Scholarship for College Students 2026-27: Central, State and Private Schemes for UG and PG Courses

Scholarship for college students comes from the Central Government, state governments and private companies. Check the full list, eligibility, amount, documents and how to apply below.

Scholarship for College Students 2026-27: Central, State and Private Schemes for UG and PG CoursesScholarship for college students 2026-27 can pay your tuition fee, hostel charges or monthly living costs after 12th Class. Many students do not apply because they think only toppers get this money. That is not true. Some college scholarships look at your marks. Others look at your family income, category or course. A few look at all three. Money comes from three places: the Central Government, your state government and private companies. Each one has its own form and its own portal. Students who are still in Class 11 or 12 should first read our Scholarship for 12th Class Students guide. This page is for students who have already joined a college, or are about to. Below, you will find the full list of college scholarships, amounts, eligibility, documents and the application process.

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Types of Scholarship for College Students

College scholarships fall into three main groups.

Younger brothers and sisters in Class 9 or 10 can check our Scholarship for 10th Class Students page.

Government Scholarships for College Students

Government scholarships are the biggest source of help for college students. Central schemes follow the same rules in every state. Most of them run on the National Scholarship Portal. State schemes change from state to state. Each state decides its own income limit and course list.

Private and CSR Scholarships for College Students

Private scholarships are given by companies from their CSR budget. Each company runs its own portal. Many of them ask for an aptitude test or an interview. The amount is often higher than government schemes, but seats are fewer.

Merit Based and Need Based Scholarships

Some scholarships reward marks. Some help families with low income. A merit based scholarship looks at your Class 12 or college marks. A need based scholarship looks at your family income and category. Many private schemes use both. This is called merit-cum-means.

List of Scholarships for College Students

The table below lists the main scholarships for college students across India.

Central Government Scholarship for College Students

Most central scholarships run on one website, scholarships.gov.in. This website is the National Scholarship Portal, or NSP. You register once and apply to the scheme that fits your category and course. Our National Scholarship Portal guide explains every NSP scheme in detail. Most NSP schemes open in June and close in October.

Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students

This is the best-known central scholarship for college students who scored well in Class 12. It is also called PM-USP CSSS. The Ministry of Education runs it. You must score above the 80th percentile of successful students in your stream from your own board. Family income must be within INR 4.5 lakh a year. The scheme covers regular degree and PG students. 

This includes central universities such as University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University and Jamia Millia Islamia. State and private universities are covered too. Distance, correspondence and diploma courses are not covered. Up to 82,000 fresh scholarships are given each year, and half go to girls. Fresh applications do not open every session, so check the portal before you plan your form.

Post Matric Scholarship for SC, ST and OBC Students

Post matric schemes are the largest welfare scholarships for college students from reserved categories.

They cover students after 10th Class, right up to postgraduate level. The scholarship has two parts. The first part pays your compulsory non-refundable fees. The second part is an academic allowance. Your state government selects the students. Our Post Matric Scholarship article explains how these schemes work.

AICTE Pragati, Saksham and Swanath Scholarship

AICTE runs three scholarships for students in technical courses. Pragati is for girls in the first year of a degree or diploma. Saksham is for students with 40 per cent or more disability. Swanath is for orphans and students whose family faced a crisis. All three pay INR 50,000 a year. Applications go through NSP.

PM Scholarship Scheme for College Students

PMSS helps the children of people who serve the country in uniform. It covers wards of ex-servicemen, CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel, martyred state police personnel and RPF staff. The scheme is for professional degree courses after 12th Class. Our PM Scholarship Scheme guide covers each of the four routes.

State Government Scholarship for College Students

Every state runs its own college scholarship, but the portal is different in each state. This is where most students make mistakes. Some states have one portal. Some have three. Some have none at all. Our State Scholarship article carries the full portal list for all 36 states and union territories.

How State Scholarship Portals Work

States follow three different models for their scholarship portals.

Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Sikkim and Tripura run more than one portal. In these states, a form filed on the wrong portal may never be processed.

Scholarship Portals in High-Demand States

The table below shows the college scholarship portal for some of the biggest states.

Each state has its own guide on our site.

• College students in Uttar Pradesh apply under Dashmottar, explained in our UP Scholarship guide.

• Bihar splits students by category, as our Bihar Post Matric Scholarship article shows.

• Maharashtra puts every scheme on one portal, covered in our MahaDBT Scholarship guide.

• Gujarat's category schemes sit inside the Digital Gujarat Scholarship portal.

• High scorers in Gujarat can also check the MYSY Scholarship.

• West Bengal's merit scheme is the Swami Vivekananda Scholarship.

• Minority students in West Bengal apply for the Aikyashree Scholarship.

• SC and ST students in Madhya Pradesh use the MPTAAS Scholarship portal.

• Chhattisgarh splits portals by level, as our CG Scholarship guide explains.

• Punjab students now apply through NSP, covered in our Punjab Scholarship article.

Private Scholarship for College Students

Private college scholarships usually pay more, but they select fewer students. Most of them ask for good marks and a family income below a set limit. Many also hold an online test or interview.

Reliance Foundation Scholarship

Reliance Foundation runs one track for undergraduate students and one for postgraduate students. The UG track is for first-year students in any stream. It gives up to INR 2 lakh for the full course to up to 5,000 students. The PG track is for first-year students in nine subjects, including Computer Science and Life Sciences. It gives up to INR 6 lakh. Read our Reliance Foundation Scholarship guide for the aptitude test pattern.

SBI Platinum Jubilee Asha Scholarship

SBI Foundation runs this scholarship with seven separate tracks. UG students get INR 75,000 a year. PG students get INR 1.5 lakh a year. Students at IITs and top medical colleges get INR 2 lakh. IIM students get INR 5 lakh. You can apply under only one track. Our SBI Asha Scholarship article explains each track.

HDFC Bank Parivartan ECSS

This scholarship helps students whose family is going through money trouble or a personal crisis. It covers students from school up to postgraduate level. The support goes up to INR 75,000. Details are in our HDFC Parivartan Scholarship guide.

LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship

LIC gives this scholarship to students from families with low income. Its General Scholarship is for 12th passed students joining college. The amount ranges from INR 15,000 to INR 50,000 a year. Our LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship guide has the full process.

Bharti Airtel Scholarship

This scholarship pays the full annual fee for first-year engineering students. It also covers hostel and mess charges and gives a laptop in the first year. Only top 50 NIRF engineering institutes are covered, such as IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IIT Madras. Renewal needs 6 CGPA and 75 per cent attendance. Read our Bharti Airtel Scholarship article for the college list.

ONGC Scholarship

ONGC Foundation gives INR 48,000 a year to first-year students in four courses. These are Engineering, MBBS, MBA and a Master's in Geology or Geophysics. A total of 2,000 scholarships are given, and half go to girls. Students must finish NSP registration before they apply. See our ONGC Scholarship guide for the steps.

One more private scheme is worth a look. UG, Diploma and ITI students can apply for the Tata Capital Pankh Scholarship. It gives up to INR 18,000.

Course-wise Scholarship for College Students

Your course often decides which scholarship suits you best.

Scholarship for Engineering Students

Engineering students have the widest choice of all. Girls can apply for AICTE Pragati. Students at top 50 NIRF institutes can try Bharti Airtel. IIT students have their own SBI Asha track. ONGC also covers first-year engineering.

Scholarship for Medical Students

MBBS students have fewer options, but the amounts are high. The SBI Asha Medical track covers AIIMS and top 50 NIRF medical colleges. This includes AIIMS New Delhi, CMC Vellore and Maulana Azad Medical College. ONGC also covers first-year MBBS students.

Scholarship for Postgraduate Students

PG students get a separate set of schemes. CSSS pays INR 20,000 a year at PG level. Reliance runs a PG track for nine subjects. UGC runs the National Scholarship for PG Studies.

Scholarship Amount for College Students

The table below shows how much each major scholarship pays.

State scholarship amounts change from state to state. Check your state portal for the exact figure.

Eligibility Criteria for College Scholarships

Every scheme has its own rules, but three checks come up again and again.

Income Limit

Family income is the first thing most schemes check. Post matric schemes allow up to INR 2.5 lakh a year. Other NSP schemes range from INR 2.5 lakh to INR 8 lakh. CSSS allows INR 4.5 lakh. Private schemes set their own limit. Reliance UG goes up to INR 15 lakh.

Marks and Course

Many college scholarships ask for a minimum score in your last exam. CSSS needs the 80th percentile in Class 12. SBI Asha needs 75 per cent or 7.5 CGPA. Reliance UG needs 60 per cent in Class 12. Most schemes also need a regular, full-time course at a recognised college.

Category and Domicile

Some schemes are open only to certain categories or states. Post matric schemes need a valid SC, ST or OBC certificate. State schemes need a domicile certificate of that state. NEC Merit and Ishan Uday are only for North East residents.

Documents Required for College Scholarships

Keep these documents scanned and ready before you start any form.

• Aadhaar card linked to your mobile number

• Bank passbook of an account in your own name, seeded with Aadhaar

• Income certificate from a competent authority

• Class 12 marksheet and last college marksheet

• Admission letter or bonafide certificate from your college

• Fee receipt for the current year

• Caste certificate, if you apply under a category

• Domicile certificate, for state schemes

• Disability certificate, for disability schemes

A self-written income declaration is not accepted in most government schemes.

How to Apply for Scholarship for College Students

The steps depend on where your scholarship runs.

One Time Registration on NSP

You must finish One Time Registration, or OTR, before any NSP form.

• Go to scholarships.gov.in and click on the OTR option.

• Enter your Aadhaar number and linked mobile number.

• Verify the OTP sent to your phone.

• Complete face authentication on the NSP OTR app.

• Fill in your basic details as shown on Aadhaar.

• Submit and save your 14-digit OTR number.

You will use the same OTR number every year, including for renewal.

Apply Through NSP

Once your OTR is ready, the form takes a few steps.

• Log in to scholarships.gov.in with your OTR number.

• Pick the scheme that matches your category and course.

• Fill in your personal, academic and bank details.

• Upload your documents.

• Check every entry once.

• Submit and download the confirmation page.

Your college verifies the form first. After that, it goes to the district or state officer.

Apply Through a State Portal

State portals work in a similar way, with small changes.

• Open your state's scholarship portal.

• Register with your Aadhaar and mobile number.

• Log in and choose the right scheme.

• Fill in the form and upload your documents.

• Submit and print the application.

• Give a copy to your college, if your state asks for it.

Apply for Private Scholarships

Private scholarships have their own websites. Register on the scholarship's official portal. Fill in the form and upload your documents. Some schemes then send you a link for an online test. Never pay anyone to fill a scholarship form.

Scholarship Application Status and DBT Payment

After you submit, keep checking your form until the money arrives.

Application Status and What It Means

Your dashboard shows one of these status labels.

If your form is stuck at pending for a long time, contact your college's nodal officer.

Scholarship Payment Through DBT

Government scholarship money comes through Direct Benefit Transfer. The money goes straight into your Aadhaar-seeded bank account. If your status shows Sanctioned but nothing arrives, check that your account is active. Also check that Aadhaar is seeded with it. You can call the PFMS helpline for payment problems.

Common Reasons College Scholarship Applications Get Rejected

Most rejections happen for reasons you can fix in time.

Applying for More Than One Scholarship

Yes, in many cases you can hold more than one scholarship. From the 2026-27 academic year, NSP puts every scheme into one of two groups. Merit-based schemes include NMMSS, CSSS and INSPIRE. Welfare-based schemes include Pre Matric and Post Matric scholarships for SC, ST, OBC and minority students. A student with a welfare scholarship will not be denied a merit scholarship if eligible. The same is true the other way round.

NSP now saves your details from the first form. For the next form, you only add scheme-specific details. Private scholarships have their own rules on this, so read each one before applying.

Scholarships to Study Abroad After Graduation

Once you finish your degree, some well-known scholarships can help you study abroad.

Each one has a detailed guide on our site.

• UK master's students should read our Chevening Scholarship guide.

• Oxford aspirants can check the Rhodes Scholarship.

• Germany-bound students can start with the DAAD Scholarship.

• Europe-wide programmes are covered under Erasmus Mundus Scholarship.

• Study in Japan is explained in our MEXT Scholarship article.

Helpline and Contact Details

Use these numbers if you get stuck.

For state scholarships, use the helpline on your state portal. Always contact your college's nodal officer first for verification problems.