ST Scholarship is awarded to the students of scheduled tribe (ST) category by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. The objective of the ST scholarship is to provide financial assistance to these students to complete their studies at both school and college level. Some of the most popular ST scholarships are Pre-matric Scholarship, Post-matric Scholarship, Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship, and Overseas Scholarship.

This article gives you comprehensive information about each ST scholarship such as its eligibility, application process, award details, selection criteria, etc. Pick the scholarships that match your credentials and apply for them as specified.

ST Scholarship – The Complete List

How many ST scholarships are available? When is the right time to apply for an ST scholarship? The following table provides critical information on all the types of scholarships available for ST students in India along with other information like application timeline and number of scholarships. This will help the students to be well informed and prepared before the application deadline.

Complete List of ST Scholarship

S.No	Scholarship	Tentative application time*	No. of scholarships
1	Post-matric Scholarship	May-June	NA
2	Pre-matric Scholarship	May-June	NA
3	National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students	August-November	Scholarships – 1,000 Fellowships – 750
4	National Overseas Fellowship for ST	December (in an academic year)	20

*Subject to change

ST Scholarship – Post-matric scholarship for ST

This ST scholarship is centrally-funded and implemented by the state governments. The students who fulfil the prescribed eligibility criteria for the scholarship can apply. The awards are fully funded by the central government and administered by the state governments. The applications are made online through the national scholarship portal.

Eligibility

• The students who belong to ST category are eligible to apply.
• The annual family income should not exceed INR 2 Lakh per annum.
• They must be pursuing post-matric and post-secondary courses in recognized Schools/ Institutes/Universities

The scholarship award to the ST students based on the courses they are enrolled into are as follows:

Post-matric ST Scholarship awards

Courses	Scholarship allowance- Day scholars	Scholarship allowance- Hostellers
Group I– (I) Degree and postgraduate such as MPhil, Ph.D., postdoctoral research in medicine, engineering, technology, planning, architecture etc. (II)               Commercial pilot license (III)             Postgraduate diploma courses in management and medicine (IV)             CA/ICWA/CS/ICFA etc. (V)               MPhil, Ph.D., postdoctoral programs (VI)             LLM	INR 1,200	INR 500
Group II– (I)                 Graduate and postgraduate degree leading to a diploma, degree, and a certificate in Nursing, LLB, BFS etc. (II)               Postgraduate courses not covered in Group I	INR 820	INR 530
Group III– all other courses not covered in Group I and II	INR 570	INR 300
Group IV– Post-matriculation level non-degree courses such as ITI, Polytechnic	INR 380	INR 230

Application process

• The application should be made through the national scholarship portal online (link).
• The candidates should upload the following documents along with the application such as passport size photograph, attested copies of certificates, diploma, degrees, caste certificate & income declaration.

Also Read– National Scholarship Portal

ST Scholarship – National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students

This is a central sector scheme that combines the ‘Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) for ST Students’ and ‘Top Class Education Scheme for ST Students’. Funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, this scheme is open to ST students who are pursuing regular and full-time professional courses at graduate/postgraduate level and MPhil/PhD level. A total of 750 slots are available for the fellowship and 1,000 slots for the scholarship.

ST Scholarship – Financial assistance, tenure, and fellowship

The maximum duration of fellowship for candidates pursuing M.Phil. is 2 years or the date of dissertation (whichever is earlier), whereas the maximum duration of fellowship for candidates pursuing a PhD is 5 years or the date of viva-voce (whichever is earlier). However, if a candidate pursues PhD after M.Phil., the fellowship duration will be 5 years (2 years for M.Phil. and 3 years for PhD). The financial assistance offered under the fellowship includes –

ST Scholarships – Fellowship Details

S.No.	Particulars	Details
1.	Fellowship amount	For M.Phil. – INR 25,000 per month For PhD – INR 28,000 per month
2.	Annual contingency grant	For M.Phil. – INR 10,000 (For Humanities & Social Sciences) and INR 12,000 (For Science, Engineering & Technology) For PhD – INR 20,500 (For Humanities & Social Sciences) and INR 25,000 (For Science, Engineering and Technology)
3.	HRA	As per the rules of University/Colleges/Institutions
4.	Escorts/Reader Assistance	INR 2,000 per month for physically handicapped and blind candidates (for all subjects)

The financial assistance offered under the scholarship includes –

• Full tuition fees and other non-refundable dues with a maximum ceiling of INR 2.5 Lakhs per annum
• INR 3,000 per annum for books and stationery
• INR 2,200 per month for living expenses with a maximum ceiling of INR 26,400 per annum
• INR 45,000 as one-time assistance for computer and accessories

Eligibility

Fellowship

• ST students should have passed post-graduation course.
• The candidates must be registered for regular and full-time MPhil/PhD courses in Universities/Institutes/Colleges recognized by UGC.
• Transgender students are also eligible to apply.

Scholarship

• The ST candidates who have taken admission in an institution notified/identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs are eligible.
• The annual income of their family should be less than INR 6 Lakhs from all sources.

Application process

• The applicant needs to make an online application on the national scholarship portal.
• The application needs to be filled as specified.
• Upload the documents required and submit the form.

ST Scholarship – National Overseas Scholarship for ST

The scheme provides financial assistance to students pursuing higher studies at Masters, PhD or postdoctoral level research programmes abroad. There are 20 scholarships awarded to ST students. 30% of total scholarships are allotted to female applicants. The awardees are requested to come to India after finishing the studies. The stay can be extended for a maximum of 2 years with permission from the Indian Government and Indian Mission abroad.

There are 4 passage grants for ST students who are already in receipt of merit scholarship for post-graduate studies, research or training abroad from a foreign government where the cost of passage is not provided.

ST Scholarship – Course and number of scholarships awarded

S.No	Courses	No of fellowships
1	Engineering	7
2	Management
3	Economic/Finance
4	Pure Science	3
5	Applied science
6	Agriculture	5 5
7	Medicine
8	Humanities & social science	5

Eligibility

• For postdoctoral students- 55% marks in the previous year exam (Masters or PhD) with 5 years of experience in research/training/ professional in the concerned fields.
• For PhD students- 55% marks in the previous year exam (Masters) with 2 years of relevant research/training/professional experience in the concerned field.
• For master’s candidates, marks secured should not be less than 55% marks in the previous examination.
• The candidate’s age should be below 35 years.
• The annual family income should be less than INR 6 Lakh per annum.

The following table describes information on the maintenance allowance and other benefits prescribed under the scheme:

ST Scholarships – national overseas allowances & other benefits

Allowances	Other benefits
US- annual maintenance allowance is USD 15,400 for all level of courses	Poll tax, visa fees, incidental journey expenses, medical expenses, travel costs etc.
UK- annual maintenance allowance is GBP 9,900 for all level of courses

Application process

• The candidates need to download the relevant form from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs online portal and fill the form. The deadline is generally in December of an academic year (subject to change). It is advised to check the website from time to time.
• The following documents should be attached along with the application form: caste certificate, income certificate, and domicile certificate, bank details, Aadhaar number, and passport size photo.

ST Scholarship – Pre-matric (Class IX & X) for ST

Pre-matric ST Scholarship will help the pre-matric students of Class IX and X in progressing to their post-matric stage of education and excel in their overall studies. This will help the financially constrained students and also reduce dropouts at this stage. This scholarship will be awarded to the students by the state government in which they are domiciled.

Eligibility

• The students should belong to the ST category
• The annual family income should not exceed INR 2 Lakh per annum
• The students should not get any other funds from other governments
• He/She must be a regular and full-time student of a recognized government school or school recognized by the Government or Central/State Board of Secondary Education

The following table describes the value of scholarship awarded in this scheme to the ST students:

Pre-matric ST Scholarship awards

Scholarship	Day scholars	Hostellers	Allowance for disabled students- Types	Amount of allowance for disabled students
Scholarship for 10 months	INR 150	INR 350	Monthly reader allowance	INR 160
Books and ad hoc grants	INR 750	INR 1,000	Monthly transport allowance	INR 160
			Monthly helper allowance	INR 160
			Monthly escort allowance	INR 160
			Monthly helper allowance	INR 160
			Monthly coaching allowances to retarded students	INR 240

Application process

• The students have to apply online on the national scholarship portal website.
• The students also need to make sure that the following documents are uploaded: caste certificate, income certificate, and domicile certificate, bank account details, Aadhaar number, and passport size photo.

Selection process

All eligible students belonging to ST category can avail this scholarship

Also Read– SC Scholarship- All you need to know