Graduation Scholarship 2026-27: Scholarships for UG Students After 12th, Eligibility, Amount and How to Apply

A graduation scholarship helps UG students pay for college after 12th. Central, state and private schemes cover most courses. Check the full list, eligibility, amount and how to apply below.

Graduation Scholarship 2026-27: Scholarships for UG Students After 12th, Eligibility, Amount and How to ApplyGraduation scholarship 2026-27 is money given to students who join an undergraduate (UG) course after 12th Class. It can pay part of your fee, give you a fixed amount every year or cover hostel costs. Most schemes look at your marks, your family income or both. Some are only for girls, and some only for certain courses. This page covers only the UG years. To see scholarships for PG and diploma courses too, read our guide on Scholarship for College Students. If you want a scholarship after 12th for graduation, start early. Many UG schemes take new forms only in the first year. So the best time to plan is just before or just after you take admission. Below, you will find the full list, course-wise options, amounts, documents, steps to apply and rules to keep the scholarship.

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Types of Graduation Scholarship

UG scholarships are of three main types.

Merit Based Graduation Scholarship

These schemes are for students with high marks in 12th Class. The Central Sector Scheme picks students above the 80th percentile in their own board. This means your marks must be higher than those of at least 80 out of every 100 students who passed. INSPIRE SHE looks for the top 1 per cent of each board. Private schemes such as Reliance and SBI Asha also ask for a minimum score.

Category and Income Based Graduation Scholarship

These schemes look at your category (such as SC, ST or OBC) or your family income. Post Matric Scholarship for SC, ST and OBC students is the biggest example. Most state schemes work the same way. Many private schemes check both your marks and your family income.

Graduation Scholarship for Girls

Some schemes keep all or half of their seats for girls.

• AICTE Pragati is only for girls in the first year of a technical degree or diploma.

• Half of the new scholarships under the Central Sector Scheme go to girls.

• ONGC keeps half of its 2,000 scholarships for girls.

• LIC Golden Jubilee gives half of its general seats to girls.

• Bihar gives one-time reward money to girls who pass graduation.

List of Graduation Scholarships

This table lists the main UG scholarships in India with five key facts for each.

Government Graduation Scholarship

The central government runs the biggest scholarships for UG students. Most of them work through the National Scholarship Portal. These schemes are for regular courses at recognised colleges. Students at Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia can visit their scholarship office. It can tell them which schemes fit their course.

CSSS for UG Students

CSSS is run by the Ministry of Education for top scorers. It is for students above the 80th percentile in their own board and stream. UG students get INR 12,000 a year in the first three years. Distance learning and diploma courses are not covered. New forms do not open every year, so check the portal before you plan your form. 

Post Matric Scholarship at UG Level

This scheme helps SC, ST and OBC students from Class 11 up to PG. At UG level, it pays the fees that the college does not return. It also gives a yearly allowance for study costs. The allowance depends on your course. Your home state picks the students. Our Post Matric Scholarship article has the scheme-wise rules.

AICTE Pragati

AICTE Pragati is for girls in the first year of a technical degree or diploma. It gives INR 50,000 a year, and there are 5,000 seats. Forms are filled on NSP. AICTE also runs Saksham for students with 40 per cent or more disability. Saksham gives the same amount and has no limit on seats. A third scheme, Swanath, helps orphans and students whose families face a crisis.

INSPIRE SHE for Science Students

The Department of Science and Technology runs INSPIRE SHE. It is for students who study pure science after 12th, such as Physics, Chemistry, Maths or Biology. You can apply if you are in the top 1 per cent of your board. Students in the top 10,000 ranks of JEE Advanced or NEET can also apply. So can students who get into IISER or NISER. Some national talent scholars and Olympiad medal winners are also eligible. The scholarship is INR 80,000 a year. There are 10,000 scholarships every year. Forms are filled on online-inspire.gov.in.

State Graduation Scholarship

Every state and Union Territory has its own way to apply for UG scholarships. Out of 36 states and UTs, 17 have one portal and 7 have more than one. The other 12 send students to NSP. Our State Scholarship guide lists all 36 portals.

Tribal students in Madhya Pradesh can read our MPTAAS Scholarship guide. Chhattisgarh students can check the CG Scholarship article. Punjab runs its schemes on NSP, as our Punjab Scholarship page explains.

UP Dashmottar Scholarship

In Uttar Pradesh, Dashmottar means courses after 12th Class. UG students apply for it on scholarship.up.gov.in. Read our UP Scholarship guide for category-wise details.

Bihar Graduation Scholarship

Bihar has two separate schemes for UG students. The first is the Post Matric Scholarship for students who are still in college. BC and EBC students apply on pmsonline.bihar.gov.in. SC and ST students use scstpmsonline.bihar.gov.in. Our Bihar Post Matric Scholarship guide explains both portals.

The second is the Mukhyamantri Kanya (Snatak) Protsahan Yojana. It is part of the Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana of the Bihar government. This money is not paid while you study. Girls get it only once, after they pass graduation. The form is filled on the MedhaSoft portal, medhasoft.bihar.gov.in.

MahaDBT Scholarship

Maharashtra keeps all its state scholarships on one portal, mahadbt.maharashtra.gov.in. UG students apply there for the scheme that fits their category and course. Our MahaDBT Scholarship article lists the schemes and steps.

MYSY Scholarship

Gujarat's Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana helps students with high 12th scores. Students above the 80 percentile with family income up to INR 6 lakh can apply on mysy.gujarat.gov.in. Our MYSY Scholarship guide explains the help for each course. Other Gujarat schemes run on Digital Gujarat Scholarship.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship

West Bengal runs the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship on svmcm.wb.gov.in. It helps good scorers from low-income families. See our Swami Vivekananda Scholarship guide for details. Minority students in the state can also check Aikyashree Scholarship.

Private Graduation Scholarship

Many companies also give scholarships through their charity work. Most of them look at both marks and family income. Tata Capital's Tata Capital Pankh Scholarship also covers UG, diploma and ITI students.

Reliance Foundation UG Scholarship

Reliance Foundation supports up to 5,000 first-year UG students. Any stream is allowed if you study full-time in a regular course. You must take an online test, and your marks and income are also checked. The total help is up to INR 2 lakh for the full course. The form is free. Our Reliance Foundation Scholarship article has the full rules.

LIC General Scholarship

The LIC Golden Jubilee Foundation gives a General Scholarship after 12th. It is for students who join the first year of a degree, diploma or ITI course. The yearly amount is paid in two parts. Forms are filled online through licindia.in. Read our LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship guide for details.

HDFC Parivartan ECSS

HDFC Bank's Parivartan ECSS helps students facing money problems or a family crisis. Its UG part covers general courses like BA, BSc and BCom. It also covers professional courses like BTech, MBBS, LLB and Nursing. You apply through Buddy4Study from parivartanecss.com. See our HDFC Parivartan ECSS article for more.

SBI Asha Scholarship

SBI Foundation runs the Platinum Jubilee Asha Scholarship. Its UG part is for students at colleges in the NIRF top 300 or with NAAC 'A' grade and above. Students at University of Mumbai, University of Delhi and Jadavpur University should first check their college's NIRF or NAAC status. You can apply under only one category. The form is free on sbiashascholarship.co.in. Details are in our SBI Asha Scholarship guide.

Scholarship for First Year Graduation Students

A first year graduation scholarship may not give you a second chance. Some schemes take new forms only in the first year.

PM YASASVI Top Class also takes new forms only in the first year. Engineering students at top colleges can read our Bharti Airtel Scholarship guide. ONGC applicants must first register on NSP, as our ONGC Scholarship article explains. Students still in school can plan early with our Scholarship for 12th Class Students guide.

Course-wise Graduation Scholarship

The right scheme often depends on your course.

Engineering students have the most choice. Some schemes, like Bharti Airtel, look at the NIRF rank of your college. Students at IIT Delhi, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur can check which schemes cover their branch. INSPIRE SHE is not for BTech or MBBS, as it is only for pure science. Children of armed forces and police staff can also check the PM Scholarship Scheme for professional courses.

Graduation Scholarship Amount

The amount is very different from one scheme to another.

State amounts change with category and course, so check your state portal.

Eligibility Criteria for Graduation Scholarship

Most schemes check two things: your 12th Class marks and your family income.

Class 12 Marks

Each scheme asks for a different minimum score.

Income Limit

Family income limits go from INR 2 lakh to INR 15 lakh. On NSP, limits go from INR 2.5 lakh to INR 8 lakh, based on the scheme.

Documents Required for Graduation Scholarship

Keep these documents ready before you open any form.

• Aadhaar card and the mobile number linked to it

• 12th Class marksheet

• Income certificate from the tehsil or another government office

• Caste certificate, if you apply as SC, ST or OBC

• Domicile certificate (proof of your home state) for state schemes

• Proof of college admission, such as a fee receipt or bonafide certificate from your college

• Bank passbook or cancelled cheque

• Recent passport-size photo

• Disability or crisis proof, if a scheme asks for it

Scan each document clearly. Your name should be the same as on your Aadhaar.

How to Apply for Graduation Scholarship

Central schemes mostly use NSP. State and private schemes use their own portals.

Through NSP

On NSP, you must first do a One Time Registration (OTR).

1. Register for OTR with your Aadhaar and the mobile number linked to it.

2. Enter the OTP sent to your phone.

3. Do the face check on the NSP OTR app.

4. Note your 14-digit OTR number. You will use it every year.

5. Log in to scholarships.gov.in and pick the scheme that fits you.

6. Fill the form, upload documents and submit.

Most NSP schemes open in June and close in October.

Through State Portal

State portals work in a similar way.

1. Open your state's scholarship portal.

2. Register with your basic details and mobile number.

3. Choose the scheme for your category and course.

4. Fill the form and upload documents.

5. Submit and save a copy of the form.

Checking Status

You can check your form on the same portal where you applied.

• Log in with your registration or OTR number.

• Open the application status page.

• See whether the form is pending, verified or rejected.

• For payment problems in central schemes, call the PFMS helpline.

Renewal of Graduation Scholarship in Second and Third Year

Getting a scholarship once is not enough. Most schemes check your results every year before they pay again.

LIC stops the scholarship if you pass a subject with grace marks. It also stops if you clear a failed paper in a later semester. On NSP, you use the same OTR number every year.

Common Reasons for Graduation Scholarship Rejection

Many forms get rejected because of small mistakes.

Applying for More Than One Graduation Scholarship

You can often get more than one scholarship, but each scheme has its own rules.

From the 2026-27 academic year, NSP splits schemes into two groups: merit-based and welfare-based. Merit-based schemes include CSSS and INSPIRE. Welfare-based schemes include Post Matric for SC, ST, OBC and minority students. If you get a welfare scholarship, you can still get a merit one if you are eligible. The same is true the other way round. NSP also saves your details from your first form.

Private schemes have their own rules. LIC does not pick students who already get a scholarship from another private trust. But it does allow students who get a government scholarship. SBI Asha lets you apply under only one category.

Helpline and Contact Details

Use these contacts if you face a problem with your form.