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 | Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for ST | July-October | 667 |
| 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 fulfill 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 fellowship 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 1200 |
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 – Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for ST
The Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) scheme is funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. The scheme is open to ST students who are pursuing regular and full-time MPhil and PhD studies in Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering, and Technology. There are 750 slots available for this scholarship.
The following table describes the financial assistance and tenure of fellowship:
ST Scholarship- Financial assistance, tenure, and fellowship
| Course | Duration of fellowship (years) | Fellowship amount |
| MPhil
MPhil plus PhD |
2 | |
| 5 | ||
| Fellowship in science, humanities, social science, technology | 2 (JRF)
3 (SRF) |
INR 25000 (JRF) for initial 2 years
INR 28000 per annum for remaining tenure |
| Contingency A in humanities and social science | 2 (JRF)
3 (SRF) |
INR 10000 for initial 2 years
INR 20500 for remaining tenure |
| Contingency B in science, engineering, and technology | 2 (JRF)
3 (SRF) |
INR 12000 per annum for initial 2 years |
| HRA all subjects | As per rules of the university/college |
Eligibility
- 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.
Application process
- The applicant needs to make an online application on the UGC official website (ugc.ac.in).
- The application needs to be filled in two parts: (a) personal details (b) academic qualifications and research experiences.
- Documents that are needed to be scanned and uploaded along with the application form are mark sheets (post-graduation) and institute certificate in PDF or JPG format.
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 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 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, Aaadhaar 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 Government or Central/State Board of Secondary Education
The following table described 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 adhoc grants | INR 750 | INR 1000 | 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