Scholarships for Postgraduates – Awards, Eligibility Criteria and Application Procedure

Scholarships for postgraduates are a bright prospect for students who wish to pursue higher education. Many of the students leave their studies halfway or do not pursue them at all due to money constraints. Postgraduate scholarships solve students’ financial dilemmas by providing assistance in the form of financial aid, grants, tuition fee waiver, monthly allowance, stipend, etc. These scholarships for postgraduates are offered by both government organisations (Central & State) and private ones.

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In this article, we have covered the main details of the most popular postgraduate scholarships offered by both government and private entities. Here, students will find the key dates of the scholarships, benefits offered by them, required eligibility and application procedure.

Scholarships for Postgraduates – Government-funded Scholarships

First, we have covered the government scholarships for postgraduates that are popular among students. The scholarships funded and assisted by government organisations or departments or ministries are regarded as government-funded scholarships. There are several scholarships, grants, stipends and other benefits that are offered by both the Central and State government. Given below is the list of some top scholarships for postgraduates offered by the government.

Latest Update: The last date to apply for the LIC HFL Vidyadhan Scholarship for Post-Graduation 2023; Saksham Scholarship Program for Drivers’ Children; and HDFC Bank Parivartan’s ECSS Programme for Postgraduate Courses (Merit-cum-Need Based) 2023-24 is September 30, 2023.

Government-funded postgraduate scholarships

Scholarship Name Application Period*
Merit cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities) September/October
Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities September/October
Scholarships for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities October
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students October
AICTE PG (GATE/GPAT) Scholarship October
Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child November
Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders November
Post Graduate Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC/ST November
Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulk Shishyavrutti Yojna December
Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala July/August
Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship December
Technical Education Scholarships for PG/Degree/Engineering Courses, Himachal Pradesh December
SERB Ramanujan Fellowships December
INSPIRE Fellowship September/October
National Overseas Scholarship for ST November/December

* The application period mentioned in the table above is tentative and subject to change as per the discretion of the scholarship provider.

Also Read: MHRD Scholarship – Ministry of Human Resource Development

Scholarships for Postgraduates – Awards

The government provides support to students pursuing postgraduate studies in the form of financial aid, grants, tuition fee waiver, stipends, book grants, travel allowance, maintenance allowance and more. The scholarship rewards offered under the above-mentioned government scholarships are highlighted in the table given below.

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Scholarship rewards of postgraduate scholarships

Scholarship Name Scholarship Awards
Merit cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities)
  • Course fee of up to INR 20,000
  • Maintenance allowance of INR 1,000 per month to hostellers
  • Maintenance allowance of INR 500 per month to day scholars
Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities
  • PG candidates get the annual amount of INR 3,000
  • Maintenance allowance of up to INR 1,200 for postgraduate scholars
Scholarships for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities
  • Reimbursement of up to INR 2 Lakh of tuition fee and non-refundable charges
  • A one-time grant of INR 30,000 is reimbursed on the purchase of computer with accessories
  • A one-time grant of INR 30,000 is reimbursed on the purchase of aids & assistive devices
  • Maintenance allowance of up to INR 3,000 per month
  • An annual book grant of INR 5,000
  • A special monthly allowance of INR 2,000
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students
  • A fellowship amount of up to INR 28,000 per month
  • A contingency grant of up to INR 25,000 per annum
  • HRA amount as per the rules
  • Escorts/readership assistance of INR 2,000 per month for differently-abled candidates
  • Full tuition fee coverage with the maximum ceiling of INR 2 Lakh per annum under the scholarship scheme
  • An annual book grant of INR 3,000 per student
  • A monthly amount of INR 2,200 to cover living expenses
  • A one-time grant of INR 45,000 for computer and accessories
AICTE PG (GATE/GPAT) Scholarship
  • INR 12,400 per month for 24 months or for the duration of the course (whichever is lower)
Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child
  • A scholarship amount of INR 36,200 per annum for a duration of 2 years
Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders
  • INR 3,100 per month for a duration of 2 years
Post Graduate Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC/ST
  • INR 7,800 per month to students pursuing ME/M.Tech
  • INR 4,500 per month to students studying other professional courses
Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulk Shishyavrutti Yojna
  • 50% tuition fees
Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala
  • INR 10,000 per annum
Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship
  • Fellowship amount of INR 25,000 per month along with regular income
  • Research grant of INR 15 Lakh per month
  • An overhead amount of INR 1 Lakh per annum to the hosting institute
Technical Education Scholarships for PG/Degree/Engineering Courses, Himachal Pradesh
  • Up to INR 500 per month to each candidate
  • Candidates belonging to SC/ST category get 100% scholarship
SERB Ramanujan Fellowships
  • A fellowship amount of INR 85,000 per month
  • A research grant of INR 7 Lakh per annum
INSPIRE Fellowship
  • A fellowship amount of up to INR 28,000 per month along with HRA
  • A contingency grant of INR 20,000 per annum
National Overseas Scholarship for ST
  • Maintenance allowance of USD 15,400 per annum for pursuing courses in the US or GBP 9,900 per annum for studying in the UK
  • Contingency & equipment allowance of USD 1532 (for students studying in the US) or GBP 1116 (for students in the UK institutes)
  • Tuition fee, medical insurance premium, airfare

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

Scholarships for Postgraduates – Eligibility Criteria

Each scholarship listed in this article requires certain eligibility conditions to be fulfilled. If the candidates wish to avail the benefits provided under these scholarships, they need to make sure that they fulfil the eligibility criteria of the scholarship for which they are applying for. Find below the specific eligibility conditions of all the scholarships listed in the table.

Eligibility conditions for postgraduate scholarships

Scholarship Name Eligibility Criteria
Merit cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities)
  • Applicants must be studying a graduate or postgraduate level course of technical & professional nature from a recognized institution.
  • The applicants must have taken admission after qualifying for a competitive entrance exam or they must have scored a minimum of 50% marks in class 12 or graduation in case of direct admission.
  • The candidates must have secured a minimum of 50% marks in the previous final exam.
  • The annual family income must not be more than INR 2 Lakh from all sources.
  • The candidates must belong to the minority communities such as Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhism, Jain and Zoroastrians/Parsi.
Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities
  • The applicants must be studying in class 11, 12, graduation, postgraduation, M.Phil or PhD.
  • The applicants must have acquired minimum marks of 50% or equivalent grades in the previous final exam.
  • The annual family income must not exceed INR 2 Lakh.
  • The candidates must belong to minority communities such as Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhism, Jain and Zoroastrians/Parsi.
Scholarships for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities
  • The applicants must be studying graduate/postgraduate/diploma level courses from recognized institutions.
  • The applicant must be having more than 40% disability and should have a valid certificate regarding it.
  • The annual family income must not exceed INR 6 Lakh.
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students
  • The applicants applying for fellowship under this scheme must have secured a postgraduate degree.
  • The applicant must be admitted/registered for a full-time M.Phil/Ph.D. program in institutes recognized by UGC.
  • The candidates must meet the prescribed norms of UGC/ICAR to qualify for the Senior Research Fellowship.
  • The applicants applying for scholarships must have secured admission in the institutes notified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
  • The annual family income must not exceed INR 6 Lakh.
AICTE PG (GATE/GPAT) Scholarship
  • The applicant must have secured qualifying marks in GATE/GPAT.
  • The candidate must have taken admission in the 1st year of M.Tech./M.E./M.Pharma/M.Arch of an AICTE recognized institution.
  • The applicant must have a general savings account in the bank.
Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child
  • Only girl students of age 30 years and below are eligible for this scholarship.
  • The applicant must be the only child of the family.
  • The candidate must have taken admission in regular, full-time 1st year of a master’s degree at a recognised university/college.
Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders
  • The applicant must be a 1st or 2nd rank holder at the undergraduate level and he/she must be enrolled in any full-time, regular master’s programme of any recognised university/institution.
  • The applicant must have scored a minimum of 60% marks at the undergraduate level in subjects: Chemical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Commerce, Languages, Mathematical Sciences, Social Sciences.
  • The applicant must not be more than 30 years of age at the time of admission to a PG course.
  • Applicants pursuing PG courses through Distance mode are not eligible to apply.
Post Graduate Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC/ST
  • The candidates must belong to the SC/ST category to be eligible.
  • The applicant must be enrolled in the 1st year of a professional course at the PG level during the current academic year.
  • The applicant must be studying in universities/ institutions/ colleges included under section 2(f) & and 12(B) of UGC Act or deemed to be universities included under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 and are eligible to receive grants-in-aid from UGC or universities/ institutions/ colleges funded by Central/State Government or institutes of national importance.
  • Also, under this scholarship scheme, courses that need approval from the regulatory bodies like MCI, DCI, PCI, RCI, NCTIS, NCTE Bar Council of India, AICTE, ICAR, INC, Forensic Regulatory & Development Authority of India, are considered as professional.
Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulk Shishyavrutti Yojna
  • The candidates must have the domicile of Maharashtra to be eligible.
  • The candidates must have taken admission through CAP (Centralised Admission process) of State CET Cell of Maharashtra State.
  • The candidates must have secured at least 60% marks in the previous exam.
  • The annual family income must be less than or equal to INR 2.5 Lakh.
Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala
  • The candidate must be a 1st year UG/PG level student studying in any government/government-aided college/University of Kerala.
  • The applicant must belong to a BPL (Below Poverty Line) family.
  • The applicant must have secured 50% or more marks in the qualifying exam.
Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship
  • The candidate must have secured a bachelor’s degree and an adequate professional qualification.
  • The candidate must be working in different capacities of the engineering profession at any reputable public-funded institution.
  • The applicant must have a minimum of 5 years of service left at the parent organisation.
Technical Education Scholarships for PG/Degree/Engineering Courses, Himachal Pradesh
  • The candidate must be a bonafide citizen of Himachal Pradesh or the ward of HP government employee.
  • The candidate must be pursuing UG/PG or engineering level courses from any AICTE recognised institution.
  • The applicant must have secured a minimum of 60% of marks in the last exam.
  • The annual family income must be less than INR 36,000.
SERB Ramanujan Fellowships
  • The applicants must be excellent engineers and scientists.
  • The applicants must be below the age of 55 years.
  • The applicant must hold a PhD degree in Science or Engineering, Master’s in Engineering or Technology/MD in Medicine or equivalent academic qualification.
  • The applicant must have relevant professional experience.
INSPIRE Fellowship
  • The candidate must have acquired at least 70% marks or equivalent CGPA in aggregate in M.Sc. or Integrated MS/M.Sc.
  • The applicant must be the 1st rank holder in the PG level exam for Basic/Applied Sciences including Engineering, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences.
  • The applicant may be the 1st rank holder at the Graduate level exam in Medicine conducted by a recognized university/institution in India.
National Overseas Scholarship for ST
  • The applicant must be below the age of 35 years.
  • The applicant applying for post-doctoral courses must have secured at least 55% marks or equivalent in relevant Masters & PhD program with professional/research/teaching experience of 5 years in the relevant field.
  • The applicant applying for the PhD degree must have secured at least 55% marks or equivalent in relevant Master’s program with professional/ research/teaching experience or M.Phil. degree of 2 years in the relevant field.
  • The applicant applying for a Master’s degree must have secured at least 55% marks or equivalent in relevant bachelor’s degree with applicable work experience of 2 years in the relevant field.
  • The annual family income must not be exceeding INR 6 Lakh.

Scholarships for Postgraduates – Application Procedure

All these government scholarships follow certain procedures during the application process. Several of these scholarships for postgraduates can be applied online through the official website of different government departments under which these scholarships are introduced. The table given below tells students about how to apply for government scholarships for postgraduates.

Application Process of Postgraduate Scholarships

Scholarship Name Application Process
Merit cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities) Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Scholarships for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
AICTE PG (GATE/GPAT) Scholarship Apply online through the official page of the AICTE GATE/GPAT scholarship.
Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Post Graduate Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC/ST Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulk Shishyavrutti Yojna Apply online through the official website of the Maharashtra Directorate of Technical Education.
Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala Apply online through the official scholarship web portal of the Kerala Government, Department of Collegiate Education.
Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship Apply online through the official website of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE).
Technical Education Scholarships for PG/Degree/Engineering Courses, Himachal Pradesh Apply online through the official scholarship portal of Himachal Pradesh Government, ePASS (Electronic Payment & Application System of Scholarships).
SERB Ramanujan Fellowships The application should be submitted in offline mode through the Head of the host institute.
INSPIRE Fellowship Apply online through the online portal of the INSPIRE Programme.
National Overseas Scholarship for ST Apply online through the website of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.

Scholarships for Postgraduates – Private-funded Scholarships

Scholarships, grants, stipends and several other benefits provided by Corporates, NGOs, Trusts and other private entities come under the ambit of private-funded scholarships. Find below the table having the list of some top scholarships for postgraduates offered by private organisations.

List of postgraduate scholarships offered by private entities

Scholarship Name Provider’s Name
LIC HFL Vidyadhan Scholarship Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)
Saksham Scholarship Program for Drivers’ Children Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL)
HDFC Bank Parivartan’s ECSS Programme for Postgraduate Courses (Merit-cum-Need Based)  HDFC Bank
The Anant Fellowship Anant National University
Vice-Chancellor’s International Excellence Scholarship for India University of Waikato, New Zealand

Scholarships for Postgraduates – Award Details

These scholarships offered by private organisations provide financial assistance to postgraduate students who need monetary help. Find the rewards provided under these scholarship schemes in the table given below.

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Rewards of postgraduate scholarships

Scholarship Name Award Details
LIC HFL Vidyadhan Scholarship INR 20,000 per year for 2 years
Saksham Scholarship Program for Drivers’ Children INR 20,000 for 1 year
HDFC Bank Parivartan’s ECSS Programme for Postgraduate Courses (Merit-cum-Need Based) For general postgraduate courses – INR 35,000 | For professional postgraduate courses – INR 75,000
The Anant Fellowship Up to 80% tuition fee waiver
Vice-Chancellor’s International Excellence Scholarship for India Up to $15,000 (one-time)

The scholarships for postgraduates mentioned above are just a drop in the vast pool of scholarships. There are many more that students can find on the Buddy4Study portal. Students can browse through them, find the ones that match their requirements and apply for them without wasting any time.

Also read: Top scholarships for medical 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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