya Birla Group professionals	Typically March–August; apply through school/college or ABF website
AP ePASS Scheme (Andhra Pradesh Social Security)	Class 8-PG (Degree, Diploma, Professional)	Full tuition + Rs. 15,000-20,000 annual living allowance; hostel fees covered	Typically June–August each year
Telangana Residential Educational Institutions Society (TREIS) Scholarship	Class 6-12, Degree (Residential Schools & Colleges)	Free boarding, lodging, meals, uniforms, books at residential institutions; stipend Rs. 500-1,000 monthly for college	Typically June–July for new admissions; ongoing for enrolled students
Karnataka Vasati Scholarship	UG & PG (Degree, Diploma, Professional)	Rs. 10,000-15,000 annually for tuition; hostel allowance Rs. 5,000-10,000 for outstation students	Typically July–September through college portal
Buddy4Study Scholarships (Aggregated Merit & Need-Based)	Class 8-PG (All fields)	Rs. 5,000-5,00,000 annually depending on scholarship; internships and mentoring often included	Various year-round; most active Aug–Nov and Mar–Jun

Government Scholarships (10)

State Scholarships (3)

Merit Scholarships (1)

Private Scholarships (5)

Applying Without Losing the Deadline

Most of these run through a single portal and a single window, and the commonest reason an eligible student misses out is documents rather than merit. Get the income certificate, caste certificate where it applies, bank passbook in the student's own name and Aadhaar seeded to that account ready before the window opens — each of those takes weeks to obtain and none can be produced overnight once the form is live.

Apply through your school or institution where the scheme requires it: on the National Scholarship Portal an application that the institution never verifies expires unverified, and it looks identical to a submitted one from the student's side. Check the status yourself after submitting rather than assuming.

Amounts and windows here are indicative and change year to year. Confirm every figure on the official portal listed above before you rely on it.