Document Checklist for Engineering Scholarship Applications

Financial limitations often pose a challenge for students who aspire to become engineers after completing their Class 12. In such circumstances, scholarships act as a crucial support. It is one of the most reliable options to fund their dream of pursuing a BE/BTech degree. However, securing a scholarship is not without its challenges, particularly when meeting the strict eligibility criteria, which relevant documents must back. When filling out a scholarship application, even if a student meets all the eligibility criteria, there is still the risk of missing essential documents needed for the application process. For instance, the AICTE Yashasvi Scholarship Scheme requires applicants to submit a family income certificate confirming an annual income below ₹8 LPA. Without this document, students will not be able to fill out the application, and if they apply for the income certificate, then the minimum wait time is 14 days. This can potentially lead to missing the scholarship application deadline. To avoid such setbacks, preparing a checklist of the documents required for a successful engineering scholarship application process is crucial.

Documents Needed for Engineering Scholarship Application 

ID Proof	Qualifying Exam Marksheets	Entrance Exam Scorecard	Income Certificate
Caste Certificate	Address Proof	Disability Certificate/Caste Certificate	Letter of Recommendation (LoR)
Bank Account Details	Passport-size Photographs	Transgender Certificate	–

Details on Different Documents Needed for Scholarship Application & How to Obtain Them

Students who want to apply for a scholarship to pursue engineering courses after Class 12 can check the following list of documents they need to keep handy in digital format for a successful application. If you do not have the following documents, then do not worry, here’s the explainer on how and where you can procure the required documents from. 

Identity Proof

Providing proof of your ID is mandatory for all types of scholarships. As an identity proof, you need to provide government-issued ID cards like Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Voter ID card, Driving License, etc. You can use any one of these and attach it to the scholarship application form. Keep in mind that PAN Card, Voter ID Card, and the Driving License are applicable for students who are 18 or above. You can get these by applying online with your Aadhaar Card. For a Driving License, you need to give a driving test at your nearest Regional Transport Office (RTO). If you do not have an Aadhaar Card or the card has expired, then you need to visit any Aadhaar enrolment centre near you to update it or get a new one. 

Qualifying Exam Marksheet

Merit-based scholarships for engineering students are offered to students who have scored well in their previous exams. That is why students need to attach their Class 10 & 12 mark sheets as proof that they have achieved the marks required to meet the eligibility criteria of the scholarship. Students usually have their Class 10 & 12 mark sheets with them, but if they do not have them, they can connect with their school or college to get a duplicate one. Getting a duplicate certificate requires you to pay a fee. For schools affiliated to CBSE, the fees for getting a duplicate Class 10 or 12 marksheet range from ₹250 to ₹1000, depending on the number of years since the student has passed the final exam.  

Entrance Exam Scorecard

If a scholarship is especially for students opting for BTech/BE courses after Class 12, then it is important that you attach your entrance exam score card. The entrance exams you can appear in after Class 12 are JEE Main, CUET UG, GUJCET, AP EAMCET, TS EAMCET, KCET, WBJEE, etc. You can obtain the required scorecards by visiting the official website of the exam’s conducting body. So, for example, if you have appeared in the JEE Main exam, then you need to download the scorecard from the official NTA website by providing your phone number, application number, and password. 

Income Certificate 

Scholarships which are based on need require you to provide your annual income certificate issued by a relevant authority. Students who wish to apply for a scholarship for BE/BTech courses must apply for the income certificate at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The average wait time for getting the income certificate is 14 days. There is no application fee, and the applicant must submit their bank statements, salary slips, ID proof like PAN Card or Aadhaar Card, residential proof like electricity bill, and proof of monthly expenditure.

Caste Certificate

Certain scholarships designed specifically for groups such as SC, ST, and DNT communities require candidates to submit their caste certificate as proof of belonging to the respective community. The respective state government authorities issue caste certificates, and the process varies depending on the state. Typically, officials such as the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Collector, Deputy Commissioner, Revenue Officer, or Sub-Divisional Magistrate issue the caste certificate. For instance, in Kerala, caste certificates are issued by the Revenue Inspector or Village Administrative Officer. In Punjab, the Sub-Divisional Office handles this task, while in Uttar Pradesh, the District Magistrate Office of the respective district is responsible for issuing the caste certificate.

Address Proof

Some scholarships offered to Indian students who wish to pursue engineering after Class 12 have specific criteria, such as belonging to a certain city or state. That is why submitting proof of domicile is mandatory for such a scholarship. For example, the PKC WEnyan Scholarship Program is only for students belonging to Maharashtra. That is why applicants are required to submit a domicile certificate indicating that they belong to a city or village located in Maharashtra. If you do not have a domicile certificate, then you need to apply as soon as you can because the whole process takes about 14 days to complete. You can apply for the domicile certificate on the state-wise e-District website. No fee is required to issue the certificate.

Disability Certificate

There are scholarships like TATA AIA Paras Scholarship Program for Transgender/PWD Students, which are specially for students who are considered in the PwD category or are transgender. For such scholarships, students need to have their disability certificate, which specifies the type of disability and the percentage of disability. Students need to get a Unique disability ID (UDID) from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, to prove that they are disabled and meet the eligibility criteria. The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment runs a dedicated website for UDID registration, and students can visit that website for online registration.

Transgender Certificate 

Some scholarships are specifically for transgender students to help them pursue engineering courses after Class 12. However, students need to prove that they are eligible for the scholarship, and for that, they need to provide the Transgender (TG) certificate. Suppose a candidate does not have a TG certificate; in that case, they can visit the official website of the National Portal for Transgender Persons, under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, to apply for one in online mode. 

Bank Account Details

Students also need to provide their bank account details during the application process of the engineering scholarships so that if they get selected, they can get the scholarship amount in their bank account. All bank account-related details are available on the bank passbook. If you do not have a bank account, then you can visit the nearest branch of any RBI-registered bank in your locality to open a bank account. Alternatively, some banks also offer online account opening services, so you can use that as well.

Letter of Recommendation (LoR)

A letter of recommendation is an important document that you need to procure from a credible person who is well aware of your life and personality. If you do not have a LoR then you can contact your teachers and professors who know you well enough to write a recommendation letter for you. 

Photograph of the Applicant

Applicants are required to upload a passport-size photograph of themselves during the BE/BTech scholarship application. The picture should be a recent one, the face should be clearly visible, the candidate should be wearing formal or decent clothes, the picture should be of high quality, no editing or filters are allowed, and the picture should have colour. If a candidate does not have any recent pictures, then it is recommended that they click a few and get them scanned and uploaded in digital format. 

Also Read: Low Rank in JEE Main? Don’t Worry – Here’s How You Can Still Study Engineering with Scholarships

Tips for Engineering Scholarship Application Document Preparation

• Always check the validity of your documents. For example, an income certificate is valid for one fiscal year. 
• Keep your documents in PDF format, as it is the commonly accepted format for document submission for scholarship applications.
• Make sure you do not submit any fraudulent documents.
• Every scholarship is unique; thus, the documents required will also differ from one scholarship to another. You need to ensure that you read the document requirements carefully and then attach the documents. 
• Always ensure that you add the correct size of the document in the application form. 

Real-Life Examples of Problems During Scholarship Applications Due to Incomplete Documents

A Quora user highlights how her application was rejected due to a missing document, and the scholarship providers are asking her to submit it as soon as possible. This one mistake on her end has delayed the application process, and thus, the disbursement of the scholarship amount will also be delayed. 

A user on Reddit asked for help on the platform as they were confused why their scholarship application was rejected due to a missing document issue. She does not remember which document she missed.

Looking for scholarships for engineering courses? Fill out the JEE Main Scholarship Interest Form 2025 to get access to the best scholarships.

FAQs

What documents are needed to apply for engineering scholarships?

Applicants typically need to submit ID proof, previous qualifying exam mark sheets, entrance exam scorecard, income certificate, caste certificate (if applicable), address proof, letter of recommendation (LoR), disability certificate (if applicable), bank account details, passport-sized photographs, and transgender certificate (if applicable).

What happens if I do not upload a document during the scholarship application?

If you fail to upload a mandatory document, you will not be able to submit the application. Uploading incorrect documents can lead to application rejection.

Can I upload a fake document to get a scholarship for BTech/BE?

No, submitting fake documents is strictly prohibited. Scholarship authorities rigorously verify documents, and if falsification is detected, the application will be rejected immediately.

How many letters of recommendation are usually needed for a scholarship application?

Typically, 1 or 2 letters of recommendation are required. These should ideally be from teachers or professors who can attest to your engineering skills and academic performance.

Do I need to provide proof of income for engineering scholarships?

Yes, many scholarships require proof of financial need. Students must submit an income certificate issued by a competent authority to verify eligibility for need-based scholarships.