Scholarships in India – Merit Scholarships, Means Scholarships, Talent Scholarships

Scholarships in India – Did you know thousands of crores worth of scholarships in India are available for both meritorious and underprivileged students? Probably not. With the rapidly increasing cost of education, a number of capable students are unable to fulfil their aspirations of higher studies. In fact, according to a report by the Institute for Policy Research Studies (PRS), New Delhi, the percentage of students enrolled in class 10^th is 77% while the percentage of students enrolled in class 11 is limited to 52%. This clearly depicts the drop-out of students from class 10^th to 11^th and makes the need for scholarships in India critical and compelling for them.

To deal with this drop-out situation, the government and various other public as well as private organizations, have come up with suitable aids to meet their financial needs. You are open to a wide variety of scholarships for continuing your education such as merit-based, means-based, talent-based sports-based etc. You can explore details about all types of scholarships below. However, before heading to the list of such scholarships, you should be aware of some common myths about scholarships in India.

Latest Update: The last date to apply for NSP scholarships 2022-23 is 31st October 2022 and 30th September 2022.

Scholarships in India – Myths

The realm of scholarships is full of misconceptions. Some of the most common myths about scholarships in India are:

• Scholarships are available only for students belonging to economically backward classes or underserved sections of society.
• Only meritorious students are eligible to get a scholarship.
• The amount of scholarship that a student receives is not worth your efforts.
• Applying for a scholarship is a tedious task and involves you to follow too many guidelines.
• You can apply for only one scholarship.

However, when it comes to reality about scholarships in India, the following facts count –

• The realm of scholarships in India is very vast which are applicable to students of all classes, castes, creeds, categories and gender.
• Scholarships primarily aim at supporting education. Thus, a variety of scholarships are available to meet the custom needs of students namely, merit-based, means-based, talent-based, merit-cum-means based, sports-based etc.
• When it comes to education, every small or big effort that you make to get easy access to education counts.
• With the advent of technology, the application process has become more convenient and easier.
• You can apply for as many scholarships as you want to but can avail of only one. This condition of availing of a scholarship may vary from provider to provider.

Scholarships in India – Merit-based scholarships

What do you understand by merit-based scholarships? The scholarships which are disbursed on the basis of a student’s academic merit are broadly categorized under the merit-based scholarships section. Now the question arises, how will you identify such scholarships out of the thousands of options available? To make it easier for you, here is a selective list of some renowned merit-based scholarships announced every year.

So, if you are among the top rankers of your class, and looking for a scholarship to fund your education further, this list of merit-based scholarships available in India is positively going to help you.

List of merit-based scholarships in India

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Applicable For	Application Period*
1.	Swami Dayanand College Scholarship for Delhi/NCR	Class 12th passed students with minimum 85% marks	November to December
2.	Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles	Students willing to pursue a professional program in graduation or postgraduation	August to December
3.	SOF Scholarship of Excellence in English (S.E.E)	Students of class 1 to 10	July to December
4.	L&T Build India Scholarship	Students for final year BE/BTech degree in Civil/Electrical Engineering	November to December
5.	INSPIRE Scholarship For Higher Education (SHE)	Class 12 passed students pursuing BSc/BS/MS/Int. MSc course	November to December
6.	Siemens Scholarship Program	1st year govt. college B. Tech students	June to August
7.	Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY)	Class 11, 12 (PCM/B), BSc 1st year, Int. MSc 1st year students	June to August
8.	11th All India Maths Science (AIMS) Talent Examination	Students of class 1 to 10th	July to August
9.	Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarship Programme	Class 12th passed students	June to August
10.	National Scholarship Exam	School students of class 5 to 12 and diploma/degree students	April to September
11.	BTSE Bihar Talent Search Examination	Students of class 7th to 10th	June to August
12.	National Science Concours (NSC)	Students of class 6th to 12th	July to November
13.	J C Bose National Fellowship (Science & Engineering Research Board)	Citizens up to 68 years of age	Always Open
14.	Nagaland State Merit Scholarship	Class 11th to Post Graduate	May to July
15.	JM Sethia Merit Scholarship Scheme	Students enrolled in class 9 to 12, Graduation, Postgraduation	May to July
16.	JSPN Scholarship	Class 11th to graduation	May to July
17.	SIA Youth Scholarship in Singapore	Class 10th passed students	June to July
18.	A-STAR India Youth Scholarship	Class 8th passed students	June to July
19.	NBHM Scholarship for Post Graduate Studies in Mathematics	Graduates in Mathematics or students enrolled/pursuing PG in Mathematics	June to July
20.	J N Tata Endowment Loan Scholarship	Graduates/final year undergraduates	December to March
21.	G.P. Birla Education Foundation Scholarship	Class 12th pass students from West Bengal	May to July
22.	Bighelp National Merit Scholarship	Class 10th passed students	April to June
23.	RGIPT M. Tech Fellowship	B. Tech/BE	March to June
24.	KSCSTE Prathibha Scholarship Programme	Class 12th passed students (Science)	December to January
25.	Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship	Professionals working in the Engineering profession in public-funded institutions	April to August

*The application period mentioned is tentative which may change at the discretion of the scholarship-providing authorities.

Also Read: MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Scholarships in India – Means-based scholarships

Scholarships are also broadly categorized into means-based scholarships which are disbursed to students after considering their financial needs. Yes, there are some scholarships in India that are specifically meant for students coming from economically backward classes. The major factor that determines whether a student is eligible for such scholarships is the annual family income of the family.

Explore some of the most popular means-based scholarships in the list provided below. This list can give you an awareness of what are the scholarships that fulfil your financial need in pursuit of education.

List of means-based scholarships in India

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Applicable For	Application Period*
1.	Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	Students of class 1st to 10th	August to September
2.	Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	Students of Class 11th to PhD	August to September
3.	HDFC Educational Crisis Scholarship	Students of class 6 to 12 / undergraduates/ postgraduates	June to August
4.	Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Pre-Matric	Students of class 1st to 10th	August to October
5.	Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Post-Matric	Class 11th to post-graduation including diploma	August to October
6.	Dr. Ambedkar Post Matric Scholarship for Economically Backward Classes (EBC), Tripura	Class 11th to post-graduation	November to January
7.	National Overseas Scholarship for SC Students	SC, Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans	April to May
8.	AMP Higher Education Scholarship Fund	Muslim students pursuing graduation	May to July
9.	SHDF Scholarships	Students pursuing diploma, degree or postgraduate degree	June to August
10.	INSEAD Deepak & Sunita Gupta Endowed Scholarships	MBA applicants	June to August
11.	IDFC First MBA Scholarship	1st year MBA Students (India)	July
12.	The G.S.B Scholarship	Students from class 5 to graduate level	July to October
13.	Azim Premji University Undergraduate Scholarship	Bachelor’s degree applicants	March to April
14.	Nurturing Talent Programme	Class 5th passed students	February to April
15.	Joining Hands Higher Education Scholarship Program	Undergraduate and postgraduate applicants	March to April
16.	Padala Charitable Trust Scholarship	Class 11th, 12th, diploma and graduate students	March to May
17.	Kind Circle Meritorious Scholarship	Students studying in Class 9 to 12, Graduation or Vocational programs (all years)	January to March
18.	Jauhar National Fellowship	Muslim minority students (UG and PG)	September to November
19.	Harvard Need Blind Scholarship	Undergraduates of Harvard University	December to February
20.	AICTE-Saksham Scholarship Scheme	Differently-abled students	October to December
21.	Loan for Professional/Educational/Training Courses to Disabled Persons	Candidates with 40% or more disability	Runs all through the year
22.	Dr. Radha Krishnan Scholarship, HP Board of School Education	Class 10th/12th passed students	December to January
23.	Medley Pharma Scholarship	Class 10th passed onwards	October to December
24.	Sindhutai Sapakal Scheme for Educating Orphans and Children with Special Needs	Class 1st to post-graduation	October to December
25.	Sitaram Jindal Foundation Scholarship	Class 11th to post-graduation	Runs all through the year

*The application period mentioned is tentative which may change at the discretion of the scholarship-providing authorities.

Also Read: MEANS SCHOLARSHIP – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Scholarships in India – Merit-cum-means based scholarships

A merit-cum-means based scholarship is a collective term for scholarships that take both the academic merit and the financial need of the student into consideration for disbursal. When do these scholarships become live every year? Who can apply for these scholarships? Which are courses covered in such scholarships? Find the answer to all these questions in the list given below which contains the some of most prominent merit-cum-means based scholarships in India.

List of merit-cum-means based scholarships in India

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Applicable For	Application Period*
1.	LIC HFL Vidhyadhan Scholarship	Students of Class 8 to postgraduation	November to December
2.	Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities)	Students pursuing Professional and technical course	August to September
3.	Keep India Smiling Foundational Scholarship Programme	Meritorious and deserving students	July to January
4.	North South Foundation (NSF) Scholarship	Class 12th passed students	July to September
5.	Nirankari Rajmata Scholarship Scheme	Class 12th passed and graduate students	July to September
6.	IndusInd Foundation Merit-cum-Means Scholarship	Class 12th passed students	July to September
7.	Baba Gurbachan Singh Scholarship Scheme	1st-year degree/diploma students	July to September
8.	Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students	Class 12th passed students	August to October
9.	Nurture Merit cum Means Scholarship	Students pursuing graduation	June to December
10.	Vidyadhan Scholarship Program	Class 10th passed students	May to July
11.	Shubh Aarambh Scholarship	Class 12th passed students	May to August
12.	LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship	Class 12th passed students pursuing UG/Vocational courses	November to December
13.	Nirmaan Scholarship and Mentorship Program (NSMP)	Students who’ve passed class 12th	May to July
14.	Early Success Merit cum Means Scholarship	Students studying in class 6 to class 12	May to July
15.	DAIICT Admission Cum Scholarship	Class 12th passed or appearing students	April to July
16.	Ryan Merit cum Means Scholarship	Students studying in Classes 8 to 12	April to June
17.	SRM University Socio-Economic Scholarships	Students applying for an undergraduate course at SRM University	March to June
18.	Inspire Merit cum Means Scholarship	Students pursuing graduation	March to June
19.	National Means Cum Merit Scholarship	Class 9th students	August to October
20.	Swami Vivekananda Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Minorities (West Bengal)	Class 11 onwards students	December to January
21.	KEI High school Scholarship Program	Students studying in class 9	January to March
22.	Schindler Igniting Minds Scholarship Program	Class 10th/12th passed students pursuing diploma courses	January to March
23.	Foundation for Excellence Scholarship	Students enrolling in BE/B.Tech and MBBS degree program	October to December
24.	Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation Scholarships	MBBS, B.E/B.Tech, B.Sc(Agri/Nursing) MBA Students	September to December
25.	South Indian Bank (SIB) Scholarship Scheme	Undergraduates belonging to economically backward families of Kerala	September to October

*The application period mentioned is tentative which may change at the discretion of the scholarship-providing authorities.

Also Read: MCM SCHOLARSHIP – KNOW ALL ABOUT MERIT CUM MEANS SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarships in India – Talent-based scholarships

Are you into the stream of music, art or dance? Are you looking for custom scholarships to fund your education in a talent-based field? If yes, there are several talent-based scholarships in India that will probably give you wings to fulfil your career ambition. Whether you want to become an artist, a musician or a dancer, you can opt for talent-based scholarships for your benefit’s sake.

Know which are the talent-based scholarships in India that you can avail from the list given below. It carries the names of some of the renowned scholarships based on talent.

List of talent-based scholarships in India

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Applicable For	Application Period*
1.	GEMS Genius Scholarship	School students	July to August
2.	Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme	Students in the age group of 10-14 years	November to January
3.	Toto Music Award	Young and talented applicants under 30 years of age	June to August
4.	National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement	Students between 5 to 18 years of age	June to August
5.	Kalakriti Fellowship	Young artists of age 25 to 40 years	Runs all through the year
6.	Madhobi Chatterji Memorial Fellowship	Young artists from any genre of Indian Classical Music or Dance	Runs all through the year
7.	Mani Mann Fellowship	Young musicians of 25 to 40 years	Runs all through the year
8.	Young Artistes Scholarship	Young artists between 18 and 25 years of age	September to November
9.	Inlaks Fellowships for Indian Classical Music	Young vocal musicians	September to October
10.	Lalit Kala Akademi Scholarship	21 years to 35 years artists.	February to March
11.	Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar	Young Indian authors of age 35 years or below	June to August
12.	FICA Emerging Artist Award	Young artists (age 18 to 35 years)	July to August
13.	New India Foundation Fellowships 2018	Scholars and writers	April to June
14.	Comix competition (International)	Comic creators	December to January
15.	The Hindu Playwright Award	Playwrights above the age of 18 years	March to May

*The application period mentioned is tentative which may change at the discretion of the scholarship-providing authorities.

Scholarships in India – Sports-based scholarships

Which sport do you like the most? Cricket? Football? Basketball? Or Chess? Irrespective of which sport you choose, have you ever thought of winning a scholarship on the basis of your contribution to these sports? Perhaps not. However, if you wish to make your contributions noteworthy in the field of sports, you are open to numerous scholarship opportunities in India offered by renowned sports institutions and other private organizations.

Find out which are the prominent sports-based scholarships in India in the list given below and excel in the field of your choice.

List of sports-based scholarships in India

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Applicable For	Application Period*
1.	AAI Sports Scholarship Scheme in India	Players above 14 years who represent India in Sub-Junior / Junior / Senior National Championships, All India Inter University Tournaments, National School Games	December to February
2.	GEMS Genius Scholarship	School students	July to August
3.	MKG Chess Scholarship	Girl chess player below the age of 18 years	June to July
4.	University of Sussex Sports Scholarships Scheme (UK)	Master’s degree applicants (performing athletes)	August to October
5.	ASA International Scholarship (Australia)	Students willing to study in Australia	November to December
6.	Symbiosis Society Foundation Sports Scholarships	Sportsperson enrolling/studying at Symbiosis International University	June to July

*The application period mentioned is tentative which may change at the discretion of the scholarship-providing authorities.

Scholarships in India – for women

To encourage and empower girls/women in the field of education and to ensure that no girl drops out of formal education, numerous scholarships for women are also being offered in India by the government as well as private organizations. These scholarships are disbursed both on the basis of academic merit or/and the financial need of the girls.

For all those girls out there, here is a curated list of scholarships exclusively for you to pursue further education. Hope these scholarships will act as a bridge in pursuit of your dreams and aspirations.

List of scholarships in India for women

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Applicable For	Application Period*
1.	Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Sashakt Scholarship	Class 12th passed girls	July to August
2.	Santoor Women’s Scholarship	Class 12th passed girls	July to August
3.	Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship Scheme for Minorities Girls	Minorities girl students studying in Class 9th to 12th	July to September
4.	Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	The single girl child of the family up to 30 years of age	February to March
5.	Women Scientists Scheme-C (WOS-C)	Women scientists above 27 years of age	November to January
6.	SOF Girl Child Scholarship Scheme (G.C.S.S)	Girls of classes 1 to 10	June to October
7.	L’Oréal India For Young Women in Science Scholarship	Class 12th passed girls (Science)	June to July
8.	UGAM – Legrand Scholarship Program	Class 12th passed girls	June to July
9.	AICTE-Scholarship Scheme to Girl Child (SSGC) under Pragati	Girl students entering the first year of technical courses	October to December
10.	Marubeni India Meritorious Scholarship	Class 12 pass-outs pursuing the 1st year of graduation	November to January
11.	Smt. Geeta Lochan Girl Child Scholarship Programme	Girl candidate of Arunachal University of Studies	May to June
12.	Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation Nursing Scholarship Programme	Girls who want to pursue B.Sc. (Basic Nursing)	March to May
13.	Prabha Dutt Fellowship	Women journalists of the age group 25 to 40 years	Runs all through the year
14.	Kalpana Chawla Memorial Award	Girl students appearing in class 12th	March to May
15.	Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Scholarship	Women graduates	February to April
16.	Tata Housing Scholarships for Meritorious Girl Students	Girl students in the 2nd year of BE/B.Tech/B.Arch	January to March
17.	Muslim Nadar Girls Scholarship, Kerala	1st-year girl students of HSC/ VHSC/ undergraduate course	July to August
18.	Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship (JBNSTS), West Bengal	Class 12th passed girls	May to July
19.	Merit Scholarship for Undergraduate Girl Students	Undergraduate girl students	January to February
20.	Women as Cyber Leaders Scholarship (UK)	MSc degree applicants (Female)	May to June
21.	Facebook Grace Hopper Scholarship	Women pursuing a CS degree program	May to June
22.	Said Business School Scholarships for Women (UK)	Women pursuing M.Sc. in Major Programme Management	April to June
23.	International Women Forum Fellows Program	Emerging women leaders having at least 10 years of experience	April to June
24.	Scholarship for Women: Professional MBA Facility Management	Female candidates	December to January
25.	Women’s Cybersecurity Scholarships	Class 12 (studying or passed), graduate and postgraduate female applicants	January to March
26.	MKG Chess Scholarship	Girl chess player below the age of 18 years	June to July

*The application period mentioned is tentative which may change at the discretion of the scholarship-providing authorities.

Also Read: SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INDIAN GIRLS & WOMEN

Scholarships in India – for overseas studies

Planning to study abroad in the US or UK? How will you manage the funds for education overseas? While some of you may rely on the provision of educational loans, most of you might look up scholarships in India to study abroad. Yes, when it comes to international education, a number of international universities offer scholarship opportunities for Indian students to encourage cross-cultural education worldwide.

Adding to this, you are also open to scholarship opportunities that are being rendered by the Government of India and other countries’ governments. Below is a compilation of all such scholarships that can benefit you in pursuing your dream academic career overseas without any financial constraints.

List of scholarships in India for overseas studies

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Applicable For	Application Period*
1.	Alliance MBS Masters Scholarship (UK)	Postgraduate applicants	June to August
2.	Bath Spa University Meritorious Scholarship (UK)	Undergraduate and Postgraduate applicants	June to August
3.	Amity Global Institute Merit Scholarship, Singapore	Class 12 passed, and graduates	June to August
4.	Newcastle University Business School Scholarships	Students entering Masters’s courses	from June to August
5.	University of Strathclyde-Faculty of Science Research Elite Scholarships (Scotland)	Postgraduates	July to September
6.	University of Strathclyde-Faculty of Science Postgraduate Elite Scholarships (Scotland)	Graduates	July to September
7.	University of Strathclyde-Faculty of Science Undergraduate Elite Scholarships (Scotland)	Class 12th passed students	July to September
8.	University of Dundee Global Excellence Scholarship	Undergraduate	July to October
9.	Mexican Government Scholarships for International Students (Mexico)	Graduates, Post Graduates, PhD	July to September
10.	Academic Excellence International Masters Scholarship (UK)	Master’s degree applicants	July to September
11.	Scholarships to study online at the University of South Wales	Class 12th passed and graduates	June to January
12.	Deakin India Merit Scholarship	Undergraduate & postgraduate program applicants	June to December
13.	Nanyang Technological University NIE PhD Scholarship (Singapore)	PhD applicants	April to July
14.	The Rhodes Scholarships, University of Oxford (UK)	Graduates or final year students	April to July
15.	Academia Higher Education College Meritorious Scholarship (Slovenia, EU)	Students applying for courses in Business, Engineering and Media Production	June to August
16.	The University of Strathclyde-Scotland Welcomes India Big Data Scholarship (Scotland)	Graduates	May to July
17.	The University of Bristol Think Big Undergraduate Scholarships (UK)	Bachelor’s degree applicants	April to June
18.	Regent’s University India Postgraduate Taught Masters Scholarship (UK)	Master’s degree applicants	March to June
19.	The University of Lincoln India Scholarship (UK)	Postgraduate applicants	March to June
20.	Carnegie Mellon University Academic Merit Scholarships, Australia	Graduates	March to June
21.	UCC Ireland Meritorious Scholarship for Indian Students	Students passed class 12 or graduation/graduates	March to June
22.	Manju Mehrotra Scholarship (UK)	Master’s degree applicants	March to June
23.	Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship (US)	MBA applicants	April to June
24.	ITC Foundation Scholarship Programme (Netherlands)	Master’s degree applicants	February to April
25.	IHS Holland Scholarship (Netherlands)	Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree applicants	March to May

*The application period mentioned is tentative which may change at the discretion of the scholarship-providing authorities.

The list of scholarships in India is never-ending. Every year hundreds of scholarships are available at your disbursal. Stay connected with Buddy4Study to get timely alerts about all types of scholarships available in India. Also, you can avail dedicated application support while applying for any scholarship.

Also Read: NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PORTAL – A HUB FOR GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIPS

The list of State Scholarship portal are as follows:

Scholarships for Uttar Pradesh	UP Scholarship
Scholarships for Maharashtra	Mahadbt
Post Matric Scholarships disbursements through ePass	Epass Scholarship
Jnanabhumi online portal of the Government of Andhra Pradesh	Jnanabhumi
scholarship portal of Jharkhand	E Kalyan Scholarship
Government of Madhya Pradesh, MP scholarships	MP Scholarship
Karnataka education board, ePASS Karnataka	Epass Karnataka Scholarship
TS epass scholarship is offering by Telangana Govt	Telangana Epass
Scholarship Portal Government of Punjab	Punjab Scholarship
E-Grantz portal, Government of Kerala	E Grantz
Minorities under the Government of Karnataka, GOKDOM	Gokdom
Oasis scholarship portal, West Bengal scholarships	Oasis Scholarship
Chhattisgarh Scholarship Portal	CG Scholarship Portal
SJE Rajasthan Scholarship Portal, Government of Rajasthan	SJE Scholarship
Digital Gujarat scholarship, Government of Gujarat.	Gujarat Scholarship
HP ePass scholarship portal, Himachal Pradesh	HP Epass Scholarship
West Bengal Scholarship Schemes, West Bengal	West Bengal Scholarship
Government of Bihar Post-Matric scholarship SC/ST/BC/EBC	Bihar Scholarship
Scholarship for BC, MBC and Minorities, Govt of TamilNadu	TN Scholarship