DCE Scholarships Kerala 2025 – Complete Guide on Eligibility, Awards & Application

The Kerala DCE scholarship 2025-26 is one-of-a-kind scholarship program run by the Government of Kerala and its subsidiary departments such as the Department of Minority Welfare and the Department of Collegiate Education.

In the academic calendar of 2024-25 alone, nearly 14 Lakh plus students registered themselves for a range of scholarships under this scheme, out of which nearly 4.70 Lakh students were found eligible to avail the benefits of their respective scholarship program. As per the dcescholarship.kerala.gov.in, ₹ 239 Crore was the total amount transferred to all of the eligible students. This initiative by the Kerala government has helped numerous students of Kerala to overcome their adversities and achieve great heights in life through constant financial support. 

With nearly 15+ scholarships, the Kerala DCE scholarship program offers a wide range of benefits to numerous meritorious students and minority groups. In this article we shall explore all the major individual scholarships programs with active participation in the recent years.

List of Major DCE Scholarships 

Tentative Application Timeline for Major DCE Scholarships 

Scholarship Name	Application Timeline*
Bhinnaseshy Souhrida Scholarship (Blind/PH scholarship)	Between July and October
Central Sector Scholarship	Between August and October
Hindi Scholarship	Between July and October
Jilla Merit Scholarship	Between August and December
Music Fine Arts Scholarship	Between July and August
Muslim Nadar Girls Scholarship	Between September and December
Sanskrit Scholarship	Between July and October
State Merit Scholarship	Between July and October
Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship	Between August and December
Post-Matric Scholarship	Between July and October
Merit Scholarship to the Children of School Teacher	Between July and October
Muslim Girls Scholarship (Paloli Committee Scholarship)	Between August and November

* Please note that the application timeline mentioned in the above table may change at the discretion of the scholarship provider

DCE Scholarships – Eligibility Criteria and Scholarship Benefits 

1. Bhinnaseshy Souhrida Scholarship (Blind/PH scholarship):

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• The student must be a permanent resident of Kerala
• The program is applicable to all blind/physically handicapped (PH) students.
• The annual family income of all the blind students should not exceed ₹ 2.5 Lakhs.
• The annual family income of all the physically handicapped students should not exceed ₹ 4.5 Lakhs.

Scholarship Benefits – The eligible students shall receive a fee waiver, waiver in hostel charges, boarding charges, and regular monthly financial assistance depending on their category.

2. Central Sector Scholarship:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• The parental income of the student must not exceed ₹ 6 Lakhs student must be a permanent resident of Kerala
• The student must be pursuing a regular UG/PG course, including professional courses such as MBBS, Engineering and others.
• The student must not be availing the benefits of any other scholarships.
• The annual family income of all the physically handicapped students should not exceed ₹ 4.5 Lakhs.

Scholarship Benefits –

• For UG students: ₹ 1,000 per month (max ₹ 10,000 for an academic year).
• For PG students: ₹ 2,000 per month (max ₹ 20,000 for an academic year).
• For professional courses: ₹ 1,000 per month for the first 3 years (max ₹ 10,000 for an academic year) and ₹ 2,000 per month for the 4th and 5th year (max ₹ 20,000 for an academic year).

3. Hindi Scholarship:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• Students who’ve taken Hindi as a subject during their UG or PG degree can apply for this scholarship.

Scholarship Benefits –

• For UG students: ₹ 500 per month (max cap 180 students).
• For PG students: ₹ 1,000 per month (max cap 59 students)

4. Jilla Merit Scholarship:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• The students must be pursuing a Higher Secondary/VHSC/ITI, or Polytechnic course.
• The student must have scored an A+ in SSLC exam conducted by the Board of Public Examination,

Scholarship Benefits – The students are eligible for financial assistance of ₹ 1,250 per annum.

5. Music Fine Arts Scholarship: 

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• Students studying at a government-aided Music college, or a government-aided Fine arts college can apply for this scholarship.

Scholarship Benefits – The students are eligible for financial assistance of ₹ 1,500 per annum.

6. Muslim Nadar Girls Scholarship:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• The girl student should belong to the forward Muslim BPL family and Backwards Community.
• The girl student must be pursuing HSC/VHSC UG course at a government-funded Arts and Science institution.

Scholarship Benefits – Each muslim girl scholar is eligible for financial assistance of ₹ 125 per annum.

7. Sanskrit Scholarship:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• First preference will be given to students whose main subject is Sanskrit in their UG/PG.
• Second preference will be given to students who are studying Sanskrit as one of the subjects in their UG/PG.

Scholarship Benefits –

• For UG students: ₹ 200 per month to each scholar (max cap 55 students)
• For PG students: ₹ 200 per month to each scholar (max cap 25 students)

8. State Merit Scholarship:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• The student should be pursuing a UG or a PG course in a government-aided college/university.
• The students should have scored 50% or above in the last qualifying exam.
• The annual family income of the student should not exceed ₹ 1 Lakh..

Scholarship Benefits –

• For UG students: ₹ 1,250 per month (max cap 300 students)
• For PG students: ₹ 1,500 per month (max cap 150 students)

9. Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• First-year UG or PG students pursuing a course from a government-aided college/university are eligible.
• The students should have scored 50% or above in the last qualifying exam.
• The student should belong to a BPL family.

Scholarship Benefits – Each scholar is eligible for financial assistance of ₹ 10,000 per annum.

10. Post-Matric Scholarship:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• First-year UG,PG, or PhD students pursuing a course from a government-aided higher secondary college/university are eligible.
• The scholarship will be given to only one student in a family.
• The students must fall under the guidelines issued by the Central government.
• The annual family income of the student must not exceed ₹ 2 Lakhs.
• The student must belong to a Minority Community (Muslim, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians or Parsis).
• The student must have obtained a score of 50% and above in the last Board examination they’ve attended.

Scholarship Benefits – The scholarship covers the course’s admission fee, tuition fee, and maintenance allowance.

11. Merit Scholarship to the Children of School Teachers:

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

• The student must be a First-year UG student pursuing a course from HSC/VHSC government-aided Arts and Science college/university..

Scholarship Benefits –

• For Plus One students: ₹ 50 per month.
• For UG students: ₹ 50 per month.

12. Muslim Girls Scholarship (Paloli Committee Scholarship):

Provider – Department of Collegiate Education

Eligibility Criteria –

1. The student should be a Muslim girl and a resident of Kerala, pursuing their first-year of UG or any other higher degree from a government-aided college/university.
2. The student eligible for a hostel stipend must be staying at a recognized hostel community.
3. The annual family income of the student must not exceed ₹ 2.50 Lakhs.
4. Muslim girls who’ve demonstrated merit by getting admitted to a self-financing college are also eligible.
5. The student must have obtained a score of 50% and above in the last examination they’ve attended.

Scholarship Benefits –

1. For UG students: ₹ 3,000 per annum (max cap 3000 students).
2. For PG students: ₹ 4,000 per annum (max cap 1,000 students).
3. For students pursuing Professional courses: ₹ 5,000 per annum (max cap 1,000 students).
4. Hostel stipend: ₹ 10,000 per annum (max cap 1,000 students).

(Please note – students eligible for hostel stipend will not be eligible to avail other benefits).

DCE Scholarships Application Process

Here’s how you can apply for a DCE scholarship –

1. Visit the official DCE scholarship portal (dcescholarships.kerala.gov.in) and search for the scholarship you wish to apply for.
2. Before filling out the application form, you must gather all the supporting documents and check your eligibility. For this, do check the scholarship guidelines carefully.
3. Scroll down to the bottom and click on the ‘New Registration’ option.
4. After submitting your personal details you will receive a ‘Registration ID’. Use this ID to login. 
5. Choose the scholarship you wish to apply for. Once you’ve filled the application form and attached all of the supporting documents, you can submit your application.

(Please note – Submit your application well before the deadline, adhere to the submission instructions specified, and take the printout for your own benefit). 

1. Your submitted application and documents will be verified by the concerned authorities, and your selection will be entirely based on your eligibility and merit.
2. Regarding your selection, you will be either notified through the scholarship portal or by email.
3. Make sure that you properly review the terms and conditions specified in your acceptance letter. Also, make sure that you follow the instructions mentioned in the acceptance letter.

DCE Scholarship – Documents Required

Here’s a curated list of the essential documents required for applying for the DCE scholarship –

1. ID proof
2. Birth certificate
3. Caste certificate
4. Domicile certificate
5. Marksheets of the last qualifying exam attended by the student
6. Aadhar card and Bank details
7. Family’s income history (both parents)
8. Proof of admission to the institution
9. Course certificate, certifying that you’re pursuing a valid course from a recognized/govt. Aided institution 

You may also read: Kerala Scholarships 2025

DCE Scholarship Awarded Students List

You can check the ‘Awarded Students List’ to check whether you’ve been selected or not. Here’s how you can check your application and scholarship status –

1. Go to the official DCE scholarship website.

2. Click on the ‘Awarded Students List’ on the left corner of the webpage.

3. Select the year (you can also view the awarded students from previous years using the dropdown list) and scholarship status (‘Fresh’ if you’re a first-time applicant and ‘Renewal’ if you’re renewing your scholarship status).

4. Under the Scholarship Type, select the scholarship you’ve applied for.

5. Enter your State, District, Institution Type, and Name of the Institution.

6. A list will be displayed. If your scholarship application has been approved, your name will be on the list. You can check your application and scholarship status here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money will I get from the DCE scholarship?

The amount received entirely depends on the scholarship you’ve applied for, and the category you fall into. There are different scholarship amounts set for UG and PG students.

Which DCE scholarship specifically supports female students?

The Muslim Girls Scholarship (Paloli Committee Scholarship) and the Muslim Nadar Girls Scholarship are some of the scholarships that specifically support female students.

Can I apply for more than one DCE scholarship?

Yes, you can apply for more than one Kerala DCE scholarship. However, you will only be able to avail the benefits of only one scholarship.

How can I check the status of my DCE scholarship application?

You can either check the ‘Registered Students List’ on the home page of dcescholarship.kerala.gov.in, or you can log in using your registration id to check the status of your application.

Does a DCE scholarship need renewal?

Yes, a DCE scholarship needs to be renewed every year. You can do it easily by logging in to the DCE portal, checking for renewal updates on the notifications panel, and submitting the renewal application with all of the prescribed supporting documents.