Scholarships after 12th in India – Government & Private Funded Scholarships

Scholarships after 12th play a crucial role in supporting the higher education of students coming from economically weaker backgrounds. The moment students get their class 12 results, it gives a sign of relief to both the students and their parents. Of course, class 12 is considered to be the turning point in the career for every individual. Now the question arises – What to do after class 12th? Which career stream to choose? What are the scholarships after higher secondary that can financially benefit the students in pursuing their dream careers? 

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In this article, students will not only get to know about the various scholarships after 12th that are available in India, but also the answers to many of the common questions related to scholarship opportunities. 

Scholarships after 12th – The Need

Engineering, medical, or architecture? Indian universities or studies abroad? Of course, the selection of the right college and stream after the completion of higher secondary is a turning point in every student’s life. However, the scholarships after 12th also become a matter of concern for many students considering the constantly increasing cost of higher education. As a matter of fact, with every passing year, college fees are rocketing up the admission charts. Where education is the basic necessity in every child’s life, most parents could not even invest in their ward’s proper education. This, in turn, results in higher dropout percentages after class 12.

As per a government report (survey conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO)):

  • More than 17% of students have to drop out of school at the secondary school level
  • Around 62.9% of dropouts occur in high school
  • 1 out of every 8 students enrolled in a school or college drops out before completing their education (tentative number)

The numbers are stark and the most common reason is – lack of funds. This is where scholarships play a crucial role in making education accessible for all. The central government, state governments and various private organisations offer a number of scholarships after 12th for meritorious and underprivileged students. 

Government-Funded Scholarships after 12th

Lending out a helping hand to bright and meritorious students so that they can pursue higher studies, the Government of India has launched numerous scholarship opportunities. The scholarships are offered to students via different department of central government and the state governments. 

While the centre and state governments run their own scholarship schemes separately, they jointly run many scholarship schemes. Such scholarships are funded by the central government and disbursed by the state government. Here is a compilation of all the government-funded scholarships that students must not miss.

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Scholarships after 12th by Central Government

A common misconception that generally circulates regarding scholarships is that these are only meant for school students. But the truth is far from such mistaken beliefs. The realm of the scholarship is not only limited to school level studies, it is also available for 12th pass out students who want to pursue higher studies at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate levels. 

In the below table, students will find out the most popular central government scholarships offered to class 12 pass out students. 

Central Government Aided Scholarships

Central Government Scholarships Offered By Application Period*
Post Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India July to October
Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India July to October
Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities) Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India July to October
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India July to October
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India July to October
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India July to October
Scholarships for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India July to October
Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Post-Matric Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India July to October
Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India June to September
NEC Merit Scholarship North Eastern Council (NEC)  October to January

*The application period mentioned above is tentative which may change depending on the decision of the scholarship providers.

Scholarships after 12th by State Government

Similar to the scholarships offered by the Central government, the state governments also offer numerous financial opportunities for class 12 pass out students. The table below highlights the list of those scholarships after 12th that are being offered by different state governments. 

State Government Aided Scholarships

State Scholarship Application Period*
Uttar Pradesh Post matric (Other Than Intermediate) Scholarship for OBC, Uttar Pradesh May to August
Post matric (Other Than Intermediate) Scholarship for Minorities, Uttar Pradesh May to August
Post matric Other State Scholarship for ST, SC, General Category, Uttar Pradesh May to August
Post matric (Other than Intermediate) Scholarship for ST, SC, General Category, Uttar Pradesh May to August
Kerala Sanskrit Scholarship (SSE), Kerala June to August
State Merit Scholarship, Kerala June to August
Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala June to August
Hindi Scholarship (HS), Kerala June to August
Music Fine Arts Scholarship (MFAS), Kerala June to August
Muslim Nadar Girls Scholarship, Kerala June to August
Blind/PH Scholarship, Kerala June to August
Odisha PRERANA Post Matric Scholarship for ST/SC/OBC/SEBC/EBC Communities August to October
Maharashtra Government of India Post-Matric Scholarship, Maharashtra Runs all through the year
Tuition Fees and Examination Fees to O.B.C. Students, Maharashtra Runs all through the year
Post-Matric Scholarship for Persons with Disability, Maharashtra Runs all through the year
Tuition Exam Fee (Freeship), Maharashtra Runs all through the year
State Government Open Merit Scholarship, Maharashtra Runs all through the year
Open Merit Scholarships for EBC Students, Maharashtra Runs all through the year
AMS Scholarship, Maharashtra Runs all through the year
Government of India Post-Matric Scholarship for ST, Maharashtra Runs all through the year
Himachal Pradesh Technical Education Scholarships for PG/Degree/Engineering Courses, Himachal Pradesh October to December
Kalpana Chawla Chatravriti Yojana August to December
Centrally Sponsored Post Matric Scholarship for ST Students August to December
Dr. Ambedkar Post Matric Scholarship for Economically Backward Classes August to December
Centrally Sponsored Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students August to December
Centrally Sponsored Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for OBC Students August to December
Tripura NEC Merit Scholarship, Tripura March to April
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Post Matric Scholarship for EBC Tripura October to December
Tripura Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students September to November
Tripura Post Matric Scholarship for OBC Students September to November
Jammu & Kashmir Prime Minister Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS), J&K March to May
Chhattisgarh Post Matric Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC, Chhattisgarh December to January
Haryana Haryana State Meritorious Incentive Scheme January to February
Merit-cum-Means Minority Scholarship Scheme, Haryana January to February
Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students, Haryana January to February
Haryana State Merit Scholarship January to February
State Merit Scholarship for UG Girls Students, Haryana January to February
Madhya Pradesh Mukhyamantri Medhavi Vidyarthi Yojana (MMVY), Madhya Pradesh Runs all through the year
Meghalaya Meghalaya Border Areas Scholarship December to January
Nagaland NEC Stipend and Book Grant Scheme, Nagaland June to July
Nagaland State Merit Scholarship June to July
Uttarakhand Pre and Post Matric Disability Scholarship Uttarakhand January to February
Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC Students, Uttarakhand January to February
West Bengal Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship (JBNSTS), West Bengal June to July
West Bengal Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC September to November
Swami Vivekananda Merit cum Means Scholarship
CM Relief Fund Scholarship / Nabanna Scholarship Throughout the Year
Chandigarh Chandigarh Post-Matric Scholarship for Transgender Students September to October
Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC, Chandigarh August to September
Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for OBC, Chandigarh
Delhi Post Matric Scholarship for SC students, Delhi December to April
Post Matric Scholarship for OBC students, Delhi December to April
Merit Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC/Minority Students, Delhi December to April

*The application period mentioned above is tentative which may change depending on the decisions of the authorities.

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Private-Funded Scholarships after 12th

Apart from the government offered scholarships, numerous private institutions and organizations offer scholarships after class 12 for students to pursue their dream academic careers. Some reputed non-government organizations as well as profit-earning companies (under its CSR initiative) offer scholarships for students towards making education accessible to them. Find out about such scholarships in the table highlighted below.

List of Scholarships after 12th – Private Funded

Scholarship Who is offering? Application Period*
Reliance Foundation Scholarships Reliance Foundation January to February
MakeMyTrip Foundation ‘Padhte Raho, Badhte Raho’ Scholarship MakeMyTrip Foundation January to February
Kotak Shiksha Nidhi Kotak Group Companies September to March
L’Oréal India For Young Women in Science Scholarship L’Oréal India August to October
BYPL SASHAKT Scholarship BSES Yamuna Power Limited September to December
DBS Business for Good Internship DBS Foundation November to December
HDFC Ltd’s Badhte Kadam Scholarship for General Undergraduate Courses HDFC December to February
Auxilo’s Edevate Scholarship Program Auxilo Finserve Pvt. Ltd. November to December
SBI General Suraksha Support Scholarship Program SBI General Insurance Company Limited October to November
Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Sashakt Scholarship Dr Reddy’s Foundation May to November
Kotak Kanya Scholarship Kotak Education Foundation August to March
JM Sethia Merit Scholarship Scheme JM Sethia Charitable Trust June to July
Santoor Women’s Scholarship Wipro Consumer Care and Wipro Cares June to August
Siemens Scholarship Program Siemens India July to August
Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarship Programme Reliance Foundation June to August
R D Sethna Loan Scholarship R. D. Sethna Scholarship Fund April to August
Nurturing Brilliance Cummins Scholarship Program Cummins India Foundation June to August
OIL Awards & OIL Merit Scholarship OIL India Limited July to August
North South Foundation (NSF) Scholarship North South Foundation July to September
Keep India Smiling Educational Foundation Scholarship Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd July to September
IndusInd Foundation Merit-cum-Means Scholarship IndusInd Foundation July to September
Baba Gurbachan Singh Scholarship Scheme Sant Nirankari Mandal July to September
Gaurav Foundation Scholarship Gaurav Foundation July to October
G.P. Birla Education Foundation Scholarship G.P. Birla Educational Foundation June to July
JSPN Scholarship  Jaya Satya Pramoda Nidhi July
Legrand Scholarship Program Legrand India August to October
Nirmaan Scholarship and Mentorship Program (NSMP)  Nirmaan Organization May to July

*The application period mentioned above is tentative which may change depending on the decisions of the authorities.

Scholarships after 12th – For Engineering Students

In a time of expensive education and cut-throat competition, it is really difficult to afford a dream education. One of those highly dreamt and sought courses is Engineering. So, to make things easy for aspiring students who are planning to pursue a career in engineering, here are a few scholarship opportunities that are exclusively available for this stream.

List of Scholarships after 12th for Engineering Students

Scholarship Offered By Application Period*
Schaeffler India Hope Engineering Scholarship Schaeffler India September to October
Rolls-Royce Unnati Scholarships for Women Engineering Students Rolls-Royce India Pvt. Ltd. February to March
Keep India Smiling Foundational Scholarship Programme for Engineering Courses Colgate Palmolive India Limited June to January
Ericsson Empowering Girl Scholarship Program for Engineering Students Ericsson October to December
Adobe India Women-in-Technology Scholarship Adobe Research July to August
ONGC Scholarship to Meritorious General Category Students  ONGC May
SEST Shoolini Engineering Scholarship Test Shoolini University February to April
All India Engineering Entrance Scholarship Examination (Primary) Brainztorm Technical Excellence Pvt. Ltd. January to March
Swami Dayanand Education Foundation Merit-cum-Means Scholarships (For MBBS students too) Swami Dayanand Education Foundation July to August
Amrita Entrance Examination-Engineering (AEEE) Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham January to March
LPU National Entrance and Scholarship Test (LPUNEST) Lovely Professional University January to March
GV School Development Programme (GVSDP), VIT Scholarships Vellore Institute of Technology January to March

*The application period mentioned above is tentative which may change depending on the decisions of the authorities.

Scholarships after 12th – Medical Students

After engineering, one of the highly sought academic streams that lakhs of students want to go for is medicine. Even though students put in their utmost effort, arranging funds to get admissions to the best medical colleges in the country is not a piece of cake. In such situations, finding suitable scholarships after 12th can be a huge task. 

To ease the efforts of students filtering the appropriate scholarships after 12th, here is a compilation of key medical scholarships.

 List of Scholarships after 12th for Medical Students

Scholarship Offered By Application 

Period*

GSK Scholars Programme GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (India) December to January
Kotak Kanya Scholarship Kotak Education Foundation August to March
Nursing Scholarship, Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF) March to May
Anandam Senapathi Scholarship Sree Ramakrishna Ashram (SRK) and Pratiksha Trust  November to December
Tata AIG Avanti Fellows Scholarship Program Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited – Avanti Fellows March
Bharati Scheme for Education (BSE), Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Welfare Corporation September
L’Oréal India For Young Women In Science Scholarships L’Oréal India September to October
Keep India Smiling Foundational Scholarship Programme Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd. March to September

*The application period mentioned above is tentative which may change depending on the decisions of the authorities.

Scholarships After 12th – Study Abroad

Not just limited to India, a land of academic opportunities also awaits students overseas. To encourage diversity in education, various international universities invite applications from students worldwide to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate and research level courses. Adding to the student’s benefit, they also offer scholarships, grants and financial aid for interested students based on the student’s merit and need.

Find out the scholarships that are applicable after class 12 in the list hereunder –

List of scholarships after 12th to Study Abroad

Scholarship Offered By Country Application Period*
India Global Leaders Scholarship University of Queensland (UQ) Brisbane December to May
Oxford and Cambridge Society of India Scholarship (OCSI), UK Oxford and Cambridge Society of India (OCSI) United States of America and United Kingdom February to May
British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM British Council United Kingdom February to April
Korean Scholarship Program Korean Government South Korea January to February
UNESCO Silk Roads Youth Research Grant United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization March to May
IHS Holland Scholarship Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam Netherlands November to May
University of Edinburgh Robertson International Scholarship School of History, Classics and Archaeology, the University of Edinburgh United Kingdom February to May
Newcastle University Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship Newcastle University USA February to April
University of Nottingham – GREAT Scholarships British Council United Kingdom February to May
University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine Medical Endowment Scholarship Faculty of Medicine Australia July to August
Inlaks Scholarships Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Europe, America, and the United Kingdom February to March
Deakin International Merit Scholarship (South Asia – Onshore) Deakin University Australia September to November

*The application period mentioned above is tentative which may change depending on the decisions of the authorities.

Scholarships after 12th – FAQs

What scholarships can a student apply for after completing class 12th?

The students can avail several scholarships after completing their class 12 based on their academic merit, financial need or talent. The variety of scholarships after 12th include central government scholarships, state government scholarships, private-funded scholarships, scholarships to study abroad and more. Refer to the tables above for a detailed list of scholarships after 12th.

What are the scholarship tests students can take after completing class 12?

Some of the popular scholarship tests that students can appear for after class 12th include the All India Youth Scholarship Entrance Examination (AIYSEE), All India Pre-medical Scholarship Test (Secondary), All India Engineering Entrance Scholarship Examination (Primary), LPU National Entrance and Scholarship Test (LPUNEST), National Entrance Screening Test (NEST), etc.

Are there any scholarships for students who pursue engineering courses after class 12th?

Yes, there are many scholarships for students who want to pursue engineering courses after class 12th. Some renowned engineering scholarships after class 12th include Keep India Smiling Foundation Scholarship Programme, Amrita Entrance Examination-Engineering, Schaeffler India Hope Engineering Scholarship, etc.

Are there any female-centric engineering scholarships?

Yes, there are many scholarships for females who want to pursue a degree in engineering. Some of the renowned scholarships include Rolls-Royce Unnati Scholarships for Women Engineering Students, Ericsson Empowering Girl Scholarship Program for Engineering Students, Adobe India Women-in-Technology Scholarship.

How do I know if I am eligible to apply?

The scholarship providers set a list of eligibility criteria that can be found on their websites. Students will also find information on various scholarships with their detailed eligibility criteria at the website of Buddy4study. Generally, the criteria revolve around the areas of nationality, academic percentages (merit), financial background (means), etc.

When is the best time to apply for study abroad scholarships?

In most cases, the study abroad scholarships have similar deadlines, which begin from the academic year in the relevant countries. The applications for scholarships in the Fall session begins from September and lasts till the end of summer, whereas scholarships in the winter session begin around February and continue till late August/ September.

What are scholarship scams and how to avoid them?

One of the best ways to avoid scholarship scams is to analyze the scholarships carefully and cross-check the information by visiting the official scholarship website. If the scholarship application process seems too easy or the provider is asking for a certain sum of money in the name of application cost, those can be fraudulent scholarships. It is best to stick to official and renowned websites belonging to schools, government or reputed organizations when searching or applying for a scholarship opportunity.

Refer to the article on ‘Top Scholarships for Engineering Students in India‘ for more details.

This list of scholarships after 12th class does not end here. The names will keep on adding every year. Stay connected with Buddy4Study to get timely updates about all the scholarship opportunities that are being added for students.

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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