List of All SC/ST Scholarship 2026-27: Application Form, Last Date, Eligibility

Education support for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in India does not end with a single school scholarship. Financial assistance is available at several stages, from Classes 9 and 10 to higher secondary education, college, professional degrees, doctoral research and selected courses overseas. Depending on the scheme, eligible students may receive an academic allowance, reimbursement of approved tuition fees, hostel support or funding for advanced studies. These benefits can be especially important when the cost of continuing education rises after Class 10 or when a student secures admission to a professional institution away from home.

The SC/ST Scholarship 2026-27 application system is spread across Central Government schemes and state welfare departments. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment manages major SC schemes, while the Ministry of Tribal Affairs supports corresponding ST programmes. Several centrally sponsored scholarships are delivered through state governments, and higher-education awards may use the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). States such as Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana also operate their own application systems.

For 2026-27, the NSP has published an October 31, 2026 closing date for the national Top Class SC and ST scholarships. State-level dates are different: Odisha has extended its notified SC/ST pre-matric and post-matric application window to October 30, 2026, while Bihar’s published post-matric window ended on September 30, 2026. There is no common application form, income limit or deadline for every SC/ST scholarship. Students need to identify their scheme and home state before starting registration.

SC/ST Scholarship 2026-27 Overview

The basic details below explain how these scholarships are organised and where students should begin.

List of SC/ST Scholarships Available in India 2026-27

The following list covers the principal national scholarship categories. Some awards accept applications directly on NSP, while pre-matric and post-matric schemes may require a state portal even when they receive Central Government funding.

1. Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC Students

This centrally sponsored scheme supports SC students studying full-time in Classes 9 and 10. The general annual parental or guardian income ceiling is ₹2.5 lakh. A separate component assists children of persons engaged in specified hazardous or sanitation-related occupations, irrespective of caste, and has different eligibility conditions, including no family income ceiling. The ordinary SC component provides an academic allowance under its notified rates. Applications are handled through the process notified by the student’s state or Union Territory.

2. Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST Students

The ST pre-matric programme covers eligible Scheduled Tribe students in Classes 9 and 10, normally subject to a family income limit of ₹2.5 lakh annually. It is implemented through state and Union Territory authorities, which verify residence, community status, school records and entitlement. The scholarship helps meet educational costs before students move to higher secondary education.

3. Post-Matric Scholarship for SC Students

This is a major source of support for SC students who have passed Class 10 and joined recognised higher secondary, diploma, undergraduate or other eligible courses. The general family income ceiling is ₹2.5 lakh per year. Benefits include prescribed academic allowances and reimbursement of admissible compulsory fees, subject to the relevant course and scheme rules. Applications are generally processed by the student’s domicile state and verified by the institution.

4. Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Students

The corresponding ST scheme supports eligible students pursuing recognised studies after Class 10, including approved technical and professional courses. The family income ceiling is generally ₹2.5 lakh a year. Assistance depends on the course group and may cover compulsory non-refundable fees and maintenance or academic allowances. State authorities administer applications and transfer sanctioned benefits under their payment arrangements.

5. Central Sector Scholarship of Top Class Education for SC Students

This scheme supports SC students admitted to approved full-time courses at institutions notified by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The annual family income ceiling is up to ₹8 lakh. Under the published scheme terms, eligible students may receive approved tuition and non-refundable fees, along with an academic allowance. Admission to an institution alone does not guarantee selection: institutional slots, merit and verification requirements apply. Applications for 2026-27 are listed on NSP.

6. National Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students

Often called the Top Class ST Scholarship, this programme supports Scheduled Tribe students at identified premier institutions. The national guidelines place the annual family income ceiling at ₹6 lakh. Benefits may cover admissible tuition and admission fees, living support and allowances for books or a computer. The 2026-27 student application window appears on NSP under National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students – Scholarship.

7. National Fellowships for SC and ST Research Students

The National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students and the National Fellowship for Higher Education of ST Students support eligible research scholars, principally at the doctoral level, under their respective selection rules. They are not substitutes for the usual post-matric application form. Candidates must check their research admission, qualification, selection and fellowship-portal requirements separately. A scholarship deadline shown on NSP for undergraduate Top Class students should not be treated as the deadline for either fellowship.

8. National Overseas Scholarships for SC and ST Students

There are separate overseas scholarship programmes. The SC National Overseas Scholarship supports eligible students from Scheduled Castes and certain other notified groups for master’s and PhD studies abroad; the first 2026-27 round accepted applications from April 24 to June 2, 2026. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs separately runs the ST National Overseas Scholarship, for which the published extended 2026-27 deadline was July 31, 2026. Applications, admission requirements and financial conditions are different, and both listed deadlines have passed as of October 19, 2026.

9. Free Coaching Scheme for SC Students

The Central Government’s Free Coaching scheme is relevant to eligible SC applicants preparing for notified competitive examinations, rather than students seeking a normal school or college fee scholarship. It has a separate selection and assistance structure. NSP lists October 31, 2026 as the student closing date for the 2026-27 scheme covering SCs, OBCs and beneficiaries of the PM CARES Children Scheme. Applicants should read the coaching-specific criteria before applying.

SC/ST Scholarship 2026-27 Last Date

Deadlines vary by scholarship and domicile. The table below contains specific dates published by official portals or departments for the indicated schemes. Where a scheme is not included, applicants should consult its current notice rather than assume the national NSP date applies.

For the national Top Class awards, NSP currently shows November 15, 2026 for institute/defective application verification and November 30 for the subsequent verification stage. These are not extensions of the October 31 student deadline. New notices may change any schedule, so students should confirm the deadline on their own application dashboard.

State-Wise SC/ST Scholarship Portals for 2026-27

State portals are especially important for pre-matric and post-matric assistance. Students should use the portal connected with their domicile and selected welfare department, not simply the website of the state in which their college is located.

• Odisha – State Scholarship Portal:odisha.gov.in hosts the ST and SC post-matric schemes formerly associated with PRERANA, as well as other notified scholarships. It provides Aadhaar-based registration, application status and a Freeship Card route for eligible SC/ST students.
• Karnataka – State Scholarship Portal (SSP):karnataka.gov.in brings together pre-matric and post-matric schemes, including those of the Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare departments. Deadlines differ by department.
• Maharashtra – MahaDBT 2.0:maharashtra.gov.in is the officially directed platform for fresh and renewal applications for 2026-27. Maharashtra provides separate SC and ST post-matric, fee and maintenance-related schemes.
• Telangana – ePASS:cgg.gov.in offers 2026-27 post-matric fresh and renewal registration routes, including separate instructions for SC and ST students. Follow the category-specific process and biometric requirements where applicable.
• Bihar – Post-Matric Scholarship Portal:bihar.gov.in is the SC/ST route linked from the Bihar PMS system. The official institution notice gives July 15 to September 30, 2026 as the application period for 2026-27.
• Uttar Pradesh – UP Scholarship Portal:up.gov.in handles the state’s applicable pre-matric and post-matric scholarship and fee-reimbursement programmes. Class level, fresh or renewal status and category affect the timetable.
• West Bengal – OASIS:gov.in is the state scholarship system administered by the Backward Classes Welfare and Tribal Development departments for relevant category scholarships.
• Chhattisgarh – Tribal and SC Development Department:cg.gov.in provides the state’s official route to ST/SC post-matric scholarship services and announcements about other educational support programmes.

These portals also carry scheme-specific instructions and correction windows. Other states and Union Territories may offer their SC/ST schemes on NSP or through separate welfare portals, so the lists should not be read as a single nationwide registration directory.

Who Is Eligible for SC/ST Scholarship 2026-27?

Eligibility is not identical across all the schemes, but most applicants need to meet the following basic conditions:

• Community status: Hold a valid Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe certificate recognised for the relevant domicile state or Union Territory, unless applying under a different specially permitted component.
• Current study: Be enrolled in the class, course or research programme specified by the selected scholarship at an approved institution.
• Family income: Meet the income ceiling of that particular scheme. Common pre- and post-matric limits are ₹2.5 lakh, while Top Class SC and ST schemes use different limits of ₹8 lakh and ₹6 lakh respectively.
• Residence: Apply through the state or domicile route prescribed by the scheme, even if studying elsewhere in India where such study is allowed.
• Academic conditions: Satisfy any previous-examination, admission, promotion, merit or qualifying-test requirement.
• Bank and identity verification: Provide valid Aadhaar or alternative permitted identification, bank details and DBT linkage where required.
• Non-duplication: Follow the rules on overlapping fee reimbursement, stipends and other financial benefits; eligibility for two schemes does not always permit drawing both payments.

Documents Required for SC/ST Scholarship 2026-27

The exact checklist depends on the portal and scholarship. Students can normally prepare these records in advance:

• Aadhaar number and an active mobile number for OTP or OTR verification
• SC or ST caste/community certificate issued by the competent authority
• Current family income certificate, when required
• State domicile or residence proof
• Recent photograph and student bank passbook with account number and IFSC
• Previous qualifying marksheet and Class 10 certificate for post-matric students
• Current admission proof, bonafide certificate, course details and fee receipt
• Hostel certificate, disability certificate or other special-category proof where applicable
• Institute details, scholarship registration number and prior-year record for renewal
• Additional admission, degree, research or foreign-university records for fellowship and overseas schemes

Income and caste records must be valid under the specific state instructions. A correct document uploaded against the wrong category, institution or course can still result in rejection.

How to Apply for SC/ST Scholarship 2026-27

Students should start with the scheme name and its official portal. The steps below describe the general online process; individual state screens may differ.

1. Find the correct scheme: Identify whether the application is pre-matric, post-matric, Top Class, fellowship or overseas, and check eligibility for the student’s state and course.
2. Open the official website: Use scholarships.gov.in for schemes listed on NSP, or the designated state or overseas application website. Avoid unofficial look-alike portals.
3. Complete registration: For NSP schemes, generate or use the mandatory One Time Registration (OTR) number through the official OTR process. State portals may use Aadhaar authentication or a separate student account.
4. Sign in and select 2026-27: Choose the relevant academic year, department, scholarship name and fresh or renewal option.
5. Fill in personal and academic information: Enter the student’s name, caste category, domicile, family income, school or college details and qualifying marks.
6. Add account and fee information: Provide the beneficiary’s active bank account, course fees and hosteller/day-scholar details wherever the scheme asks for them.
7. Upload required evidence: Submit the caste, income, residence, academic and institution records in the prescribed format.
8. Preview the application: Check category, scheme selection, Aadhaar, bank account, institute and document fields before final submission.
9. Submit and save the acknowledgement: Download the application number or completed form and give the required copy to the institution if instructed.
10. Track verification: Return to the student dashboard and resolve any defect or institution-verification request before the applicable correction deadline.

Fresh Application, Renewal and Scholarship Status

A fresh application is generally intended for a student applying for the first time under a particular course or scheme. A renewal is for an existing beneficiary continuing in an eligible course. A student moving from Class 10 to Class 11, or from a degree to a new programme, should check whether the portal requires a fresh application rather than assuming the earlier account can simply be renewed.

For NSP, the 2026-27 portal requires OTR and provides application and payment-tracking services. State systems such as Odisha’s portal, SSP, MahaDBT and ePASS have their own tracking facilities. Submission is only the first stage: institution verification, departmental scrutiny, sanction and payment can occur separately. An application marked pending is not proof of approval, and an approved application does not mean the amount has already reached the bank account.

Common Mistakes That Can Delay an SC/ST Scholarship

• Assuming every SC/ST scheme closes on October 31 because NSP uses that date for certain national programmes
• Applying on NSP when the relevant state scheme requires a separate portal
• Using a caste certificate, domicile or family income figure that does not match the selected scheme
• Choosing the wrong fresh/renewal route or registering more than one account unnecessarily
• Entering an unmapped institution or incorrect course and examination information
• Submitting an inactive bank account or missing required Aadhaar-NPCI seeding
• Saving a draft without final submission or failing to respond to verification defects
• Assuming one scheme’s higher income limit or fee benefits apply to another scholarship

SC/ST Scholarship 2026-27 FAQs

Q. Can an SC or ST student studying outside their home state apply for a scholarship?

Often yes, but the domicile and institution rules of the particular scheme decide eligibility. Many centrally sponsored post-matric programmes are handled by the student’s home state even when the recognised college is elsewhere. The student should check the out-of-state institution rules before submitting a form.

Q. Can students receive a state post-matric scholarship and a national Top Class scholarship together?

Do not assume both payments are allowed. Scheme rules may prohibit overlapping funding for the same fee or academic purpose. NSP permits applications under certain merit-based and welfare-based categories, but final entitlement depends on the terms of each scholarship and relevant declarations.

Q. What should a student do if the college or course does not appear in the scholarship portal?

Contact the institution’s scholarship or nodal officer rather than selecting an incorrect college. The institution may need to register, update the course mapping or verify admission data. Applicants should allow time for this before the closing date.

Q. Why is an SC/ST scholarship still pending after the application was submitted?

Common reasons include incomplete document verification, an institute-level objection, a caste or income certificate mismatch, or a bank-account problem. Check the exact dashboard stage and contact the institution or the designated department; do not submit a second conflicting application unless instructed.