PM Scholarship Scheme 2026-27: Eligibility, Amount, Last Date, Courses and How to Apply

PM Scholarship Scheme gives INR 2,500 to INR 3,000 per month to wards of defence, CAPF, police and RPF personnel. Check the eligibility, amount, courses, documents and application process below.

PM Scholarship Scheme 2026-27: Eligibility, Amount, Last Date, Courses and How to ApplyPM Scholarship Scheme 2026-27 is for students from families that serve the country in uniform. The parent must be from the Army, Navy, Air Force, a CAPF, Assam Rifles, State Police or RPF. The scheme helps these students pay for a professional degree, mostly after 12th Class. Courses at colleges such as IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IIT Madras are among those covered. Only the children and widows of these personnel can apply. The rules call such a child a "ward", which means a son or daughter who depends on the parent. The money comes from the National Defence Fund, which is run by the Prime Minister's Office.

Many students think PMSS is one single form. It is not. The scheme runs through four routes. Wards of ex-servicemen apply through the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB). Wards of CAPF, Assam Rifles and martyred State Police personnel apply on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). Wards of RPF and RPSF personnel also apply on NSP, under the Railways scheme. Picking the wrong route is a common mistake. Below, you will find the eligibility for each route and the amount. The course list, priority rules and steps to apply follow after that.

PM Scholarship Scheme Latest Updates

Here is the current status of all PMSS routes for the 2026-27 session.

Applications for the three PMSS routes on NSP are open for the 2026-27 session. These are the CAPF and Assam Rifles scheme, the State and UT Police scheme and the Railways scheme. The window opened on June 1, 2026. The last date for students is October 31, 2026. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued revised PMSS guidelines for 2026-27. They classify PMSS as a merit-based scholarship. So a PMSS holder can also take one welfare-based scholarship, if eligible.

The KSB route for wards of ex-servicemen runs on the KSB website. Check the KSB portal for its current application window.

What is PM Scholarship Scheme (PMSS)

The Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme started in the academic year 2006-07. It aims to support higher technical and professional education. There is no family income limit. Eligibility depends on the parent's service record and the student's marks. The scheme suits students heading to professional colleges. In the NSP routes, new students who are selected also get a personal letter from the Prime Minister.

PM Scholarship Scheme for Ex-Servicemen, CAPF, Police and RPF Wards

The table below shows all four PMSS routes side by side.

In the NSP routes, seats for boys and girls are fixed. Unused seats in one group do not move to the other. Competition is high in the KSB route. In 2024-25, KSB received 12,149 fresh applications. Only 5,493 students made it to the merit list.

Which PM Scholarship Applies to You

Your parent's force decides your route. You cannot pick freely.

PM Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

Each route has its own rules. Read the part that matches your parent's service.

Wards of Ex-Servicemen (KSB)

This route is for the families of Armed Forces personnel. It covers widows and wards of Armed Forces personnel who have died or have retired. The course must be technical or professional. Medical, dental, veterinary, engineering, MBA and MCA courses are included. The institution needs AICTE or UGC approval.

Take medical colleges such as AIIMS Delhi, JIPMER Puducherry and Maulana Azad Medical College. Students there can confirm that their seat meets these approval rules. KSB publishes the full eligibility and priority list on its portal. Read it before you apply.

CAPF and Assam Rifles Personnel

Wards and widows of CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel can apply under this route.

The following groups are eligible:

• Wards and widows of personnel who died while on duty or on election duty

• Wards of personnel who became disabled because of their duty

• Wards of ex-personnel who received a Gallantry Award

• Wards and widows of retired and serving personnel below officer rank (called PBOR)

Categories A to E have no rank limit. Some Assistant Commandants hold only a local rank and draw an Inspector's salary. Their wards can apply under Categories F and G.

State and UT Police Martyred in Terror or Naxal Attacks

This route covers one specific group of police families. It is open to dependent wards of State and UT Police personnel. The parent must have been martyred during a terror or Naxal attack. There is no rank limit. A certificate from the State Government confirming this is mandatory.

RPF and RPSF Personnel

This route is run by the Ministry of Railways. It is for dependent wards and widows of serving and ex-RPF and RPSF personnel. The parent must be below the rank of Gazetted Officer. Your college must also have an AISHE code. This applies to universities such as Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia too. Confirm your college's AISHE code with the scholarship cell.

Minimum Marks and Lateral Entry Rules

The marks rules below apply to all three NSP routes.

• You need at least 60 per cent marks in your Minimum Entry Qualification (MEQ). MEQ is the exam you passed to get into the course.

• MEQ is 12th Class for MBBS. For B.E. and B.Tech, it is 12th Class or a diploma.

• MEQ is graduation for B.Ed and MBA.

• Diploma holders who join B.E. or B.Tech in the second year through lateral entry can apply.

• Only two children per family can get the scholarship.

In the Home Ministry routes, CBSE 12th Class marks are counted from the best five subjects out of 500. Marital status does not affect eligibility.

PM Scholarship Amount per Month and per Year

The amount is the same in all four routes.

The full amount is paid once a year after selection. It goes straight into the student's bank account. For NSP routes, the account must be linked with Aadhaar. Some websites show higher figures, such as INR 50,000 a year. These do not match the official guidelines.

PM Scholarship Scheme Important Dates

The table below lists the 2026-27 schedule for each route.

Dates can be extended. Keep checking the portal for changes.

Courses Covered Under PM Scholarship Scheme

PMSS pays only for a first professional degree.

Eligible Professional Courses Under PMSS

The Home Ministry list has 122 courses. They are grouped as medical, engineering and technical, management, other professional and integrated courses.

The Railways scheme has its own list with similar courses. For dual degrees, only the professional part is paid. For example, B.Tech plus M.Tech gets four years. BA plus B.Ed gets two years, for the B.Ed part only. The five-year BA LLB is on the list. Students joining law schools such as NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad and NLU Delhi can apply.

Courses Not Covered

Some courses and cases are left out of the scheme.

• Plain BA, B.Sc or B.Com degrees, as they are not on the list

• Diploma courses that do not lead to a degree

• Master's degrees, except MBA and MCA

• Distance or correspondence courses

• Courses studied abroad

• A second course, if you have already used PMSS once

MBA is one of the few master's degrees allowed. This helps students at institutes such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta. For them, graduation marks count as MEQ.

PM Scholarship Priority Categories and Selection

Seats are limited, so selection follows a fixed order.

CAPF and Assam Rifles (Category A to G)

New applicants are first sorted by category.

State and UT Police wards form a separate group with 500 seats. No single force has a fixed quota.

RPF and RPSF (Category I to IV)

The Railways scheme uses four categories.

Seats are also split across zonal railways and RPSF. RPSF has the largest share, with 22 seats. Spare seats in one zone go to students from other zones through a combined merit list.

Tie-Break Rules

The Home Ministry uses a set order to rank new applicants.

1. Category under PMSS

2. Percentage in the MEQ exam

3. Age, with the older student preferred

4. Parent's rank, with the lower rank preferred

How to Apply for PM Scholarship Scheme

The steps depend on your route.

Apply on NSP (CAPF, Police and RPF)

All three NSP routes follow the same steps.

1. Create your One Time Registration (OTR) on scholarships.gov.in. Use your own Aadhaar or a parent's Aadhaar.

2. Log in with your OTR number and open the scholarship application form.

3. Select the PMSS scheme that matches your parent's force.

4. Fill in your academic, course and family details.

5. Upload the required documents and certificates.

6. Check every detail, then submit. Details cannot be changed later.

7. Save the application ID for status checks and renewal.

After you submit, your college checks the form first. This is Level 1 (L1). Then your force, state police or zonal railway checks the service papers. This is Level 2 (L2). WARB or the Railway Board then prepares the merit list.

Your college must be registered on NSP to verify your form. Most large universities, such as Delhi University, University of Hyderabad and Jadavpur University, have a scholarship cell. Check your college's NSP status with it early. You can withdraw your form before the L2 stage ends. You may then submit a new form if the portal is still open.

Apply on KSB Portal (Ex-Servicemen)

Wards of ex-servicemen do not apply on NSP. Visit the KSB website and click PMSS on the top menu. Read the eligibility, course and priority rules there. Then fill in the fresh application online. KSB has run the scheme online since the 2016-17 academic year.

Documents Required for PM Scholarship

Keep these documents ready before you start.

Fresh Applicants

New applicants need the following papers.

• Mark sheet of your MEQ exam (12th Class, diploma or graduation)

• Service certificate from the Head of Office, if the parent is still serving

• PPO, discharge certificate or discharge book, for ex-personnel

• Death certificate, for killed-in-action or died-in-service cases

• Disability certificate, for disabled-in-service cases

• Gallantry Award certificate, for Category E

• Bonafide certificate from your college

• State Government certificate of martyrdom, for State and UT Police wards

• Aadhaar, or an Aadhaar enrolment ID with a parent's Aadhaar for minors

NSP no longer asks for bank details in fresh forms. Payment goes to your Aadhaar-linked account. Design courses are covered too. Students at NIFT Delhi, NID Ahmedabad and Symbiosis Institute of Design should ask for the bonafide certificate early.

Renewal Applicants

Returning students need fewer papers.

• Latest service certificate, if the parent is still serving

• Bonafide certificate from the college

• Mark sheet of the previous year, signed and stamped by the college

State and UT Police wards need only the certificate from their institution.

PM Scholarship Status Check and Renewal

You can track and renew your form on the same portal.

Check PM Scholarship Status on NSP

Follow these steps to see where your form stands.

• Go to scholarships.gov.in.

• Open Application Status in the Students section.

• Log in with your application ID and password.

• To see the payment, use the Track Your Payment link. It opens PFMS.

The table below explains each stage in simple words.

KSB applicants should follow the KSB portal for updates.

PM Scholarship Renewal Rules

Renewal is not automatic. Keep these rules in mind.

• Renew every year on NSP with the same application ID.

• In the Home Ministry routes, you must pass each year with at least 50 per cent marks.

• In the Railways route, you must pass your current class in the same academic year.

• A late renewal may be accepted within a one-year grace period in the Home Ministry routes.

• Changing your course or college with a fresh admission ends the scholarship for good.

Why PM Scholarship Applications Get Rejected

Most rejections come from a few common problems.

False details can also bar a student from central government scholarships for five years. Course names often differ from college to college. Agriculture students at Punjab Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and GB Pant University should match the exact name.

PM Scholarship Scheme vs Other PM Scholarships

Several schemes have "PM" in their name. They are not the same as PMSS.

Some websites use loose names like "PM Modi Scholarship". Always match the full scheme name on the official portal. Unlike the other three, PMSS has no family income limit.

PM Scholarship Helpline and Contact Details

Contact the office that runs your route. It is faster than a general helpline.

State and UT Police wards should contact their State or UT Government's nodal office. Numbers can change, so confirm them on the official website.