Scholarships for Postgraduates: Awards, Eligibility, Key dates, Application

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 dilemma 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.

In this article, we have covered the main details of the most popular postgraduate scholarships offered by both government and private entities. Here, you 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 Central and State government. Given below is the list of some top scholarships for postgraduates offered by the government.

Government-funded postgraduate scholarships

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Application Period*
1.	Merit cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities)	September/October
2.	Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	September/October
3.	Scholarships for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities	October
4.	National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students	October
5.	AICTE PG (GATE/GPAT) Scholarship	October
6.	S.N. Bose Scholars Program	October
7.	Khorana Program for Scholars	October
8.	Chief Minister’s Urban Leaders Fellowship	October/November
9.	Focus Area Science Technology Summer Fellowship	November
10.	Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	November
11.	Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders	November
12.	Post Graduate Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC/ST	November
13.	Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulk Shishyavrutti Yojna	December
14.	Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala	July/August
15.	Ahindi Bhashik Scholarship, Maharashtra	December
16.	Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship	December
17.	Technical Education Scholarships for PG/Degree/Engineering Courses, Himachal Pradesh	December
18.	SERB Ramanujan Fellowships	December
19.	INSPIRE Fellowship	September/October
20.	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.

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.

Scholarship rewards of postgraduate scholarships

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Scholarship Awards
1.	Merit cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities)	Course fee of up to INR 20,000 Maintenance allowance of INR 1000 per month to hostellers Maintenance allowance of INR 500 per month to day scholars
2.	Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	PG candidates get the annual amount of INR 3000 Maintenance allowance of up to INR 1200 for postgraduate scholars
3.	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 3000 per month An annual book grant of INR 5000 A special monthly allowance of INR 2000
4.	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 2000 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 3000 per student A monthly amount of INR 2200 to cover living expenses A one-time grant of INR 45,000 for computer and accessories
5.	AICTE PG (GATE/GPAT) Scholarship	INR 12,400 per month for 24 months or for the duration of the course (whichever is lower)
6.	S.N. Bose Scholars Program	Stipend, health insurance and airfare-roundtrip
7.	Khorana Program for Scholars	Stipend, health insurance and airfare-roundtrip
8.	Chief Minister’s Urban Leaders Fellowship	A fellowship amount of up to INR 1,25,000 per month
9.	Focus Area Science Technology Summer Fellowship	An opportunity to work with scientists associated with Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi and National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad along with a monthly fellowship
10.	Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	A scholarship amount of INR 36,200 per annum for a duration of 2 years
11.	Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders	INR 3100 per month for a duration of 2 years
12.	Post Graduate Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC/ST	INR 7800 per month to students pursuing ME/M.Tech INR 4500 per month to students studying other professional courses
13.	Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulk Shishyavrutti Yojna	50% tuition fees
14.	Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala	INR 10,000 per annum
15.	Ahindi Bhashik Scholarship, Maharashtra	INR 3000 to INR 10,000
16.	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
17.	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
18.	SERB Ramanujan Fellowships	A fellowship amount of INR 85,000 per month A research grant of INR 7 Lakh per annum
19.	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
20.	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

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 fulfill the eligibility criteria of the scholarship which they are applying for. Find below the specific eligibility conditions of all the scholarships listed in the table.

Eligibility conditions for postgraduate scholarships

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Eligibility Criteria
1.	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 a competitive entrance exam or they must have scored a minimum 50% marks in class 12 or graduation in case of direct admission. The candidates must have secured a minimum 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.
2.	Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	The applicants must be studying in class 11, 12, graduation, postgraduation, M.Phil or Ph.D. 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.
3.	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.
4.	National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students	The applicants applying for fellowship under this scheme must have secured 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 Senior Research Fellowship. The applicants applying for scholarship must have secured admission in the institutes notified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The annual family income must not exceed INR 6 Lakh.
5.	AICTE PG (GATE/GPAT) Scholarship	The applicant must have secured qualifying marks in GATE/GPAT. The candidate must have taken admission in the 1^st year of M.Tech./M.E./M.Pharma/M.Arch of an AICTE recognized institution. The applicant must be having a general saving account in the bank.
6.	S.N. Bose Scholars Program	Bachelor/Master’s students are eligible for this scholarship. Students from the disciplines like Atmospheric and Earth Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, and Physical Sciences are eligible to apply.
7.	Khorana Program for Scholars	The candidates must be pursuing courses in the field of Biotechnology and allied areas including agricultural, food, health and biomedical sciences from a recognized institution in India. The applicants must be the pre-final year students of B.Tech., M.Tech., MSc., B.E., M.E., M.S., Integrated B.S-M.S., B.V.Sc., M.V.Sc., B. Pharm., M. Pharm., MBBS., and Master in Medical Science and Technology (MMST). The applicant must have scored a minimum CGPA of 8.0 or a percentage of 80%. Final year and Ph.D. students are not eligible to apply.
8.	Chief Minister’s Urban Leaders Fellowship	For the position of Fellows: The applicants having Ph.D. degree must have the full-time work experience of one year. The applicants having postgraduate degree with at least 60% marks must have the full-time work experience of 3 years. Professionals such as MBBS, LLB etc. who have pursued a 5-year course after class 12 are considered as postgraduates. Professionals such as CA and CS must have a minimum 3 years of work experience after being registered with their respective professional bodies. Graduates with at least 60% marks (or equivalent CGPA score) and 5 years of full-time work experience are also eligible to apply. For the position of Associate Fellows: Postgraduates with at least 60% marks or equivalent CGPA are eligible. Professionals such as MBBS, LLB etc. who have pursued a 5-year course after class 12 are considered as postgraduates. Graduates with at least 60% of marks or equivalent CGPA and a minimum of one-year full-time work experience are eligible. Professionals like CA and CS having at least one-year of full-time work experience after getting registered with their respective professional bodies can also apply.
9.	Focus Area Science Technology Summer Fellowship	Candidates applying for FAST-SF: 2^nd year students of BSc/ BS/ BVSc/ B.Pharma are eligible. 2^nd and 3^rd year students BTech/ BE/ BCA are eligible. 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th year students of BArch/ MS (5-year integrated)/ MSc/ MTech/ MBBS are eligible. 1^st year students of MS/ MSc/ MVSc/ MPharm/ MArch/ ME/ MTech/ MCA are eligible. 3^rd and 4^th year students of PharmD are eligible. Students of 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th year (Dual degree) BTech + MTech, BE + MSc and BS + MS are also eligible. Students of 1^st and 2^nd year Integrated PhD programme and MSc Tech can also apply. Teachers applying for FAST-SF: Only those teachers who are teaching in the North-Eastern states, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jammu & Kashmir are eligible. The applicants must have scored 65% and above marks in the core subjects (i.e., excluding languages) in class 10 to postgraduation (whichever years completed).
10.	Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	Only girl students of age not more than 30 years 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 1^st year of a master’s degree of a recognised university/college.
11.	Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders	The applicant must be a 1^st or 2^nd 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 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 in age at the time of admission in a PG course. Applicants pursuing PG course through Distance mode are not eligible to apply.
12.	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 1^st year of a professional course at 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.
13.	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.
14.	Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala	The candidate must be a 1^st 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.
15.	Ahindi Bhashik Scholarship, Maharashtra	The candidate must be a resident of the state of Maharashtra to be eligible. The applicant must be currently pursuing post-matric studies with Hindi as his/her subject. The applicant must have scored a minimum 60% marks in class 10 & 12 and 65% marks in Hindi subject. There is no income limit to avail this scholarship.
16.	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 institutions. The applicant must have a minimum of 5 years of service left at the parent organisation.
17.	Technical Education Scholarships for PG/Degree/Engineering Courses, Himachal Pradesh	The candidate must be the 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 60% of marks in the last exam. The annual family income must be less than INR 36,000.
18.	SERB Ramanujan Fellowships	The applicant 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.
19.	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 1^st rank holder in PG level exam for Basic/Applied Sciences including Engineering, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences. The applicant may be the 1^st rank holder at the Graduate level exam in Medicine conducted by a recognized university/institution in India.
20.	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 Master’s & PhD program with professional/research/teaching experience of 5 years in the relevant field. The applicant applying for the Ph.D. 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 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 procedure 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 you about how to apply for government scholarships for postgraduates.

Application process of postgraduate scholarships

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Application Process
1.	Merit cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities)	Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
2.	Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
3.	Scholarships for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities	Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
4.	National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students	Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
5.	AICTE PG (GATE/GPAT) Scholarship	Apply online through official page of AICTE GATE/GPAT scholarship.
6.	S.N. Bose Scholars Program	Apply online through the official website of Indo-US Science and Technology Forum.
7.	Khorana Program for Scholars	Apply online through the official website of Indo-US Science and Technology Forum.
8.	Chief Minister’s Urban Leaders Fellowship	Apply online through the official scholarship web portal of Delhi CM Urban Leaders Fellowship.
9.	Focus Area Science Technology Summer Fellowship	Apply online through the official website of either Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, Indian National Science Academy (New Delhi), or the National Academy of Sciences, India (Allahabad).
10.	Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child	Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
11.	Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders	Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
12.	Post Graduate Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC/ST	Apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
13.	Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulk Shishyavrutti Yojna	Apply online through the official website of Maharashtra Directorate of Technical Education.
14.	Suvarna Jubilee Merit Scholarship, Kerala	Apply online through the official scholarship web portal of Kerala Government, Department of Collegiate Education.
15.	Ahindi Bhashik Scholarship, Maharashtra	Apply online through the official website of Maharashtra Directorate of Technical Education.
16.	Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship	Apply online through the official website of Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE).
17.	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).
18.	SERB Ramanujan Fellowships	The application should be submitted in offline mode through the Head of the host institute.
19.	INSPIRE Fellowship	Apply online through the online portal of the INSPIRE Programme.
20.	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 privates 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

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Key Date	Provider’s Name
1.	Fair and Lovely Foundation Scholarship	October/November	Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)
2.	Tata Trusts Women Scholarship for Neuroscience	November	Tata Trusts
3.	Tata Trusts Scholarship for Speech Therapy	November	Tata Trusts
4.	The Anant Fellowship	December	Anant National University
5.	PNB Housing Finance Limited Protsahan Scholarship	November	PNB Housing Finance Limited
6.	Gaurav Foundation Scholarship	September/October	Gaurav Foundation
7.	Adobe India Women-in-Technology Scholarship	September/October	Adobe Research
8.	AFSTI Education and Publication Trust Scholarship	August/September	Association of Food Scientists & Technologists India [AFST(I)]
9.	Asudev Art Scholarship	August/September	Asudev Art Foundation
10.	DuPont NutriScholars Awards	September/October	DuPont Nutrition & Health

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.

Rewards of postgraduate scholarships

S.No.	Scholarship Name	Award Details
1.	Fair and Lovely Foundation Scholarship	A one-time scholarship amount of INR 25,000 to INR 50,000 per student
2.	Tata Trusts Women Scholarship for Neuroscience	Tuition fee waiver and other related fees paid
3.	Tata Trusts Scholarship for Speech Therapy	Tuition fee waiver and other related fees paid
4.	The Anant Fellowship	Up to 80% tuition fee waiver
5.	PNB Housing Finance Limited Protsahan Scholarship	INR 3 Lakh per student
6.	Gaurav Foundation Scholarship	Up to INR 3 Lakh for studying in India Up to INR 10 Lakh for studying abroad
7.	Adobe India Women-in-Technology Scholarship	Funding towards tuition fees Summer internship at Adobe India Mentoring session with senior technology leader from Adobe
8.	AFSTI Education and Publication Trust Scholarship	Variable awards
9.	Asudev Art Scholarship	INR 50,000
10.	DuPont NutriScholars Awards	INR 50,000

The scholarships for postgraduates mentioned above are just a drop in the vast pool of scholarships. There are many more which you can find on our scholarship portal Buddy4Study. Browse through them, find the ones that match your requirements and apply for them without wasting any time.

Also read: Top scholarships for medical students

Top scholarships for post-graduates