Government Scholarships for Poor Students in India 2026–27: Complete State-Wise Guide

Last verified: August 2026

If money is stopping you from continuing your education, do not assume that you have to give up.

India has scholarships, fee-support programmes, welfare schemes and education assistance available through the Central Government, state governments, welfare departments and educational institutions.

The difficult part is knowing which scheme you may qualify for, where to apply, what documents you need and whom to contact when something goes wrong.

This guide is designed to make that process easier.

It covers all 28 Indian states and 8 Union Territories, along with the National Scholarship Portal and practical steps for students from low-income families.

Important: Scholarship eligibility, income limits, amounts and application deadlines can change. Always verify the current notification on the official government portal before submitting an application.

First: Check the National Scholarship Portal

Before searching dozens of websites, start with the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

The official NSP currently shows that the portal is open for Academic Year 2026–27 from June 1, 2026. It also states that students may apply for one merit-based scholarship and one or more welfare-based scholarships, subject to the eligibility conditions of the individual schemes.

The portal also provides a Scholarship Eligibility Checker, scheme information, institute search, nodal officer information and grievance facilities.

Official portal: National Scholarship Portal

Do this first

Create your NSP One-Time Registration if required.
Check your eligibility.
Search for scholarships available to your category and course.
Read the individual scheme requirements carefully.
Apply through the official portal.
Save your application number and acknowledgement.
Check the application status regularly.

NSP states that OTR is mandatory to avail scholarships on the portal.

What Documents Should Poor Students Keep Ready?

The exact documents depend on the scheme, but many applications may require some combination of:

Aadhaar
Student photograph
Mobile number
Bank account details
Income certificate
Caste/community certificate where applicable
Disability certificate where applicable
Previous examination marksheets
Admission letter or bonafide certificate
Fee receipt
Institution details
Domicile/residence certificate where required
Previous scholarship details for renewal
NSP OTR details where applicable

Do not upload a document simply because another website says it is required. Check the current official scheme instructions.

28 States: Where Students Should Start

1. Andhra Pradesh

Government Scholarships for Poor Students in Andhra Pradesh 2026–27

Students in Andhra Pradesh should investigate both state and Central Government assistance.

Check

Jnanabhumi
Social Welfare Department
Tribal Welfare Department
Backward Classes Welfare Department
Minority Welfare Department
State fee-reimbursement schemes
Post-matric assistance
National Scholarship Portal

Students who may find relevant schemes

SC students
ST students
BC students
Minority students
Students from economically disadvantaged families
Students pursuing higher education
Students eligible for central schemes

Keep ready

Income certificate, caste/community certificate where applicable, Aadhaar, bank details, marksheets, admission/bonafide documents and residence information.

Important: Check the current Andhra Pradesh government notification before relying on an income limit or scholarship amount.

2. Arunachal Pradesh

Students should check the state's education and welfare departments as well as NSP.

Pay particular attention to:

ST and tribal scholarships
Higher education assistance
Professional-course assistance
State education schemes
Central scholarships
North-East-specific opportunities

Students should confirm that their course and institution meet the current eligibility conditions.

3. Assam

Students in Assam should check:

Assam government scholarship schemes
Directorate of Higher Education
Welfare schemes for disadvantaged communities
Minority-related assistance
SC/ST/OBC-related schemes where applicable
Post-matric assistance
National Scholarship Portal

Do not rely on an old deadline. Scholarship dates can change from one academic year to another.

4. Bihar

Scholarships for Poor Students in Bihar

Students should investigate state scholarship and welfare systems for:

SC students
ST students
BC students
EBC students
Minority students
School students
College students
Students pursuing professional courses

Also check NSP for Central Government scholarships.

If you are from a low-income family, don't search only for schemes containing the word "poor". You may qualify under a category, course, merit or welfare scheme even when the title does not mention poverty.

5. Chhattisgarh

Students should investigate:

State scholarship schemes
Tribal welfare scholarships
SC/ST assistance
OBC-related schemes
School-level scholarships
Higher education assistance
Post-matric scholarships
NSP

Students from tribal communities should pay particular attention to the relevant Tribal Welfare authorities.

6. Goa

Students should check:

Education Department
Social Welfare Department
Higher education scholarship programmes
Minority-related schemes
SC/ST welfare assistance
Merit and education-support schemes
NSP

Students should not assume that scholarships are only for high scorers. Some welfare schemes have different eligibility criteria.

7. Gujarat

Start with Digital Gujarat

Students in Gujarat should check the state's scholarship services, particularly for schemes administered through relevant welfare and education departments.

Look for:

SC scholarships
ST scholarships
OBC/SEBC-related schemes
Minority assistance
Post-matric scholarships
Professional-course assistance
Education-related financial support
Central scholarships through NSP

When comparing schemes, check whether the benefit is a scholarship, fee reimbursement, maintenance assistance or another form of financial support.

8. Haryana

Students should investigate:

Haryana scholarship schemes
Higher Education Department
Welfare department schemes
SC/BC assistance
Minority schemes
Post-matric scholarships
Fee-support programmes
NSP

Students from financially weaker families should also ask their college about institutional fee concessions.

9. Himachal Pradesh

Check:

State education scholarships
SC/ST welfare schemes
Tribal development programmes
Minority-related assistance
Post-matric scholarships
Higher education schemes
NSP

Before applying, confirm that your course and institution are recognized under the particular scheme.

10. Jharkhand

Start with e-Kalyan Jharkhand

Students should investigate the state's e-Kalyan scholarship system and relevant welfare departments.

Potential areas include:

SC scholarships
ST scholarships
BC scholarships
Minority assistance
Post-matric scholarships
Higher education assistance

Also check NSP.

Never pay an agent simply because they promise to get an e-Kalyan or government scholarship approved.

11. Karnataka

Scholarships for Poor Students in Karnataka 2026–27

Karnataka students should check:

State Scholarship Portal
Social Welfare Department
Tribal Welfare Department
Backward Classes Welfare Department
Minority Welfare Department
Higher education schemes
Post-matric scholarships
Fee assistance
NSP

A useful approach

Don't apply randomly to every scheme.

First identify:

Category → Course → Institution → Family income → State eligibility

Then select the schemes that actually match your circumstances.

12. Kerala

Students should check:

Department of Collegiate Education
Social Justice Department
Backward Classes Development Department
Minority Welfare Department
SC/ST Development departments
State scholarship services
Higher education schemes
NSP

Students should also ask their institution whether it has a scholarship or fee-concession cell.

13. Madhya Pradesh

Start with the Madhya Pradesh Scholarship Portal

The Madhya Pradesh scholarship system is an important starting point for state financial assistance.

Students should also check:

Tribal Affairs Department
Social Justice Department
Higher Education Department
SC/ST schemes
OBC-related schemes
Minority assistance
Post-matric scholarships
NSP

14. Maharashtra

Scholarships for Poor Students in Maharashtra 2026–27

Maharashtra students should pay particular attention to MahaDBT and the relevant state departments.

Potential areas include:

SC scholarships
ST scholarships
OBC scholarships
VJNT scholarships
SBC scholarships
Minority scholarships
Professional-course assistance
Higher education scholarships
Fee-related assistance
Other eligible welfare schemes

The Maharashtra Directorate of Higher Education identifies MahaDBT as the state's scholarship portal.

The official MahaDBT system also provides application tracking.

Official portal: MahaDBT

Important 2026 warning

Do not copy an old MahaDBT deadline into a new article. The portal's notices show that academic-year application windows can change, and some previous-year application activity has continued after the new academic year began.

15. Manipur

Students should check:

Education Department
Social Welfare Department
Tribal welfare schemes
SC/ST assistance
Higher education schemes
Minority-related opportunities where applicable
NSP

Before applying, verify the recognition and eligibility status of your institution.

16. Meghalaya

Students should investigate:

Higher and Technical Education
Tribal welfare schemes
ST scholarships
Higher education assistance
Professional-course scholarships
State schemes
NSP

Students from the North-East should also investigate Central and regional schemes for which they may qualify.

17. Mizoram

Check:

Higher and Technical Education Department
Social Welfare Department
Tribal welfare schemes
State scholarship programmes
Higher education assistance
NSP

Keep copies of all submitted documents and application acknowledgements.

18. Nagaland

Students should check:

Higher Education Department
State scholarship opportunities
Tribal welfare assistance
Higher education schemes
NEC-related opportunities
NSP

Students from the North-Eastern Region should specifically check whether they qualify for Central schemes designed for students from the region.

19. Odisha

Scholarships for Poor Students in Odisha

Students should investigate:

Odisha State Scholarship Portal
ST & SC Development Department
Higher Education Department
SC/ST scholarships
OBC-related schemes
Minority assistance
Post-matric scholarships
NSP

Students should check both state and Central opportunities instead of assuming that one portal contains every scholarship.

20. Punjab

Students should investigate:

Punjab scholarship services
Welfare Department
SC scholarships
BC scholarships
Minority assistance
Higher education schemes
Post-matric assistance
NSP

If a college collects a large fee but you are struggling financially, speak to the institution's scholarship/financial-aid office as well.

21. Rajasthan

Students should check:

Rajasthan Scholarship Portal
Social Justice and Empowerment Department
Tribal Area Development Department
Minority Affairs
Higher Education Department
SC/ST/OBC/MBC-related schemes
Post-matric assistance
NSP

Always verify the current academic year's application schedule.

22. Sikkim

Students should check:

Education Department
Higher Education Department
Social Justice programmes
SC/ST-related assistance
State scholarship schemes
NSP
North-East-related Central schemes where applicable

23. Tamil Nadu

Scholarships for Poor Students in Tamil Nadu

Students should check:

Adi Dravidar Welfare Department
Tribal Welfare Department
Backward Classes Welfare Department
Minority Welfare Department
Higher Education Department
School education assistance
Post-matric scholarships
NSP

Students should identify the department responsible for their particular scheme before applying.

24. Telangana

Scholarships for Poor Students in Telangana 2026–27

Telangana students should start with ePASS Telangana.

The official ePASS portal currently provides services including:

Post-Matric Scholarship Services
Pre-Matric Scholarship Services
Overseas Scholarship Services
Skill Upgradation
Application status
Grievance redressal
Other scholarship-related services.

Official portal: Telangana ePASS

2026–27 update

The Telangana ePASS portal currently provides a Fresh Registration 2026–27 facility. Its published prerequisites include SSC hall-ticket information and Aadhaar details.

The portal also shows 2026–27 renewal information for several departments/categories.

Students should investigate

SC scholarships
ST scholarships
BC scholarships
EBC-related assistance
Minority scholarships
Disability welfare scholarships
Post-matric scholarships
Fee reimbursement
Pre-matric assistance
Eligible overseas scholarship schemes

Telangana's government information also identifies post-matric scholarship and tuition-fee reimbursement assistance for eligible BC/EBC students.

Do not copy an old income limit or scholarship amount into your application guide without checking the current notification.

25. Tripura

Students should investigate:

Education Department
Social Welfare schemes
Tribal welfare scholarships
Higher Education Department
SC/ST assistance
State scholarships
NSP

26. Uttar Pradesh

Scholarships for Poor Students in Uttar Pradesh 2026–27

UP students should check the UP Scholarship and Fee Reimbursement Online System.

Potential areas include:

Pre-matric scholarships
Post-matric scholarships
SC scholarships
ST scholarships
OBC scholarships
Minority scholarships
Higher education assistance
Fee reimbursement
Professional-course assistance

Official portal: UP Scholarship Portal

Important

Do not rely on social-media posts claiming that every student will receive a particular amount. Eligibility and benefit amounts depend on the specific scheme and student circumstances.

27. Uttarakhand

Students should check:

Uttarakhand scholarship services
Social Welfare Department
Tribal welfare programmes
Higher Education Department
SC/ST/OBC-related schemes
Post-matric assistance
NSP

28. West Bengal

Scholarships for Poor Students in West Bengal

Students should investigate:

Aikyashree
SVMCM
OASIS
SC/ST/OBC-related scholarships
Minority assistance
Higher education scholarships
Other state education-support schemes
NSP

Students should check the official department responsible for each programme because different schemes have different eligibility requirements.

8 Union Territories

29. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Check:

Education Department
Social Welfare programmes
Tribal welfare assistance
Higher education scholarships
NSP

30. Chandigarh

Check:

Education Department
Social Welfare programmes
SC/ST/OBC-related assistance
Higher education schemes
NSP

Students should also check schemes administered by the relevant Central Government departments.

31. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Check:

UT education authorities
Tribal welfare programmes
Social welfare schemes
SC/ST/OBC assistance where applicable
Higher education schemes
NSP

32. Delhi

Students in Delhi should check:

Delhi government education/welfare schemes
Department-specific scholarships
SC/ST/OBC assistance
Minority-related schemes
Higher education assistance
NSP

Students studying in Delhi but belonging to another state should carefully check the domicile/residency requirement of each scheme.

33. Jammu and Kashmir

Students should investigate:

J&K scholarship schemes
Social Welfare Department
SC/ST assistance
Tribal welfare schemes
Higher education scholarships
Professional-course assistance
NSP

34. Ladakh

Students should check:

Education authorities
Tribal welfare programmes
Higher education assistance
State/UT-level schemes
Central Government scholarships
NSP

35. Lakshadweep

Students should check:

Education Department
Social Welfare programmes
Higher education assistance
SC/ST-related schemes where applicable
Central scholarships
NSP

36. Puducherry

Students should investigate:

Education Department
Social Welfare Department
SC/ST/OBC-related schemes
Minority assistance
Higher education scholarships
Post-matric schemes
NSP

Don't Stop at State Scholarships

A student from a poor family should not search only for:

"scholarship for poor students."

That can cause them to miss many opportunities.

Search according to your situation.

If you are an SC student

Search for:

SC scholarship + your state + 2026–27

If you are an ST student

Search for:

ST scholarship + your state + 2026–27

If you are from an OBC/BC community

Search for:

OBC/BC scholarship + your state + 2026–27

If you are a minority student

Search for:

minority scholarship + your state + 2026–27

If you are disabled

Search for:

scholarship for students with disabilities + 2026–27

If you are a girl

Search for:

scholarship for girl students + your state + 2026–27

If you are studying engineering

Search for:

engineering scholarship + your state + 2026–27

If you are studying medicine

Search for:

medical student scholarship + your state + 2026–27

If you are in Class 10 or 12

Search for:

Class 10 scholarship + state + 2026–27

Class 12 scholarship + state + 2026–27

What If Your Family Is Very Poor?

Being poor does not automatically qualify you for every scholarship.

But it should encourage you to investigate every legitimate education-support route available to you.

Check:

Government scholarships
Fee reimbursement
Maintenance assistance
School-level scholarships
College scholarships
University scholarships
Merit-cum-means schemes
Category-specific welfare schemes
Disability-related assistance
Girl-student schemes
CSR scholarships
Trust/foundation scholarships
Education assistance from charitable organizations
Eligible education loans and interest-support schemes

Ask your school or college:

"Do you have a scholarship or fee-concession officer?"

Many students never ask.

What If You Don't Have Money for the Application Process?

Be careful.

A legitimate scholarship does not become legitimate simply because someone on WhatsApp tells you to pay them.

Never give an unknown person:

OTP
ATM PIN
UPI PIN
Internet banking password
Email password
Full banking credentials

Never pay someone who promises:

"Give me ₹2,000 and I guarantee your scholarship."

A person can help you understand an application, but no private agent can guarantee that a government department will approve your scholarship.

What If Your Scholarship Application Is Rejected?

Don't immediately give up.

Step 1: Find the reason

Check the application portal or institution for the rejection/deficiency reason.

Step 2: Check your documents

Look for:

Wrong name
Wrong Aadhaar details
Incorrect bank details
Invalid income certificate
Incorrect caste/community information
Missing marksheet
Incorrect course information
Institution verification problem
Eligibility problem

Step 3: Contact your institution

Ask for the scholarship/nodal officer.

Step 4: Use the official grievance system

For NSP, the official portal provides grievance registration and access to scheme-wise and district-wise nodal officer information.

Step 5: Keep evidence

Save:

Application number
Screenshots
Submitted documents
Emails
SMS messages
Rejection notification
Grievance number

This can make follow-up much easier.

How to Avoid Missing Scholarship Deadlines

Create a simple scholarship folder on your phone.

Save:

2026–27 Scholarships

Inside it keep:

Aadhaar
Income certificate
Caste certificate
Marksheets
Bonafide certificate
Bank details
Admission documents
Application screenshots
Application numbers

Then create a reminder whenever an official application opens.

Don't wait until the last day.

Government portals can become busy near deadlines, and document corrections may take time.

The National Scholarship Portal Helpdesk

For NSP-related problems, use the contact information displayed on the official NSP portal rather than relying on contact numbers copied from social media or third-party websites.

The NSP also provides official mechanisms to locate nodal officers and submit grievances.

Official NSP: scholarships.gov.in

A Simple Scholarship Checklist for Students

Before submitting an application, ask yourself:

[ ] Did I check my state's official scholarship portal?
[ ] Did I check the National Scholarship Portal?
[ ] Did I check scholarships for my category?
[ ] Did I check scholarships for my course?
[ ] Did I check merit-cum-means opportunities?
[ ] Is my income certificate valid?
[ ] Are my bank details correct?
[ ] Is my Aadhaar information correct?
[ ] Is my institution eligible?
[ ] Did I save my application number?
[ ] Did I take a screenshot of the submitted application?
[ ] Did I check whether institution verification is required?
[ ] Did I check the application status?
[ ] Did I save the grievance/contact information?

One More Thing: Don't Let Poverty End Your Education

If your family is struggling financially, you may feel embarrassed to ask for help.

Please don't.

Scholarships and welfare programmes exist precisely because many students cannot afford education without assistance.

You are not asking for charity when you apply for a government scheme for which you meet the eligibility requirements.

You are using an opportunity created to help students continue their education.

Apply only through legitimate channels. Read the eligibility rules. Keep your documents ready. Save your application details. And if one scheme doesn't work, keep looking for other legitimate options.

Bookmark These Two Resources

1. National Scholarship Portal

The official NSP is the starting point for many Central Government scholarship schemes and provides application, eligibility, institute, nodal officer and grievance facilities.

Open National Scholarship Portal

2. Your State Scholarship Portal

Use your state's official government website or scholarship portal rather than a third-party website whenever you are submitting an application or providing personal documents.

Final Advice for Students and Parents

Don't search for only one scholarship.

A better approach is:

State + Category + Course + Income + Merit + Special circumstances

For example:

Telangana + BC + B.Tech + low income

Maharashtra + SC + college student + low income

West Bengal + minority + higher education

This approach can reveal opportunities that a generic search for "scholarship for poor students" may miss.

And always verify the latest official notification before applying.

This guide is intended to help students find legitimate education-support opportunities. Scholarship availability, eligibility, amounts and deadlines can change. The official government notification and portal should always be treated as the final authority.

🤲 A Heartfelt Dua for My Beloved Father, Shaik Ahmed