National Scholarship Portal (NSP) is a digital scholarship platform which carries multiple scholarships offered by the central government, state governments and different government agencies like UGC (University Grants Commission). The National Scholarship Portal hosts about 50 scholarships worth hundreds of crores for the scholarship seekers registered on the platform. According to officials, the platform has, so far, helped the government implement and disburse scholarships worth more than INR 2,400 crores. The platform boasts of more than 110 Lakh applications out of which over 85 Lakh applications are verified also.

Do these facts excite you? If yes, then find out more about the national scholarship portal by reading further.

Latest Update: The applications for Central Schemes on National Scholarship Portal for the academic year 2020-21 have started from 16th August 2020. Read further to know more.

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – What it is?

Introduced as the Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), the National Scholarship Portal emerges as one of the most prominent scholarship portals that offer a variety of services ranging from student scholarship application to the disbursal of scholarships to them. Offering a SMART (Simplified, Mission-oriented, Accountable, Responsive & Transparent) system for effective and faster disposal of scholarships, the portal ensures direct delivery of funds to the beneficiary’s account thereby avoiding any chances of leakage.

The NSP can benefit you in the following ways –

You can find all kinds of scholarships information on one platform. You have to make a single integrated application for all scholarships which simplifies the application process. The portal renders enhanced transparency to all its users. You can find the master data for all courses and institutions at an all-India level on this single platform. It also serves as a great tool for departments and ministries in the form of DSS (Decision Support System)

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – Why it was created?

What was the need to create this portal? This is an obvious question to occur in your mind. The key objectives behind the creation of this National Scholarship Portal include –

To ensure that the scholarships are being disbursed to students on a timely basis To offer a common platform for both Central and State Government scholarships To create a transparent scholars’ database To avoid duplication that occurs while processing the applications To harmonize the variety of scholarships and their norms To ensure the application of DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer)

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – How students can benefit from it?

Now when you are aware of the benefits that the National Scholarship Portal renders to the students, here is how you can get the best out of this portal –

Check the eligibility for the NSP scholarships available. Register yourself with National Scholarship Portal and apply for the scholarship you are eligible for. Make hassle-free submission of application online. The authorities will do the verification of the online application. Meanwhile, you can also track the status of your application through the portal. If successfully verified, the scholarship amount will be directly credited to the account of the student through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Know the current status of NSP scholarship payment through the portal.

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – Various scholarships it covers

Known for its nationwide reach, the National Scholarship Portal covers almost all types of scholarships for students studying in class 1 to PhD level. The variety of scholarships that the NSP covers are majorly categorized under the following sections –

Central schemes UGC schemes AICTE schemes State schemes

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – Central Schemes

Different department operating under the Government of India runs a number of scholarships to help students pursue their dream academic career without any financial constraint. The renowned providers in the realm of scholarships include the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MOMA), Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), Ministry of Labour and Employment (MLE), Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MTA), Department of Higher Education (DHE) and more.

You can apply for all scholarships that are being offered by the central government through the National Scholarship Portal under the Central Schemes section. Please find the cumulative list of central NSP scholarships in the table given below.

National Scholarship Portal – List of Central Schemes

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – UGC Schemes

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is a prominent statutory body of Indian government functioning under MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development). It has been set up with an objective to coordinate, determine and maintain the standards of higher education in India. It is the authority that offers recognition to universities across India and also provides them with funds. Besides this, the UGC also offers some scholarship schemes for students pursuing college-level education.

The UGC schemes listed at the National Scholarship Portal are mentioned in the list given below.

National Scholarship Portal – List of UGC Schemes

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – AICTE Schemes

Regarded as the national-level council for technical education and a statutory body, AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) functions under the Department of Higher Education, MHRD. Operating since 1945, AICTE looks after the coordinated development and proper planning for both technical as well as management education systems in India. Despite offering approval to postgraduate and undergraduate programs under specified categories, AICTE also offers a number of scholarships for students to ensure that financial constraint does not become a blocking stone in their professional career. Please find the names of those NSP scholarships in the list hereunder.

National Scholarship Portal – List of AICTE Schemes

Scholarship Name Provider Application Deadline Pragati Scholarship Scheme for Girls (Degree) for Technical Education Ministry of Human Resource Development – AICTE 31 October 2020 Pragati Scholarship Scheme for Girls (Diploma) for Technical Education Ministry of Human Resource Development – AICTE 31 October 2020 Saksham Scholarship Scheme for Differently Abled Students (Degree) for Technical Education Ministry of Human Resource Development – AICTE 31 October 2020 Saksham Scholarship Scheme for Differently Abled Students (Diploma) for Technical Education Ministry of Human Resource Development – AICTE 31 October 2020

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – State Schemes

Just like the central government, the state government also offers scholarships for students who are domicile of that respective state. While many state governments operate their own scholarship portal for applications, some prefer inviting applications through the National Scholarship Portal. At present, the national scholarship portal covers state schemes of 6 different states namely, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Karnataka, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Please find the detailed list of state-level NSP scholarships in the table hereunder.

National Scholarship Portal – List of State Schemes

Here are some more state-level scholarships that have been added to the National Scholarship Portal recently.

National Scholarship Portal – List of More State Scholarships

Scholarship Name State Application Deadline Pre-Matric Scholarship to Children of those Engaged in Uncleaned Occupation Assam 25 January 2019 Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC Students (Class 9 & 10) Assam 30 October 2020 Post-Matric Scholarship for SC Students – Assam Assam 30 October 2020 Pre-Matric Scholarship to OBC Students – Assam Assam 10 March 2020 Pre-Matric Scholarship to ST Students – Assam Assam 20 January 2020 Pre-Matric Scholarship to ST Students (Class 9 & 10) – Assam Assam 10 March 2020 Post-Matric Scholarship to OBC Students – Assam Assam 10 March 2020 Post-Matric Scholarship to ST Students – Assam Assam 10 March 2020 Post-Matric Scholarship for SC Students – Chandigarh Chandigarh 31 December 2019 Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Transgender Students – Chandigarh Chandigarh 10 January 2020 Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for OBC Students – Chandigarh Chandigarh 31 December 2019 Dr. Ambedkar Post-Matric Scholarship for EBC Students – Chandigarh Chandigarh 31 December 2019 Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students, Chandigarh Chandigarh 25 November 2019 Post Matric Scholarship to ST Students Jammu & Kashmir 20 July 2020 Pre-Matric Scholarship to OBC Students Dadra & Nagar Haveli 15 October 2019 Pre-Matric Scholarship to SC Students Dadra & Nagar Haveli 15 October 2019 Pre-Matric Scholarship ST Students Dadra & Nagar Haveli 15 October 2019 Centrally Sponsored Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Centrally Sponsored Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for ST Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Centrally Sponsored Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for OBC Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Centrally Sponsored Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for ST Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Centrally Sponsored Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Centrally Sponsored Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for OBC Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Dr. Ambedkar Post Matric Scholarship for EBC Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Mukhya Mantri Protsahan Yojana Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Maharishi Balmiki Chatravriti Yojana Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP) Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Kalpana Chawla Chatravriti Yojana Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Indira Gandhi Utkrisht Chatravriti Yojana Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Thakur Sen Negi Utkrisht Chatravriti Yojana Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Swami Vivekanand Utkrisht Chatravriti Yojana Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Dr. Ambedkar Medhavi Chatravriti Yojana for SC Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020 Dr. Ambedkar Medhavi Chatravriti Yojana for OBC Students Himachal Pradesh 30 November 2020

Scholarship Name State Application Deadline Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST Students – Manipur Manipur 15 November 2020 Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Students – Manipur Manipur 15 November 2020 Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC Cleaning and Health Hazard – Tripura Tripura 29 February 2020 Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC Students – Tripura Tripura 29 February 2020 Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana – Tripura Tripura 30 May 2020

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – How can you apply for a scholarship?

In order to stay advantaged with the scholarships mentioned above, you need to register yourself on NSP through Student Login. However, before applying for a scholarship, the students need to make sure that their current educational institution is registered on the portal. If the institution is not registered on the portal, the student would not be able to apply for any scholarship. The portal also has the provision for the institutions to register themselves, if not already registered. What are the steps to be followed to apply for a scholarship? Well! Here is a step-by-step description of how you can apply for an NSP scholarship through national scholarship portal –

Step 1: Searching for the Institute

Visit the home page of the portal. Click on ‘Search for Institute‘ button. Fill in the required details and get the institution list. If the institution is not registered, the candidates can request their institutions to register on the portal by clicking here.

Step 2: Registering with National Scholarship Portal (NSP)

All fresh users need to visit the Home Page of National Scholarship Portal to register. Click on ‘New Registration’. A page of Guidelines for Registration on NSP will open. Go through the guidelines carefully. Click on ‘Continue’ to proceed. Fill in all required details. Click on ‘Register’. You will receive a student application ID and password on your registered mobile number.

Step 3: Logging in with National Scholarship Portal

Click on the login button to start the scholarship application. Enter the application ID and password received on your registered number.

Step 4: Change the password (A mandatory step)

Upon successful login, you will receive an OTP on your registered mobile number. Verify the OTP. You will be directed to change the password page. Change the password and continue.

Step 5: Enter the Dashboard

Once the password is changed, you will be directed to Applicant’s Dashboard Page. Click on ‘Application Form’ to start the application. Fill in all registration details, academic details and basic details. Click on ‘Save & Continue’. Add contact details, scheme details and upload necessary documents. Click on ‘Save as Draft’ (To confirm if you have entered correct information) Once confirmed, click on ‘Final Submit’ button.

Note: The applications finally submitted cannot be edited again. So, the applicants are advised to be double sure while clicking on final submit as no change of information will be entertained after final submission.

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – Key Documents Required

While applying for any scholarship on NSP, the students are required to upload certain documents to complete the application process. However, for the scholarship amount less than INR 50,000, the students are not required to upload any document. They need to submit the copy of documents in their respective schools/college/institute. For all other scholarships, the students should keep the following documents handy –

Bank Passbook Educational documents Aadhaar number Domicile Certificate (as specified in the respective scholarship guidelines) Income Certificate (as specified in the respective scholarship guidelines) Caste Certificate (if applicable) Bonafide student certificate from school/institute (if the institute/school is different from the domicile state of the applicant)

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – Key Services

Besides applying for a scholarship, the portal also provides several other services for both the students and the institutions. A user can explore all the services offered through the NSP portal under the ‘Services Section’. The key services listed under this section include –

1. NSP 2.0 user manual – To acquaint the users with the workflow on NSP. The students will get to know the detailed registration and application process.

2. Scheme eligibility – Under this section, the students can filter out the scholarship schemes based on their specific requirements. They are required to fill their domicile state/UT, course level, religion, caste/category, gender, annual income of parents, disability status, and captcha code.

3. List of Ministry Coordinators

4. Scheme-wise State Nodal Officers – Under this section, the students can browse the list of state nodal officers based on the scheme they want to apply for. For example, if you are applying for a UGC scheme, you can check the details of state nodal officers under the ‘UGC’ section.

5. Know your AISHE Code – This service allows the students to check the AISHE codes of schools/colleges/institutions registered on NSP by simply providing the institution type, state, district (not mandatory) and university type (not mandatory)

6. Get AISHE Code for your Institute – This section allows the institutions which are not registered on the portal to register themselves by simply filling the form available.

7. List of applicants processed for scholarship – Explore the list of applicants who have been selected for the scholarship in this section. The users need to select the academic year, application type, ministry, scheme, state and district to get relevant details.

8. Search Nodal Officer details – Get the details of the nodal officers for each ministry, state or district in this section.

9. District Nodal Officer details list – Under this section, the students can browse the district-wise list of nodal officers.

10. Institute operational manual – The institutions can browse the operation manual on how to fill the registration form, how to update profile, and how to remove DISE/AISHE/NCVT code.

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – Apply through its Mobile App

Considering the advent of mobile technology, the Government of India has launched its ‘National Scholarship Portal Mobile App’ in the year 2018 to make scholarship application easier and more convenient for the students. The students can download and install the mobile app through the Google Play Store on their respective mobile devices. Also, there is an availability of NSP mobile app in the ‘UMANG’ app launched by the government earlier. So, if you already have the UMANG app installed on your mobile devices, you can start applying for the scholarships too by registering at NSP mobile app. The app covers end to end services of the National Scholarship Portal. You can not only get access to NSP scholarships but also apply for them in just a few simple steps.

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – Key Disbursement Facts

As per NSP, the academic year 2019-20 witnessed disbursal of close to INR 2,566 Cr of scholarships as on 12th May 2020. The scholarships are basically divided into three categories – Pre-Matric (Class 1 to 10), Post Matric (Class 11, 12, UG, PG) and Higher Education (UG, PG, Professional and Technical Courses). Besides this, the Department of School Education and Literacy offers another scholarship which is meant for students from Class 9-12.

A fact which strikes out from the below chart is the poor allocation of scholarships towards higher education.

The fund disbursements by various central ministries reflect a much lower spend for higher education as compared to pre-matric and Class 11-12 level of education.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) disbursed a total of INR 2190 Cr of scholarship funds in the year 2019-20. The pre-matric scholarship schemes grabbed a lion’s share with about 65 % of the total fund. Further, the post-matric scholarship which is also meant for Class 11 and 12 along with UG and PG has higher disbursal than the fund disbursed exclusively for higher education.

The Department of Higher Education (DHE) which is dedicated to higher education distributed only INR 137 Cr. This fund as compared to MoMA’s pre-matric scholarship is less than 10 %.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Social Justice had disbursed scholarships of INR 15 Cr and INR 1.3 Cr respectively under their respective schemes meant for ST and SC students pursuing higher education.

National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the answers to some of the most common questions that come up in the minds of students about the portal.

✔️ What is NSP? NSP (National Scholarship Portal) is a dedicated online scholarship portal which enlists multiple scholarships for students across India to enable them to complete their education. It carries a plethora of schemes offered by the Central Government, State Government, and other government institutions like AICTE, UGC, etc. It is a one-stop portal for all government scholarships that offers multifarious services ranging from online scholarship application to hassle-free disbursal of scholarships.

✔️ What is NSP scholarship? The scholarships listed on the NSP portal are commonly termed as NSP Scholarships. These scholarships can be broadly categorised as Central Government Scholarship, State Government Scholarship, and UGC Scholarships. Furthermore, the central government scholarships can be categorised based on the ministries offering those scholarships. The state government scholarships have scholarships listed from different state governments. Refer to the list of scholarships for more details.

✔️ Who can apply for NSP Scholarships? All NSP scholarships are being offered by different departments functioning under the Government of India and other states governments. Thus, the eligibility criteria for each NSP scholarship may vary. Please check individual scholarships to know their eligibility criteria. These scholarships are meant for students of Class 1 to 12, undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD and Postdoctoral students. Also, you can find scholarships for SC, ST, OBC, EBC, Minority Communities in the list available.

✔️ When can a student apply for NSP scholarships? The application period for each NSP scholarship may also vary accordingly. The applications for centrally funded scholarship generally start in the month of August and continue till November. However, there is no specific timeline for state scholarships. Please refer to the list of scholarships to know their respective application period.

✔️ Is Aadhaar a mandatory requirement for all NSP scholarships? No, Aadhaar number is not a mandatory requirement to apply for any NSP scholarship. If the students do not have an Aadhaar number, they can still apply for the scholarships by providing the Aadhaar enrollment id.

✔️ Where can the students apply for NSP scholarship renewal? The students applying for renewal also need to apply through NSP. They need to visit the home page of NSP and click on the 'login' button. The login page for fresh and renewal applications are different for each academic year. Select the renewal button and log in using their registered application ID and password to proceed with the renewal application.

✔️ What should an applicant do if he/she forgets the application id or password? In case the students forget their application id or password, they can click on Forget Application ID or Forget Password button on the login page to retrieve it.

✔️ How can a student track the status of his/her NSP scholarship application? Yes, the students can track their application status through ‘Check your status’ tab in the user dashboard. For this, the students are required to log in using their registered application ID and password.

✔️ Can a student edit the form after final submission? No, once the applicant submits the application form, no changes in information will be entertained. Thus, the students are required to properly check the application form before final submission.

✔️ If selected, how is the scholarship amount disbursed to the students? The scholarship amount is disbursed to students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in the accounts of the beneficiaries. In order to track the status of scholarship payment, the government has a separate portal with the name of PFMS (Public Finance Management System). The students need to visit the official webpage of PFMS and provide the details like name of the bank, account number and NSP application id to get the status of their payment.

✔️ What is the amount of scholarship that a student can receive through NSP? The amount of scholarship that you will receive may vary from scholarship to scholarship. Most of the scholarships offer financial assistance in the form of maintenance allowance, additional allowance, reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees, thesis typing/printing charges, book grant, etc. Please refer to respective scholarship guidelines to know details about the award.

✔️ Which are the states that offer scholarships through the National Scholarship Portal? The states that offer scholarship through NSP include Assam, Chandigarh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

✔️ What are the documents required to apply for a scholarship on NSP? The documents required to apply for a scholarship on NSP may vary from scholarship to scholarship. However, some common documents that are required include caste/category certificate, income certificate, copy of mark sheet of the last examination passed, photograph of the applicant, domicile certificate, and copy of bank passbook that clearly shows the name of the students and bank account details. Refer to respective scholarship guidelines for detailed information.

✔️ What is the amount of post matric scholarship? The amount of post-matric scholarship varies depending on the current academic level of the students. However, the benefits covered under any post-matric scholarship include maintenance allowance, reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees, book allowance, thesis typing and printing charges, etc.

✔️ How do I renew my NSP 2019/20 scholarship? The renewal applications on NSP for academic year 2019-20 have been started. For renewal, the candidates have to fill in their application ID and password to login to the dashboard. After logging in, the applicants can fill the renewal application.

The last date to apply for central sector NSP scholarship 2020 is 31st October 2020.

If you come across any technical problem while applying for any scholarship or registering with the NSP, you can contact its dedicated help desk on phone number 0120-6619540 or through email at helpdesk@nsp.gov.in. Furthermore, the portal also has a separate complaints section for the benefit of users with the help of which you can register your respective complaints online and track its status too.