NSP UGC Scholarships – University Grants Commission (UGC) also hosts some of its scholarships on the National Scholarship Portal that are commonly referred to as NSP UGC scholarships. These scholarships are meant to support the education of students at college or university level. UGC is a renowned statutory body under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) that offers a number of scholarships and fellowships to cater to the needs of meritorious and underprivileged students. 

Read further to get in-depth information about NSP UGC scholarships, their eligibility, application process, award details and more.  

Latest Update: The applications for NSP UGC Scholarships 2020-21 have been started. The last date to apply for these scholarships has been extended till 20th January 2021. Visit the National Scholarship Portal to apply.

NSP UGC Scholarships – Complete List

Listed under the UGC Schemes tab on the portal, the NSP UGC scholarships comprise four major scholarships namely:

1. Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme
2. Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child
3. Postgraduate Scholarship for University Rank Holders
4. Scholarship Scheme for Professional Courses

The table given below provides a detailed overview of all the 4 scholarships (mentioned above), their application timeline and the number of scholarships disbursed every year. 

Detailed List of NSP UGC Scholarships

Scholarship Name	Application Timeline*	No. of scholarships
Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme for NER	Between August and November	10,000
PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child		3,000
PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders		3,000
PG Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST Students for Professional Courses		1,000

*The application period mentioned above is tentative and may change on the discretion of the scholarship provider. 

NSP UGC Scholarships – Eligibility Criteria

The University Grants Commission has pre-defined set of eligibility conditions for each NSP UGC Scholarship. The criteria majorly varies based on the academic qualification and family income of the candidates. Any student, who fulfils all the eligibility conditions, can apply for the scholarships. The section given below provides detailed eligibility criteria for each scholarship. 

Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme for NER – Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme, an applicant must fulfil the following conditions –

• The students must be domiciles of North Eastern states including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland.
• They must have passed Class 12 or equivalent examination in the preceding year.
• They must have secured admission in the first year of any degree course at recognised universities/colleges/institutes.
• The annual family income of the applicant from all sources must be less than INR 4.5 lakh from all sources.

Note: The scholarship is also open for transgender students. However, the students who are pursuing their studies through open universities are not eligible for this NSP UGC scholarship. 

PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child – Eligibility Criteria

The key eligibility conditions that students need to fulfil to apply for PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child include –

• The scholarship is open for girl students only who are the only girl-child in their family.
• They must have taken admission in the first year of a regular, full-time Master’s degree programme at any designated university or a postgraduate college.
• The maximum age limit for this scholarship is 30 years.
• Girl students who have no brother or those who are twin daughters/fraternal daughters can also apply for this scholarship.

PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders – Eligibility Criteria

Students have to fulfil the following eligibility conditions to apply for this scholarship –

• Open for students who are first or second rank holder in their graduation examination.
• They must be pursuing postgraduate studies at an affiliated university/college/institution.
• They must have secured at least 60% marks in graduation.
• They must have completed their graduation in disciplines like Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Social Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Languages or Commerce.
• The maximum age limit is 30 years.

PG Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST Students for Professional Courses – Eligibility Criteria

The students need to fulfil the following eligibility criteria to apply for this scholarship –

• Open for students belonging to SC/ST category.
• They must be pursuing the first year of a professional course at postgraduate level during the current academic year.
• They must be studying at one of the following institutions –
  • Institutes of national importance
  • Universities/Institutions/Colleges funded by Central/State Government
  • Universities/Institutions/Colleges included under section 2(f) & and 12(B) of UGC Act
  • Deemed to be Universities included under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 that are eligible to receive grants-in-aid from UGC

Note: The courses approved by regulatory bodies like MCI, PCI, DCI, RCI, NCTIS, AICTE, NCTE Bar Council of India, ICAR, INC, and Forensic Regulatory & Development Authority of India are considered as professional courses. 

NSP UGC Scholarship – Award Details

What is the amount of financial assistance given under NSP UGC scholarships? How can the students avail the scholarship amount? The answer to these questions is covered in this section. Each scholarship has a pre-determined criteria on the basis which the selection of scholars is made. The amount of scholarship given under each scheme has been highlighted in the table below. This amount is directly transferred into the bank account of the beneficiaries through DBT. 

Award details of NSP UGC Scholarships

S.No.	Name of Scholarship	Award Details
1.	Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme for NER	INR 5,400 per month to students pursuing general degree courses INR 7,800 per month to students pursuing technical/ professional/ medical courses
2.	PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	INR 36,200 per annum for two years
3.	PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders	INR 3,100 per month for two years
4.	PG Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST Students for Professional Courses	INR 7,800 per month for a period of 2 years for ME/MTech students INR 4,500 per month for a period of 2 years for other professional courses

NSP UGC Scholarship – Application Process

The applications for NSP UGC scholarships are invited online through the National Scholarship Portal. The students who find themselves eligible for the scholarship can apply for it by following the below-mentioned steps. 

Step 1: Visit the official website of National Scholarship Portal. 

Step 2: Click on ‘New Registration’ to register on the portal. 

Step 3: Go through the registration guidelines carefully and click on ‘Continue’ to proceed.

Step 4: Fill in all required details and register. The applicants will receive student application ID and password on their registered mobile number and email id. 

Step 5: Login using the application ID and password. 

Step 6: After successful login, the applicants are required to change the password by entering the OTP received on the registered mobile number. 

Step 7: Once the password is changed, the candidates will be redirected to the dashboard page. 

Step 8: Click on the ‘Application Form’ tab to start the application. 

Step 9: Fill in all required details and upload all relevant documents.

Step 10: Submit the application. 

Note: The applications once submitted cannot be edited again. Thus, the applicants are advised to ensure that every detail entered is correct as no change in information will be entertained after final submission.

Also Read: NSP Portal – National Scholarship Portal (NSP 2.0) 

NSP UGC Scholarship – FAQs

✔️ What is NSP UGC Scholarship?

NSP UGC scholarship is a broad category of scholarships that are offered by the UGC and are implemented through the National Scholarship Portal i.e. NSP. A total of four scholarships are listed under the UGC scheme category on NSP. The students who find themselves eligible for any of these scholarships can apply for them online only through NSP portal.

✔️ Who can apply for Ishan Uday Scholarship?

The Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme is meant for students who belong to the North-Eastern Region (NER). The students who have passed their Class 12 examination and have secured admission in a professional, technical or general degree course can avail benefits under this scheme. The annual family income must be less than INR 4.5 lakh.

✔️ Who is eligible for the Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child?

This scholarship is meant for girl students only who are the single girl child in their family and are below 30 years of age. They must have taken admission in the first year of full-time postgraduate course at a recognised university/college in India.

✔️ When can a student apply for NSP UGC Scholarship?

The applications for NSP UGC scholarship are invited every year in the month of July and November. For the academic year 2020-21, the last date to apply for these scholarships is 20th January 2021.

Also Read: UGC Scholarship: University Grants Commission (UGC)