AICTE Scholarship 2026-27: Application Form, Eligibility, Last Date

AICTE scholarships are designed to make technical education more accessible to students who may otherwise face financial, social or personal barriers. For the 2026-27 academic year, the All India Council for Technical Education continues to support students through several targeted schemes rather than one single “AICTE Scholarship.” The most widely used routes are Pragati for girl students, Saksham for students with benchmark disabilities, and Swanath for orphans and other specified vulnerable categories.

These schemes share a common feature: the student must be studying in an AICTE-approved institution or course that fits the scheme rules. But their eligibility is not identical. Pragati focuses on girls in technical degree or diploma programmes. Saksham is for specially-abled students with at least 40% disability. Swanath supports orphans, students who lost a parent or parents due to Covid-19, and wards of Armed Forces or Central Paramilitary Forces personnel martyred in action.

For 2026-27, the main AICTE scholarship applications on the National Scholarship Portal opened on June 1, 2026. The student application deadline is October 31, 2026. This makes the current cycle especially important for students who have not yet completed registration, because institute verification and later scrutiny continue after the student window closes, but a student cannot rely on those later verification dates as an extension of the application deadline.

AICTE Scholarship 2026-27: Quick Overview

The following table shows the main AICTE scholarship routes currently listed on the National Scholarship Portal for the 2026-27 academic year.

AICTE Scholarship 2026-27 Last Date

For the main AICTE scholarships listed above, the 2026-27 application calendar is common on the National Scholarship Portal. Students should distinguish the application deadline from the later verification deadlines.

The October 31 deadline is the key date for students. A form left incomplete after that date cannot be treated as submitted simply because institute verification continues into November. Students should also respond quickly if their application is marked defective, because the correction and verification stage has its own closing date.

1. AICTE Pragati Scholarship 2026-27

Pragati is AICTE’s flagship scholarship for girl students pursuing technical education. It is intended to reduce the financial pressure that can prevent women from entering or continuing diploma and degree programmes.

• The applicant must be a girl student.
• A maximum of two girl children from one family can receive the benefit.
• Annual family income from all sources should not exceed ₹8 lakh.
• The student should be admitted in the first year of an eligible technical degree/diploma course, or in the second year through lateral entry, in an AICTE-approved institution.
• The scholarship is available only for eligible technical education covered by the scheme and NSP listing.

Under the current scheme structure, Pragati provides ₹50,000 per year as a lump-sum scholarship. The support can continue for up to four years for a student admitted in the first year of a degree programme and for the remaining eligible duration in lateral-entry cases. Diploma support follows the duration applicable to the programme.

2. AICTE Saksham Scholarship 2026-27

Saksham is meant for students with disabilities who are pursuing technical education in AICTE-approved institutions. Unlike Pragati, gender is not the central condition; the key qualifying factor is disability status together with the course and family-income rules.

• The applicant should have a disability of at least 40% certified by the competent authority.
• Annual family income should not exceed ₹8 lakh.
• The student should be admitted in the first year of an eligible technical degree/diploma programme, or in the second year through lateral entry where permitted.
• The institution and course must be AICTE approved for the relevant academic year.

Saksham also provides ₹50,000 per year as a lump-sum benefit. The amount is intended to support college fees and educational needs such as books, computer equipment, stationery, software and other study-related expenses.

3. AICTE Swanath Scholarship 2026-27

Swanath is a welfare-oriented scheme created for students facing exceptional family circumstances. It is broader than a conventional merit scholarship because eligibility is linked to a student’s family situation as well as their technical education.

• The applicant must be an orphan; or have lost either or both parents due to Covid-19; or be a ward of Armed Forces/Central Paramilitary Forces personnel martyred in action.
• Annual family income from all sources should not exceed ₹8 lakh.
• The student must be studying in a regular AICTE-approved degree or diploma course.
• Students can be in the first, second, third or fourth year as applicable to the programme.
• The applicant must not already be receiving another Central Government, State Government or AICTE-sponsored scholarship.

Swanath provides ₹50,000 per year. AICTE allows up to 2,000 Swanath scholarships annually, with 1,000 intended for degree students and 1,000 for diploma students. The remaining duration of support depends on the year in which the student is studying when selected.

AICTE Scholarship Amount 2026-27

The current AICTE student-support model uses a simple lump-sum structure for Pragati, Saksham and Swanath. This makes the benefit easier to understand than older versions of the schemes that separated tuition and contingency components.

The scholarship is meant to support educational expenditure such as college fee, books, computer or software, stationery, equipment and related study costs. No student should assume that a separate hostel or medical allowance will automatically be added unless the specific scheme rules provide it.

Documents Required for AICTE Scholarship Application

The exact upload list depends on the scheme, but the following documents are commonly required. Students should keep clear and current copies ready before starting the NSP form.

• Aadhaar card
• Aadhaar-seeded bank account details in the student’s name
• Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets, as applicable
• Admission letter or proof of admission to the technical degree/diploma course
• Current bonafide certificate from the institution
• Annual family income certificate issued by the competent authority
• Category certificate where applicable
• Disability certificate of at least 40% for Saksham applicants
• For Swanath: death certificate, Covid-related parental death record where required, or Shaheed certificate issued by the competent Armed Forces/Central Paramilitary authority
• Any declaration or institution certificate requested on NSP

How to Apply for AICTE Scholarship 2026-27

Applications for the main AICTE schemes are submitted through the National Scholarship Portal. Students should not rely on an old standalone Pragati or Saksham portal or submit an offline form.

1. Open the National Scholarship Portal: Visit scholarships.gov.in and open the student section for the 2026-27 academic year.
2. Complete One Time Registration: Finish NSP One Time Registration using Aadhaar and the required mobile/identity verification. Keep the OTR number secure.
3. Log in to the student dashboard: Use the OTR-linked credentials to access the current academic-year application.
4. Complete the profile: Enter personal, domicile, institution, course, bank and academic details exactly as they appear in official records.
5. Select the correct AICTE scheme: Choose Pragati, Saksham or Swanath and then select Technical Degree or Technical Diploma as applicable. Do not choose a scheme simply because it appears under AICTE.
6. Enter eligibility details: Provide family income, admission year, course year and the scheme-specific information such as disability or Swanath category.
7. Upload the required documents: Attach clear copies of marksheets, income certificate, bonafide/admission documents and the special certificate required by the selected scheme.
8. Preview the form: Check Aadhaar-linked name, course, institution, bank account, income and uploaded documents before submission.
9. Final submit before October 31, 2026: Complete the application before the NSP student deadline. Save the application ID and acknowledgement.
10. Track verification: Monitor the dashboard for institute verification, defective status or higher-level scrutiny. Correct a defective application within the permitted verification window.

Fresh Application and Renewal

Students already receiving an AICTE scholarship should not automatically submit a new fresh application every year. Renewal is linked to continuation in the approved course and satisfactory academic progression. NSP requires the relevant renewal information and academic records for the next year of study.

For new applicants, eligibility depends on the scheme. Pragati and Saksham focus mainly on first-year admission or second-year lateral entry under current rules, while Swanath can cover eligible students already studying in later years of a regular degree or diploma programme.

What Happens After the AICTE Scholarship Form Is Submitted?

Final submission is only the first stage. The institute checks whether the student is genuinely enrolled in the stated course and whether the application details match institutional records. The form then moves through the verification structure shown on NSP.

If the application is marked defective, the student should read the reason carefully and correct the problem before the defective-verification deadline. After approval and sanction, scholarship payment is released through Direct Benefit Transfer to the eligible bank account.

Important Checks Before Applying

• Make sure the college and course are AICTE approved for the relevant academic year.
• Do not use an outdated AICTE application portal; use the current NSP route.
• Check whether your admission year fits the fresh-application rule for Pragati or Saksham.
• For Saksham, confirm that the disability certificate shows at least 40% disability.
• For Swanath, upload the correct proof for orphan, Covid-bereavement or martyr category.
• Use a current income certificate showing family income within the ₹8 lakh ceiling.
• Keep the bank account active and Aadhaar-seeded where required.
• Do not wait until October 31 if institute or document corrections may be needed.

FAQs

Q. Can a student apply for both Pragati and another government scholarship at the same time?

A student should not assume that two government scholarships can be combined. AICTE scheme rules restrict overlapping scholarship benefits in important situations, and Swanath specifically excludes students already receiving Central, State or AICTE-sponsored scholarships. Check both schemes before accepting overlapping assistance.

Q. Can a student in the second year of B.Tech apply for Pragati or Saksham for the first time?

A second-year student may be eligible when admission to second year occurred through the permitted lateral-entry route. A student who simply progressed from first year to second year without applying under the applicable fresh-entry conditions should not assume that a new fresh application is available.

Q. What if the college name does not appear correctly on NSP?

Do not select a similar college just to complete the form. Contact the institute’s scholarship or nodal officer. The institution may need to update or verify its NSP profile or AICTE-linked course information before the student can submit correctly.

Q. Does institute verification mean the scholarship is finally approved?

No. Institute verification confirms the student’s institutional details, but the application can still undergo further scrutiny and sanction. Students should continue checking NSP until the final status and payment stage are visible.