Ministry of Education Scholarships – Key Dates, Benefits & Eligibility Criteria

The application deadlines for key Ministry of Education Scholarships including the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students and the AICTE Saksham Scholarship Scheme for Specially Abled Students is November 30, 2025. On the other hand, the applications for the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship are expected to close in December 2025 (tentative).

Scholarship Registration and Login

Since each scheme has its own set of documents and eligibility requirements, applicants should review the guidelines carefully, and ensure that they complete their applications well before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025 – Important Deadline

The application process for the Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025 follows a set timeline that students must adhere to in order to ensure timely submission of all required documents. Please check the list given below to ensure that you don’t miss any deadlines.

Ministry of Education Scholarships – Key Dates

Name of the Scholarship Application Deadline
Central Sector Scheme Of Scholarships For College And University Students November 30, 2025
PM USPY SSS JKL (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan Yojana – Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) November 30, 2025
AICTE Saksham Scholarship Scheme For Specially Abled Student  November 30, 2025
AICTE Pragati Scholarship Scheme For Girl Students November 30, 2025
National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (Rajasthan) November 16, 2025
Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship December 2025 (Tentative)

Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025 – Eligibility

The following guidelines will help you identify whether you fulfil the eligibility criteria and meet the academic requirements or not. 

Central Sector Scheme Of Scholarships For College And University Students

  • The student must have scored 80 percentile or above in Class 12 (10+2 pattern or equivalent) from their respective board of examination
  • The student must be pursuing a regular UG/PG course
  • The annual family income of the student must be less than ₹4.5 lakh
  • Diploma students are not eligible under the scheme
  • Students who had dropped out after class 12 are not eligible under the scheme

PM – USPY SSS JKL (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan Yojana – Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh)

  • The students should be permanent residents of the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh
  • Students who qualify for the national-level tests like NEET, JEE, CLAT, etc. are also eligible to apply
  • Only those students who are willing to pursue their higher education from outside the union territories of J&K and Ladakh are eligible
  • Students seeking lateral entry admission must have passed a 10+3 diploma in engineering from polytechnic institutes recognized by the Board of Technical Education, J&K
  • The family income of a student should not be more than ₹8 lakh per year from all sources
  • Students must fulfill the minimum age limit and criteria as prescribed by the institution/university

AICTE Saksham Scholarship Scheme For Specially Abled Students 

  • The candidate must be enrolled in the first year of a diploma/degree-level program or the second year of a diploma/degree-level program through lateral entry at any AICTE-approved institution in the relevant academic year.
  • The applicant must be a specially-abled student with a minimum disability of 40%
  • The annual family income from all sources should not exceed ₹8 lakh during the current financial year
  • A valid income certificate issued by the State/UT Government must be provided

AICTE Pragati Scholarship Scheme For Girl Students

  • Applicants must be admitted to the 1st year or 2nd year (through lateral entry only) of the technical diploma/degree programme of an AICTE-approved college/institute in the current academic year through the centralised admission process of the State/Central Government.
  • Two females per family are eligible to apply for the scholarship
  • The annual family income of the applicant must not exceed ₹8 lakh during the preceding financial year

National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship

  • Applicants must be promoted from Class 8 to Class 9 to be eligible to start receiving the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship
  • To continue the scholarship in Classes 10 and 12, awardees must be promoted from Class 9 to 10 and from Class 11 to 12 in their first attempt
  • Awardees must obtain a minimum of 60% marks in the Class 10 examination (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students) to continue receiving the scholarship
  • The annual family income of the applicants should not exceed ₹3,50,000
  • Students studying in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are not eligible for this scheme

Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship

For Direct Entry –

Students who’ve completed or are pursuing the final year of four (or five) year undergraduate or five year integrated M.Tech. or 2 year M.Sc. or five year undergraduate postgraduate dual degree programs from IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERSs/IIEST and centrally funded IIITs will be eligible for the scholarship. Minimum CGPA/CPI requirement is 8.0 out of 10.0. For applicants in the five year integrated or dual degree programs, if separate CGPAs/CPIs are awarded for UG and PG parts of the program, the CGPA/CPI of the UG part (first four years) will be considered. 

OR 

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Students who’ve completed or are pursuing the final year of four (or five) year undergraduate or five year integrated M.Tech. or five year integrated M.Sc. or 2 year M.Sc. Or five year undergraduate-postgraduate dual degree programs in Science and Technology streams from any other Institute/University recognized in India (not covered in the above paragraph). These candidates should have secured a minimum CGPA of 8 or equivalent apart from a minimum score of 650 in the respective GATE subject, or a UGC/CSIR JRF rank of 100 or less, or those with NBHM fellowship. 

OR

Students who’ve qualified GATE and are pursuing or have completed M.Tech./MS by research at one of the PMRF Granting Institutions having a minimum CGPA or CPI of 8.0 (on a 10-point scale) with a minimum of four courses at the time of application.

For Lateral Entry –

  • If you are currently pursuing Ph.D. (regular or upgraded from M.S./M.Tech./M.Sc.) or Direct Ph.D at the PMRF granting institutes, you can apply for this scholarship.
  • You must have secured a CGPA of at least 8.5 after completing a minimum of 4 FULL courses (other than Research Methodology/Ethics/Project course etc) at one of the PMRF granting institutes.
  • You should apply within the following time limits: 
    • 12 months from the date of joining for Ph.D. (if you joined for Ph.D. after completing your Master’s degree).
    • 24 months from the date of joining for Direct Ph.D. (if you joined for Ph.D. after completing your Bachelor’s degree).
    • Up-gradation from M.S./M.Tech.: 12 months from the date of up-gradation to Ph.D. from M.S./M.Tech. (OR) 24 months from the date of joining for M.S./M.Tech.
    • Up-gradation from M.Sc.: 24 months from the date of up-gradation to Ph.D. from M.Sc. Such students should complete at least 4 FULL Ph.D. level courses after their date of up-gradation to Ph.D. 4.

Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025 – Benefits

The Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025 offer crucial financial support to help students continue their studies without the burden of educational expenses. Take a look at the following benefits:

Central Sector Scheme Of Scholarships For College And University Students

  • 12,000 per annum at graduation level for the first three years of College and University courses
  • 20,000 per annum at PG level
  • Students pursuing professional courses (5 years/Integrated course) will get 20,000 per annum in the 4 th and 5 th year
  • Students pursuing technical courses such as B.Tech, B.Engg. will get 12,000 p.a. for 1st , 2nd and 3rd year and 20,000 in the 4th year

PM – USPY SSS JKL (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan Yojana – Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh)

  • For students pursuing B.A./B.Com./B.Sc./B.Sc.(Hon.)/ BBA/BCA – ₹30,000 Academic Fee Coverage + ₹1 Lakh Maintenance Allowance per annum.
  • For students pursuing B.E./B.Tech./B.Pharma/B.Arch/Hotel Management & Catering Technology/B.Sc.(Nursing)/BA LLB (from NLUs) – ₹1.25 Lakh Academic Fee Coverage + ₹1 Lakh Maintenance Allowance per annum.
  • For students pursuing MBBS/B.D.S./BAMS and allied medicinal courses – ₹3 Lakh Academic Fee Coverage + ₹1 Lakh Maintenance Allowance per annum.

AICTE Saksham Scholarship Scheme For Specially Abled Student 

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An amount of ₹50,000 per annum is awarded for every year of study, up to a maximum of 4 years for students admitted in the first year and up to 3 years for students admitted directly into the second year through lateral entry.

AICTE Pragati Scholarship Scheme For Girl Students

The selected students receive ₹50,000 per annum for every year of study as a lump sum amount towards payment of college fees, purchase of books, purchase of equipment, purchase of laptops and software, and purchase of desktops.

National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship

Selected students will receive ₹12,000 annually (₹1000 per month), provided that they meet the eligibility criteria for the scholarship.

Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship

Year Scholarship Amount
Year 1 ₹ 70,000
Year 2 ₹ 70,000
Year 3 ₹ 75,000
Year 4 ₹ 80,000
Year 5 ₹ 80,000

Additionally, the selected PMRF fellows are also eligible for a research grant of ₹2 lakh per annum (total amount of ₹10 lakh).

Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025 – How to Apply?

Applying for the Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025 is a simple and fully online process. You can click on the links below in order to apply for the following scholarships. 

Ministry of Education Application Links

Name of the Scholarship Application Link
Central Sector Scheme Of Scholarships For College And University Students Click Here 
AICTE Saksham Scholarship Scheme For Specially Abled Student 
AICTE Pragati Scholarship Scheme For Girl Students
National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship
PM – USPY SSS JKL (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan Yojana – Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) Click Here 
Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Click Here 

Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025 – Document Requirements

Here is a detailed checklist of documents required for the Ministry of Education Scholarships (Government of India). Take a look –

  • Aadhaar Card (mandatory for most MoE schemes)
  • Student’s Photograph (recent, passport size)
  • Signature of the student (scanned)
  • Class 10 Marksheet
  • Class 12 Marksheet
  • Latest Academic Marksheet (semester/yearly, if applicable)
  • Bonafide Certificate from current institute
  • Admission Proof (Fee receipt / Seat allotment letter / Admission letter)
  • Class Certificate (for NMMS, Class 7 & 8 results may be required)
  • Valid Income Certificate issued by: Tehsildar / SDM / Competent Authority (as per state rules)
  • Student’s Bank Passbook (first page showing name, account number, IFSC)
  • Caste Certificate (SC / ST / OBC), EWS Certificate, Disability Certificate (PWD)
  • Domicile Certificate (required for many MoE & PMSSS schemes)
  • Gap Certificate (if there is an academic gap)

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different scholarships offered by the Ministry of Education?

The Ministry of Education offers several national-level scholarships such as the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students (CSSS), AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Girls, AICTE Saksham Scholarship for Specially-Abled Students, and the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF), among others.

When is the last date to apply for Ministry of Education Scholarships 2025?

Most Ministry of Education scholarships, including the Central Sector Scholarship and AICTE Saksham Scholarship, close on November 30, 2025, while some schemes like the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship end in December 2025 (tentative).

What is the selection process for Ministry of Education Scholarships?

Selection is based on eligibility criteria such as academic merit, family income limits, category benefits, and scheme-specific requirements. After institute and district/state-level verification, final approval is granted by the Ministry itself.

How can I apply for Ministry of Education Scholarships online?

Students can apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) by registering, filling the application form, uploading required documents, and submitting it for institute verification. Applications must be completed before the scheme-specific deadline. Students may also check official scholarship websites for detailed application guidelines.

What are the Ministry of Education Scholarships and who can apply?

The Ministry of Education Scholarships are government-funded schemes that provide financial assistance to school, college, university, and research-level students across India. Eligible applicants include students from Class 9 to postgraduate and research levels, depending on the specific scholarship.

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Disclaimer

  1. Source of Information: Buddy4Study app compiles details on scholarships/fellowships from government websites and private scholarship sources. Links to the official sources accompany each listing detail pages.
  2. Non-affiliation: The Buddy4Study app is not associated with any government entity in India or elsewhere. When featuring government scholarships, we rely on publicly accessible information from central and state government websites in India.

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