National Scholarship 2025 – Application Timeline, Eligibility, & More

National Scholarship are a wide array of scholarships which are open for Indian nationals studying in India only. Both government departments and private organisations offer a large number of scholarships for students pursuing different levels of education across the nation. However, the Government of India makes a major contribution to this segment. No matter which caste, creed, category, or gender you belong to, there is a national scholarship available for you to fulfil your academic requirements.

In fact, the government hosts a distinctive portal with the name National Scholarship Portal that enlists all the national as well as state-level scholarships for students studying within India.

National Scholarship – Important Dates 2025

The application window is open for numerous national scholarships offered by departments like the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Education (formerly known as MHRD), Ministry of Labour and Employment, and others. Mentioned below is the application deadline for various national scholarships for the year 2025.

National Scholarship 2025: Application Dates

Scholarship Name	Last Date to Apply
Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities	October 31, 2025
Post-Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	October 31, 2025
Scholarships for Top Class Education for students with disabilities	October 31, 2025
Central Sector Scholarship of Top Class Education for SC Students	October 31, 2025
Post-Matric Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers	October 31, 2025
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students	October 31, 2025
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students	October 31, 2025
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces And Assam Rifles	October 31, 2025
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Wards of States/UTs Police Personnel Martyred during Terror/Naxal Attacks	October 31, 2025
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for RPF/RPSF	October 31, 2025
Financial Support to the Students of NER for Higher Professional Courses	October 31, 2025
PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	October 31, 2025
ISHAN UDAY – Special Scholarship Scheme For North Eastern Region	October 31, 2025
AICTE – Swanath Scholarship Scheme (Technical Diploma and Technical Degree)	October 31, 2025
AICTE – Saksham Scholarship Scheme For Specially Abled Student (Technical Degree and Technical Diploma)	October 31, 2025
AICTE – Pragati Scholarship Scheme For Girl Students (Technical Degree and Technical Diploma)	October 31, 2025
Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Special Scholarship Scheme For Jammu Kashmir And Ladakh	October 31, 2025
AICTE GATE Scholarship	December 15, 2025
AICTE – Swanath Scholarship Scheme (Technical Diploma and Technical Degree)	October 31, 2025

National Scholarship 2025– Eligibility Criteria

Now, since you are aware of the list of national scholarships, you must also be well aware of their respective eligibility criteria. Each scholarship comes with a pre-defined set of eligibility conditions that one must fulfil to avail their benefits. The table below provides a detailed overview of all the scholarships for your reference. If you fulfil the eligibility for any of the scholarships, you can apply for it accordingly within the stipulated time duration.

National Scholarship Eligibility Criteria 2025

Scholarship Name	Eligibility
Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities	Open for students belonging to minority communities They must be studying in Class 1 to 10 They are required to have secured at least 50% marks in the previous qualifying examination The annual income of the family must be less than ₹1 lakh from all sources
Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities	Open for minority community students studying in Class 11 to PhD level They are required to have secured at least 50% marks in the previous qualifying examination The annual income of the family must be less than ₹2 lakh from all sources
Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses	Open for minority community students who are pursuing technical or professional courses at UG/PG level They must have secured at least 50% marks or equivalent grade in previous qualifying examination The annual family income must be less than ₹2.50 lakh from all sources They must get admission on the basis of the competitive entrance examination or must have scored at least 50% in Class 12 or graduation (in case of direct admission).
Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship	Open for girl students belonging to six notified Minority Communities i.e. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis. They must be studying in Class 9th to 12th, and have secured at least 50% marks or equivalent grade in aggregate in the previous class/qualifying exam. Their families’ annual income from all sources must not exceed ₹2.00 lakh.
Pre-Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Open for disabled students who have more than 40% disability and a valid certificate for the same They must be studying in Class 9 or 10 The annual family income must be less than ₹2.50 lakh from all sources
Post-Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Open for disabled students who have more than 40% disability and a valid certificate for the same They must have passed matriculation or higher secondary or any higher exam They must be pursuing studies in Class 11 to postgraduate level The annual family income must be less than ₹2.50 lakh from all sources
Scholarships for Top Class Education for students with disabilities	Open for disabled students who have more than 40% disability and a valid certificate for the same They must be pursuing studies at graduate/postgraduate/diploma level The annual family income must be less than ₹6 lakh from sources
Central Sector Scholarship of Top Class Education for SC Students	Open for SC category students who have passed Class 12 They must have taken admission in a full-time course at undergraduate or postgraduate level The annual income of the family must be less than ₹6 lakh from all sources
Post-Matric Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers	Open for candidates whose one or both parents are working as Beedi workers, Iron Ore, Manganese & Chrome Ore Mines, Limestone & Dolomite Mines (LSDM), Cine workers since at least the last six months. They must be pursuing a general or technical education at post-matriculation level They must have passed the last examination in the first attempt. The monthly family income must not exceed ₹10,000 (For Cine Workers, the family income must not exceed ₹8,000 pm or ₹1 lakh PA)
Pre-Matric Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers	Open for candidates whose one or both parents are working as Beedi workers, Iron Ore, Manganese & Chrome Ore Mines, Limestone & Dolomite Mines (LSDM), Cine workers since at least the last six months. They must be studying in Class 1 to 10 They must have passed the last examination in the first attempt The monthly family income must not exceed ₹10,000 (For Cine Workers, the family income must not exceed ₹8,000 pm or ₹1 lakh PA)
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students	Open for ST category students only For Fellowship They must have passed post graduation They must be admitted or registered in a full-time MPhil/PhD programme For Scholarship They must have taken admission in an institution notified and identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs The annual income of the family must be less than ₹6 lakh from all sources
National Means cum Merit Scholarship	Open for students of Class 9 who have secured at least 55% marks or equivalent in Class 8 examination To appear for the selection test, the students must have secured at least 55% marks or equivalent in Class 7 examination The annual income of the family must be less than ₹1.50 lakh from all sources
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students	Open for Class 12 passed students who are pursuing a regular course such as medical and engineering from a recognized institution They must be above 80th percentile of successful candidates in the relevant stream in Class 12 or equivalent of respective state examination boards The annual family income must be less than ₹8 lakh from all sources
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces And Assam Rifles	Open for dependent wards/widows of deceased CAPFs & AR/ Ex-CAPFs & AR/ retired and serving CAPFs & AR/ State Police Personnel They must be pursuing professional courses as specified in the notification They must fulfil the minimum education qualification They must have obtained at least 60% marks or above in the minimum educational qualification
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Wards of States/UTs Police Personnel Martyred during Terror/Naxal Attacks	Open for wards of police personnel martyred during terror or naxal attacks.
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for RPF/RPSF	Open for dependent wards/widows of Ex-RPF/RPSF personnel They must be pursuing technical or professional degree courses They must have secured 60% or above in Minimum Educational Qualification (MEQ) i.e., Class 12, Diploma/Graduation
Financial Support to the Students of NER for Higher Professional Courses (NEC Merit Scholarship)	Open only to a student who is a permanent resident of any of the North Eastern States. At the time of availing the scholarship, the student must not be in receipt of any other scholarship/financial assistance from any other source. A sponsored candidate under full employment during the period of study or working/in-service candidates shall not be eligible to receive the scholarship.
PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	Open for girl students who are the only girl-child in their family Must be enrolled in the first-year of full-time regular Master’s degree programme at a designated university/college The upper age limit is 30 years Girl students who have no brother or those who are twin daughters/fraternal daughters can also apply for this scholarship
ISHAN UDAY – Special Scholarship Scheme For North Eastern Region	Open to students with domicile of NER, whose parental annual income does not exceed ₹4.5 lakh per annum from all sources. They must have passed XII or equivalent in the preceding year of study i.e. 2017 for applications called for during year 2017-18.
PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders	Students pursuing postgraduate studies can apply They must be the first or second rank holder in their graduation examination with at least 60% marks The maximum age limit is 30 years They must have completed graduation in one of the specified disciplines
PG Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST Students for Professional Courses	Open for SC/ST category students They must be studying in the first year of a professional course at postgraduate level during the current academic year They must be studying at a recognized institution
AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Girls	Open for girl students who are pursuing a technical diploma/degree course in the first year or second year (through lateral entry only) on the basis of percentage of marks obtained in the 10+2/equivalent examination The annual family income must be less than ₹8 lakh from all sources
AICTE – Saksham Scholarship Scheme For Specially Abled Student (Technical Degree and Technical Diploma)	Open for specially-abled students having not less than 40% disability They must be admitted in the first year of degree/diploma level course or second year of degree/diploma level course through lateral entry in any of the AICTE approved institution The annual family income must be less than ₹8 lakh from all sources
AICTE – Swanath Scholarship Scheme	Open to orphan students or whose parents died during COVID pandemic. Or whose parents were police personnel who got martyred on the line of duty. The annual family income must be less than ₹8 lakh from all sources

National Scholarship 2025 – Award Details

The amount of financial assistance given to students under each national scholarship may vary. While some scholarships look after all your academic expenses, some offer financial aid in the form of one-time assistance. The table below provides a detailed overview of the financial assistance that students will get under each national scholarship. Please note that the scholarship amount is directly transferred into the bank account of the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Award Details of National Scholarships

Scholarship Name	Award Details
Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities	Admission fee, tuition fee, and maintenance allowance
Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities	Admission fee, tuition fee, and maintenance allowance
Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses	Course fee up to ₹20,000 per annum and maintenance allowance
Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship	₹5000 each for Class IX & X and ₹6000 each for Class XI & XII
Pre-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Maintenance allowance, book grant, and disability allowance
Post-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Maintenance allowance, book grant, and disability allowance
Scholarships for Top Class Education for students with disabilities	Up to ₹2 lakh per annum and other benefits
Top Class Education for SC Students	Full tuition fee and other allowances
Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Post-Matric	Up to ₹15,000
Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Pre-Matric	Up to ₹1,840
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students	Up to ₹28,000 per month and other benefits
National Means cum Merit Scholarship	₹12,000 per annum
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students	Up to ₹20,000 per annum
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces And Assam Rifles	₹3,000 per month to female students and ₹2,500 per month to male students
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Wards of States/UTs Police Personnel Martyred during Terror/Naxal Attacks	₹3,000 per month to female students and ₹2,500 per month to male students
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for RPF/RPSF	₹2,250 per month for girls and ₹2,000 per month for boys
PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	₹36,200 per annum for two years
PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders	₹3,100 per month for two years
PG Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST Students for Professional Courses	For ME/MTech students – ₹7,800 per month for 2 years For other professional courses – ₹4,500 per month for 2 years
AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Girls	Up to ₹50,000 per annum and other benefits
AICTE-Saksham Scholarship Scheme	Up to ₹50,000 per annum and other benefits
AICTE – Swanath Scholarship Scheme	Up to ₹50,000 per annum and other benefits

National Scholarship 2025 – Where to Apply?

What process should be followed to apply for any of the national scholarships? Are the applications accepted online or offline? Where and how can the students apply? The answers to all these questions are given in the table below. While the applications for most of the scholarships can be made through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), for others, the students can apply through their respective official websites.

National Scholarship – Application Process Details

Name of the Scholarship	Where to Apply?
Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP)
Pre-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Post-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Scholarships for Top Class Education for students with disabilities	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Top Class Education for SC Students	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Post-Matric	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Pre-Matric	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
National Means cum Merit Scholarship	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces And Assam Rifles	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Wards of States/UTs Police Personnel Martyred during Terror/Naxal Attacks	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for RPF/RPSF	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
PG Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST Students for Professional Courses	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Girls	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
AICTE-Saksham Scholarship Scheme	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
AICTE – Swanath Scholarship Scheme	Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

National Scholarship 2025 – FAQs

What is the last date to apply for AICTE GATE scholarship?

The deadline for the AICTE GATE Scholarship 2025 is December 15, 2025. Candidates who have qualified GATE/CEED and are enrolled in the first year of ME/MTech/MDes are eligible to apply for the scholarship.

How much financial assistance is offered under the National Means cum Merit Scholarship?

Students selected for the National Means cum Merit Scholarship are offered ₹12,000 per annum (₹1,000 per month). Candidates enrolled in Class 9 or above and with family income less than ₹1.50 lakh per annum are eligible to apply for the scholarship.

Is there any national scholarship especially for girl students?

Yes, there are numerous scholarships for which only female students can apply. Some of them are Indira Gandhi Single Girl Child Scholarship, Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship, AICTE Pragati Scholarship, and others.