Scholarship for 12th Class Students 2026-27: Government and Private Schemes, Eligibility, Amount and How to Apply

Scholarship for 12th Class students covers central schemes on NSP, state portals and private programmes. Check the full list, eligibility, amount, documents and application steps below.

Scholarship for 12th Class Students 2026-27: Government and Private Schemes, Eligibility, Amount and How to ApplyScholarship for 12th Class students : Class 11 and Class 12 are the years when school costs go up. Tuition fees rise. Books, practicals and travel add more. Many families feel the pressure at exactly the stage when a student needs to focus on board exams. A scholarship for 12th Class students is built for this gap. These are post-matric schemes. They start from Class 11 and continue into college. The money is not a loan. Nothing has to be returned.

Most of these schemes are run by the government. Central schemes are filed on the National Scholarship Portal. State schemes have their own portals, and the portal changes from state to state. A few companies and trusts run their own programmes as well. Below you will find the complete scheme list and who can apply. The amount tables, documents and application steps for both routes follow. The last sections cover status check and what to do when a form is rejected.

Types of Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Scholarships for school students fall into three groups. Knowing your group saves time.

Government Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Government schemes are the largest source of support. They come from two levels. Central schemes are run by ministries of the Government of India. The rules are the same for a student in Kerala and a student in Punjab. Most of these are post-matric schemes, and they are filed on scholarships.gov.in. Our Post Matric Scholarship guide covers the four main central schemes in detail. State schemes are run by state governments. Each state sets its own income limit, its own course list and its own portal. This is why there is no single national deadline.

Private and CSR Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Companies, trusts and foundations run their own programmes under CSR funding. These are smaller in number but easier to apply for. The forms are shorter and the processing is faster. Many are hosted on a company website instead of a government portal.

Tata Capital Pankh Scholarship is open to school students, and the LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship runs a Special Scholarship for students who have passed 10th Class. HDFC Parivartan ECSS Scholarship supports school students alongside college students. The SBI Platinum Jubilee Asha Scholarship runs several categories, so check which one matches your class before you apply.

Merit Based and Income Based Scholarships

Every scheme picks students in one of two ways, or sometimes both.

Scholarship for 12th Class Students: Complete List

This is the working list. Find the scheme that matches your category and state, then read its section below.

Central Government Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Four central schemes cover Class 11 and Class 12. All four are filed on the National Scholarship Portal, and all four use the same income limit of INR 2.5 lakh per year.

Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students

This scheme is for Scheduled Caste students from Class 11 onwards. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment runs it. Class 11 and Class 12 fall under Group 4. The scheme pays an academic allowance, and compulsory non-refundable fees are paid separately on top of that.

Divyang students get 10 per cent extra academic allowance. Students in correspondence or online courses do not get the academic allowance. The same scheme continues into college. Students who later join University of Delhi or another recognised institution can carry it forward.

Post Matric Scholarship for ST Students

Scheduled Tribe students from Class 11 onwards apply under this scheme. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs runs it. This scheme pays a stipend rather than an allowance. Class 11 and Class 12 sit in Group IV, and the group definitions here are different from the SC scheme.

Divyangjan students get an extra disability allowance. Hostellers get INR 800 per month and day scholars get INR 600 per month.

PM-YASASVI Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students

PM-YASASVI supports OBC, EBC and DNT students at the post matric level. Class 11 and Class 12 come under Group 4. This scheme joins an academic allowance and a tuition fee component into one yearly figure.

Students often confuse this scheme with other central schemes for the same categories. Our Dr Ambedkar Scholarship article explains how the central schemes for backward class students differ from each other.

Post Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities

This scheme is run by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. It is open to students with disabilities from Class 11 onwards. One point makes this scheme different from the others. The number of awards is fixed. The scheme carries 17,000 slots per year, and this count includes renewal cases. Half the slots are reserved for female candidates. Fresh applications are taken up only after renewal cases are cleared. Meeting the eligibility rules does not guarantee the scholarship here, because the slots run out.

NMMS Scholarship Renewal in Class 11 and 12

NMMS is not a Class 12 scheme by itself. Students qualify through an exam taken in Class 8. The award then continues through Class 9, Class 10, Class 11 and Class 12, as long as the student keeps meeting the renewal conditions. A student who qualified earlier should file the renewal rather than a fresh form. Full exam and renewal details are in our NMMS Scholarship guide.

State Government Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Every state runs its own post matric scholarship. The first thing you need is the right portal address, because a form filed on the wrong site is usually never processed. Our State Scholarship article carries the scheme level detail for each state.

State Scholarship Portal List for All States and UTs

Find your state in the table below, note the portal and check the route before you register.

States With a Single Scholarship Portal

Seventeen states and union territories run one portal for all their schemes. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland sit in this group. Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab run a state portal too, but send some schemes to NSP as well. This is the simplest model. One registration, one login, one dashboard.

States With More Than One Scholarship Portal

Seven states split their schemes across separate portals. Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Sikkim and Tripura follow this model. The split is usually by category or by class level. Applying on the wrong portal here does not just delay the form. It often means the form is never processed at all.

States That Apply Through the National Scholarship Portal

Twelve states and union territories have no working state portal. Students there file on scholarships.gov.in. The list covers Assam, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, along with six union territories. Uttarakhand students should note that the old state portal is no longer in service, even though many websites still list it.

UP Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Uttar Pradesh runs one of the largest state scholarship programmes in the country. Class 11 and Class 12 students apply at scholarship.up.gov.in. Samaj Kalyan Vibhag handles SC, ST and general category schemes. Backward Class Welfare and Minority Welfare handle their own categories on the same portal. Registration, form filling, correction and status check happen in one place, and our UP Scholarship guide covers each step.

Bihar Post Matric Scholarship for Class 11 and 12

Bihar is the state where students most often apply in the wrong place. It runs three portals.

Check your category certificate first, then open the matching portal. The Bihar Post Matric Scholarship article explains the rate structure and the nine stage process.

MahaDBT Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Maharashtra brings every scholarship scheme onto one Direct Benefit Transfer platform called MahaDBT.

Social Justice, Tribal Development and the education directorates all use this one portal. Every scheme sits in the same place. A student registers once and the portal shows every scheme they qualify for. Login and form details are covered in our MahaDBT Scholarship guide.

CG Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Chhattisgarh splits its portals by education level rather than by category. School students use schoolscholarship.cg.nic.in. Post matric students use postmatric-scholarship.cg.nic.in. The Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development Department manages both, and several websites list the wrong owner department. Our CG Scholarship article carries the scheme list for each portal.

MP Scholarship for 12th Class Students

Madhya Pradesh runs three portals, and the split is by department.

School students in Class 11 and Class 12 usually go to the school education portal. Tribal and SC applicants use MPTAAS, and our MPTAAS Scholarship guide explains its allowance structure.

Scholarship Amount for 12th Class Students

The table below puts the four central schemes side by side at the Class 11 and Class 12 level. State amounts change from state to state, so check your own portal for those.

Hostellers get more than day scholars in almost every scheme. Many students move away from home for Class 11. Those in residential schools attached to Banaras Hindu University and similar institutions should apply under the hosteller category.

Scholarship Eligibility Criteria for 12th Class Students

The rules below appear in nearly every post matric scheme. The exact figure changes by scheme and by state.

Income Limit for 12th Class Scholarship

All four central post matric schemes use the same limit. Family annual income must be below INR 2.5 lakh per year. State schemes set their own figure. Some states use a lower limit for pre-matric schemes and a higher one for post matric. Always read the scheme notification on your state portal before filling the income field. The income certificate must be issued by the competent revenue authority. The figure you type in the form has to match the certificate exactly.

Category and Domicile Requirement

Category certificates must be valid on the date of application. An expired certificate is a common reason forms are sent back. Domicile applies to state schemes only. Central schemes do not ask for it, so a student studying outside their home state can still apply on NSP. Students planning professional courses at institutions such as Anna University should keep both certificates ready. The same documents are asked for again at the college stage.

Which Scholarship for 12th Class Students to Apply For

Match your situation to the row below, then open the scheme section above.

Documents Required for 12th Class Scholarship

Keep scanned copies ready before you open the form. Most portals cap each file well under 500 KB.

• Aadhaar card, with the number linked to your bank account

• Category or caste certificate, where the scheme is category based

• Income certificate from the competent revenue authority

• Class 10 marksheet, and the Class 11 result for Class 12 applicants

• Bank passbook first page showing account number and IFSC

• School bonafide certificate or fee receipt

• Domicile certificate, for state schemes

• Disability certificate, for the DEPwD scheme

• Recent passport size photograph and scanned signature

Names must match across all documents. A spelling difference between the Aadhaar record and the Class 10 marksheet sends more forms back than any other single error.

How to Apply for Scholarship for 12th Class Students

There are two routes. Central schemes go through NSP. State schemes go through the state portal, unless your state routes through NSP as well.

OTR Registration on National Scholarship Portal

One Time Registration comes before everything else on NSP. No scheme form opens without it.

1. Open scholarships.gov.in and select the One Time Registration option.

2. Enter your Aadhaar number and the mobile number linked to it.

3. Complete face authentication as the portal asks.

4. Note down the OTR number generated at the end.

5. Use this OTR number every year, for fresh and renewal forms alike.

Apply Through National Scholarship Portal

Once the OTR number is ready, the scheme form takes a few minutes.

1. Log in with your OTR number and password.

2. Fill your personal, academic, category and bank details.

3. Pick the scheme that matches your category and class from the scheme list.

4. Fill the form and cross-check the income figure against your certificate.

5. Upload the documents in the size and format asked for.

6. Review the form once, then submit it finally.

7. Note the application ID and give the printed form to your school if asked.

Apply Through State Scholarship Portal

State portals follow a similar flow, with the portal address being the only real difference.

1. Open your state portal from the table above and confirm the address.

2. Register as a new user with Aadhaar, mobile number and email.

3. Save the registration number and password sent to your mobile.

4. Complete your profile and open the scheme list.

5. Select the scheme, fill the form and upload documents.

6. Lock or finally submit the form, then take a printout.

7. Hand the printout to your school where the state asks for it.

Gujarat students go through a citizen services portal rather than a scholarship-only site, which adds one navigation step. Our Digital Gujarat Scholarship guide walks through that route.

How to Check 12th Class Scholarship Application Status

Every portal has a status link on its home page. Log in with your application ID or registration number and date of birth, and the current stage will show. Once the amount is released, you can also track it from the bank side through the Public Financial Management System.

Scholarship Status and What It Means

The words on the screen are not always clear. This table explains them.

Scholarship Payment Through DBT

All these scholarships are paid by Direct Benefit Transfer. The money goes straight into the student bank account. No cash is given. No cheque is issued. No agent or middleman is involved at any stage. For the transfer to work, the account must be active and seeded with Aadhaar. A dormant account or a missing Aadhaar link is the most frequent reason a sanctioned scholarship never arrives.

Common Reasons 12th Class Scholarship Applications Get Rejected

Most rejections come from a handful of errors. Each one has a simple fix.

Applying for More Than One Scholarship in 12th Class

A student can hold a central scholarship and a state scholarship together only where both scheme notifications allow it. Most do not. Nearly every scheme carries a clause saying the student must not be receiving another scholarship for the same class in the same year. Filing two forms for the same class usually gets one cancelled, and sometimes both.

There are exceptions. A merit award and a fee waiver are sometimes allowed together. A hostel allowance from one source and a maintenance allowance from another may also be permitted. Read the guidelines on the portal before applying for a second scheme. Minority category students should check this carefully. The Aikyashree Scholarship and central minority schemes overlap for some classes.

Scholarship for 12th Passed Students: What to Apply for Next

The schemes above stop at Class 12. A different set opens once the board result is out, so it helps to know them in advance.

PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship

This scheme is for students who have passed Class 12 and joined a regular degree course. Selection is based on board exam merit, with an income condition attached. It is filed on the same National Scholarship Portal, using the same OTR number. Students joining institutions such as Jadavpur University apply after admission is confirmed.

PMSS for Wards of Defence and CAPF Personnel

The Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme supports dependent wards of defence, CAPF and police personnel who join a professional course after Class 12. State level schemes open at this stage too. Gujarat students, for example, move from school schemes to the MYSY Scholarship once they join a degree or diploma course.

Private and CSR Scholarships After 12th Class

Company funded programmes open up once you join a degree course. The Reliance Foundation Scholarship runs separate undergraduate and postgraduate tracks. The LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship has a General Scholarship for 12th passed students, with awards between INR 15,000 and INR 50,000 per year and an income limit of INR 4,50,000.

Things to Check Before Applying for 12th Class Scholarship

Run through this list before you open the form.

• Confirm the portal address from an official source, not a search result.

• Complete your OTR before the scheme form opens.

• Check that your category certificate is still valid.

• Match the income figure on the form with the certificate.

• Use a bank account in the student's own name.

• Confirm the account is seeded with Aadhaar.

• Keep every document below the portal size limit.

• Check that your school is listed on the portal.

• Complete the final lock or submit step.

• Save the application ID and track it until payment is released.

Scholarship Helpline and Contact Details

Contact the body that runs your scheme rather than a general helpline. It is faster.

Helpline numbers change between sessions. Always take the current number from the official portal contact page.