About Indian Scholarships

India has dozens of government scholarship schemes covering students from Class 1 to PhD - but most students never find out about the ones they qualify for. This directory brings together central government schemes (NSP), state government portals, private scholarships, and international opportunities in one searchable, filterable place.

For SC/ST students: Pre-Matric and Post-Matric scholarships cover maintenance allowance and full fee reimbursement from Class 1 through PhD. The Top Class Education Scheme covers full tuition at IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and other premier institutions. The National Overseas Scholarship funds Masters and PhD studies abroad.

For OBC/EBC/DNT students: PM YASASVI covers Pre-Matric and Post-Matric levels. Most state governments also run their own OBC scholarship portals - check your state in the filters above.

For Minority students: The Ministry of Minority Affairs runs Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Merit-cum-Means scholarships for Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain and Zoroastrian students through NSP.

For girl students: AICTE Pragati (technical education), PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child, and L'Oreal India For Young Women in Science are specifically for women. Additionally, 50% of Central Sector Scheme seats are reserved for girls.

All links point to official government or provider websites. Data last verified 4 July 2026. Indian scholarship cycles span the year - we re-verify on a quarterly schedule (Feb / May / Aug / Nov) to keep deadlines and URLs current. Always confirm the current deadline on the official portal before applying - cycle dates can shift year to year and extensions are common.

Typical Application Windows by Scheme Type

Most Indian and international scholarships run on annual cycles. The exact dates shift slightly year to year and extensions happen often, but the rough windows below let you plan when to start preparing documents and watching the official portals.

Current cycle (verified 4 July 2026): the NSP 2026-27 portal opened 1 June 2026, and individual schemes onboard through the season - the flagship PM-USP (CSSS) was still marked "not yet opened" in early July, with dates pending on NSP. Confirm your scheme's status on scholarships.gov.in after One-Time Registration (OTR). Vidyadhan state windows are live through July, and Rhodes 2027-28 closes 23 July 2026.

These are typical historical windows. Cycle dates shift year to year - the official portal is always the source of truth. Bookmark this page and return when the windows above approach to find verified open scholarships in the directory above.

Eligibility math: CGPA, percentage, and merit cutoffs

Most scholarship eligibility criteria are stated as a minimum percentage (60%, 75%, 85%) - rarely as CGPA - because percentage is the historical baseline for Indian academic records. If your university issues only CGPA on transcripts (common at VTU, Anna, KTU, JNTU, MAKAUT and others), convert it to the equivalent percentage with our CGPA to Percentage Calculator before applying. The calculator carries official formulas for selected Indian boards and universities, plus a weighted CGPA mini calculator if you only have semester grades.

One caveat: scholarship verification cells usually accept the registrar-issued conversion certificate (or the formula stated on the official mark sheet itself) as authoritative, not third-party calculator output. Use the converter as a quick eligibility check before applying; if eligible, request a formal conversion certificate from your university registrar for the application packet.

Official Sources Used

Every scholarship in this directory links to its official source. Primary references for verification:

• scholarships.gov.in - National Scholarship Portal (NSP), Government of India - covers central schemes
• NSP All Scholarships listing - master list of centrally funded schemes
• USIEF - United States-India Educational Foundation (Fulbright-Nehru)
• Chevening application timeline (UK Government, FCDO)
• DAAD - German Academic Exchange Service (verifying internationals)
• State-government scholarship portals are linked individually within each state listing in the directory above