Find scholarships you qualify for in India
India has hundreds of scholarships โ central government, state government, university-level, and private foundations โ and a surprising number of eligible students either don't know about them or assume they don't qualify without actually checking. This calculator helps you quickly assess which major scholarship categories you're likely to meet the criteria for, so you know where to focus your applications.
Merit-based: Awarded on academic performance. CGPA or percentage is the primary criterion, often with a family income ceiling. The National Scholarship Portal (NSP) hosts several of these centrally.
Need-based: Primarily for students from economically weaker sections. Family annual income (usually below โน1 lakh to โน8 lakh depending on the scheme) is the core criterion, with academic performance as a secondary qualifier.
NMMS: Class 8 students from state government schools. Family income below โน3.5 lakh. โน12,000/year for Classes 9โ12.
Central Sector Scheme (CSS): Top 20 percentile in Class 12 board. Family income below โน8 lakh. โน10,000โโน20,000/year for UG/PG.
Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST: For SC/ST students pursuing Class 11 and above. Income limit and amount vary by state.
PM Yashasvi Scholarship: For OBC/EBC/DNT students in Classes 9โ12 and UG/PG. Income below โน2.5 lakh for Class 9-10, โน3.5 lakh for Class 11-12.
Pragati & Saksham (AICTE): For girl students (Pragati) and students with disabilities (Saksham) in AICTE-approved programmes. Family income below โน8 lakh.
Most central government scholarships are applied through scholarships.gov.in. Application windows are usually JulyโOctober. Missing the deadline means waiting another full year โ set a reminder and apply early. Your CGPA is central to most merit-based applications. Use our GPA calculator to confirm your current CGPA before applying, and to understand how future semesters can affect renewal eligibility for multi-year scholarships.
For most government scholarships โ no. The National Scholarship Portal has a "one student, one scholarship" policy. Private scholarships from foundations and corporates can generally be stacked with government scholarships โ check the specific terms of each.
A certificate issued by a government revenue officer (Tehsildar, SDM, or equivalent) is required for most schemes. Self-declarations are not accepted. The certificate must typically be from the current or previous financial year.
Continuation of most merit-based scholarships requires maintaining the minimum academic performance each year. If you fall below the threshold, the scholarship is typically paused for that year. Some schemes allow one year of non-compliance before cancellation โ check the continuation criteria when you first receive the scholarship.
Some private scholarships target students from non-metro cities or specific geographic areas. Government scholarships focus on income, category, and academic performance โ not geography. Check your state government's scholarship portal for region-specific opportunities.