Scholarship Guide
Government, state, CSR, NGO and education loan options for Indian students after Class 12. Organised by provider type — find what applies to your category, course and state.
Verify before applying. Scholarship rules, amounts, deadlines and portals change every year. Use this page for discovery — then confirm eligibility and application status from the official scholarship provider, government portal or your institution's notice board. Do not pay any third party to apply.
Common documents checklist
Prepare these before applying — most scholarships ask for some combination:
- 1Latest academic mark sheet
- 2Admission proof — bonafide certificate, fee receipt or allotment order
- 3Aadhaar / government-issued photo ID
- 4Income certificate or salary/income proof
- 5Bank passbook or account details
- 6Category / disability / community / domicile / occupation certificate (where applicable)
- 7Passport-size photo and application form where required
Central Government
Routed through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) or official department portals. Qualify by income, category, merit, disability or specific admission routes.
| Name | Best for | Support | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Means Cum Merit Scholarship (NMMS) | EWS govt/aided school students, Class 9–12 | Annual support ~₹12,000/yr for Class 9–12 | National Scholarship Portal |
| Central Sector Scholarship | High-performing Class 12 students entering UG/PG | Annual DBT support during UG and PG; higher for PG/professional years | National Scholarship Portal |
| ICAR Agriculture Scholarships | Agriculture & allied science UG, PG and research students | Monthly support for UG/PG and research fellowships | ICAR counselling / NSP |
| AICTE Tuition Fee Waiver (TFW) Scheme | EWS engineering students | Tuition fee waiver for course duration (hostel/mess excluded) | Engineering counselling & institutional allotment |
| AICTE Pragati Scholarship | Female diploma or engineering students | Annual DBT ~₹50,000 for tuition, books, software & study expenses | National Scholarship Portal / AICTE |
| AICTE Saksham Scholarship | Differently-abled diploma or engineering students | Annual DBT ~₹50,000 for academic expenses | National Scholarship Portal / AICTE |
| AICTE Swanath Scholarship | Orphans, COVID-affected students, wards of armed forces martyrs | Annual DBT ~₹50,000, renewed on performance | National Scholarship Portal / AICTE |
| PM Scholarship — Railways / RPF / RPSF | Children of RPF/RPSF personnel | Monthly support during professional courses | National Scholarship Portal |
| PM Scholarship — Ex-Servicemen | Wards / widows of ex-servicemen & ex-Coast Guard | Monthly support for course duration, merit-based annual selection | Kendriya Sainik Board portal |
| PM YASASVI Top Class Education Scheme | OBC, EBC and DNT students, Class 9 to UG | Tuition, stipend and study-material support by level | National Scholarship Portal |
| Scholarships for Minority Students | Notified minority community students, school to PG | Pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means support | National Scholarship Portal |
| OBC Students Scholarship | OBC students, Class 1 to PhD | Pre-matric and post-matric monthly / annual support | National Scholarship Portal |
| SC Students Scholarships | SC students, school to college | Pre-matric, post-matric and top-class education support | NSP / Tamil Nadu UMIS |
| ST Students Scholarships | ST students, Class 9 to research level | Pre-matric, post-matric, higher education and research support | NSP / Tamil Nadu UMIS |
| Scholarships for Students with Disabilities | Students with benchmark disability, Class 9 to PhD | Pre-matric, post-matric, top-class and fellowship-level support | National Scholarship Portal |
| Financial Assistance — Beedi/Mine/Cine Workers' Wards | Children of registered beedi, mine and cine workers | Annual education support for school, degree, ITI, polytechnic and professional courses | National Scholarship Portal |
Tamil Nadu State Government
Especially relevant for TN students — government school backgrounds, rural students, community-based benefits and occupation-linked welfare board schemes.
| Name | Best for | Support | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu TRUST Exam | Rural Class 9 students | Annual scholarship through Class 9–12 | TN school education portal / DGE |
| TN Chief Minister Talent Search Exam (CMTSE) | TN government school Class 10 students | Merit-based scholarship and recognition | TN school education portal / DGE |
| Pudhumai Penn Scheme | Girls from TN government school background after Class 12 | Monthly support ~₹1,000 during eligible higher studies | Penkalvi / TN higher education scholarship |
| Tamil Pudhalvan Scheme | Boys from TN government school background after Class 12 | Monthly support ~₹1,000 during eligible higher studies | Tamil Nadu UMIS |
| Post-Matric Scholarship for BC/BCM/MBC/DNC | BC, BCM, MBC and DNC students, Class 11 onward | Tuition fee support and maintenance allowance | TN BC/MBC welfare scholarship portal |
| Scholarship for Central Institutions — BC/MBC/DNC | BC, MBC and DNC students in national institutions | Fee reimbursement up to scheme limit for central-institution students | TN BC/MBC welfare scholarship |
| Chief Minister Merit Award | SC/ST/SCC students after Class 12 | Merit-based yearly scholarship as per welfare department norms | Institution / District Welfare Office |
| Thanthai Periyar Memorial Award | BC/MBC/DNC students in polytechnic diploma | Annual merit-based support for diploma study | District BC Welfare Office |
| Perarignar Anna Memorial Award | BC/MBC/DNC students in professional courses | Annual merit-based support for eligible course duration | District BC Welfare Office |
| Educational Scholarship for Differently Abled Students | Students with benchmark disability, Class 1 to PG | Annual education support based on study level | District Welfare of Differently Abled Office |
| Scholarship to Son/Daughter of Differently Abled Persons | Children of differently abled parents, Class 11 to PG | Annual support up to scheme limit | District Welfare Office |
| TN Government Farmer Scholarship | Children of registered farmers | Annual scholarship via DBT | District Agriculture Office / institution |
| TN Government Weaver Scholarship | Children of registered weavers | Annual scholarship via DBT | District Handloom Office |
| TN Government Builder Scholarship | Children of registered construction workers | Annual scholarship via DBT | District Labour Welfare Office |
| TN Fishermen Welfare Board Education Assistance | Children of registered fishermen, school to PG | Course-based annual assistance via DBT | District Fisheries Office / fisheries.tn.gov.in |
Banks & Corporate CSR
CSR and bank-backed programmes. Annual deadlines are strict — check Buddy4Study and official portals each year. Most are merit-cum-means.
| Name | Best for | Support | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aditya Birla Capital Scholarship | Girls, Class 9 to PG | Level-based education assistance | Buddy4Study / official CSR page |
| AICTE Pragati / Saksham / Swanath | See Central Govt section | See Central Govt section | NSP / AICTE |
| Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program | First-year engineering students in top institutions | Full tuition + hostel/mess + first-year laptop | Bharti Airtel Foundation |
| Colgate Keep India Smiling | BDS students | One-time BDS course support | Buddy4Study / official page |
| DXC Progressing Minds | Women and transgender STEM UG students | One-time STEM UG support; preference for PwD | Buddy4Study / official page |
| Ericsson Empowering Girl Scholarship | Female second-year engineering students | One-time support for second-year engineering | Buddy4Study / official page |
| Flipkart Foundation Scholarship | First-year STEM UG students from Kirana families | One-time STEM UG support | Buddy4Study / official page |
| Infosys Foundation STEM Stars | Female STEM UG students | High-value annual STEM UG support | Buddy4Study / official page |
| Kotak Kanya Scholarship | Girls entering professional UG courses | High-value annual support through course completion | Buddy4Study / official page |
| LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship | Class 10/12 students entering higher education | Annual support; higher amounts for medical & engineering | Official LIC / scholarship route |
| LIC HFL Vidyadhan Scholarship | Class 11–12, UG, PG students from EWS families | Annual support by level (school, UG, PG) | LIC HFL Vidyadhan route |
| Mahindra All India Talent Scholarship (MAITS) | Diploma students in polytechnic institutes | Annual support for diploma students over 3 years | Buddy4Study / official page |
| ONGC Scholarship for Meritorious Students | SC/ST/OBC/EWS students — engineering, MBBS, MBA or MSc | Annual support with performance-based renewal | ONGC scholarship portal |
| Reliance Foundation Scholarship | UG and PG students | Large multi-year support with mentorship and scholar network | Reliance Foundation portal |
| SBI Platinum Jubilee Scholarship | School, UG, PG, medical, IIT and IIM students | Level-based support; higher for PG, MBBS and IIT categories | Buddy4Study / official page |
| Tata Capital Pankh Scholarship | Class 11–12, UG, diploma, polytechnic and ITI students | Level-based support across school, UG, diploma, polytechnic, ITI | Buddy4Study / official page |
| Titan Scholarship Program | First-year students from selected TN districts | Need-based financial assistance | Titan scholarship route |
| TVS Cheema Scholarship Scheme | TN/KA engineering, diploma and nursing students | Interest-free education loan / financial support for course expenses | TVS Cheema Foundation portal |
| HDFC Bank Parivartan ECSS Programme | School, diploma, UG and PG students from EWS families | Level-based annual support from school to PG | HDFC Bank ECSS route |
NGO & Foundation
Foundation-led programmes focused on low-income, first-generation, rural or government-school students. Some offer full course support.
| Name | Best for | Support | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-GO Scholarship Program | Female students in professional UG courses | Annual course-based support for teaching, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, MBBS, BDS, law, architecture | Buddy4Study / official page |
| Foundation for Excellence (FFE) Scholarship | Professional UG — engineering, MBBS, integrated law | Merit-cum-means support covering tuition and related costs | FFE portal |
| Amazon Future Engineer FFE Scholarship | Girl students in engineering UG | Annual support until graduation + laptop + mentoring | FFE portal |
| GSK Scholars Programme | MBBS students in government medical colleges | Annual MBBS support over multiple years | GSK / FFE scholarship route |
| Fortis Agilus Aspiring Doctors Program | MBBS students from low-income families | Annual education expense support for up to 4.5 years | FFE portal |
| Sitaram Jindal Foundation Scholarship | Class 11, ITI, diploma, UG and PG students | Tuition and study-expense support from Class 11 to PG | Sitaram Jindal Foundation portal |
| Vidyadhan Scholarship Program | Class 11–12 students from low-income families | Annual higher-secondary support, renewed on performance | Vidyadhan portal |
| LMES Foundation Kalvikaram Scholarship | UG students from low socio-economic backgrounds | Full education support covering major academic expenses | LMES Foundation |
| Agaram Foundation Scholarship | Rural and low-income professional UG students | UG education support covering tuition and academic expenses | Agaram Foundation |
| Maatram Foundation Scholarship | Engineering and arts/science students needing full fee support | 100% tuition support through partner institutions | Maatram Foundation |
| Team Everest Scholarship | Government school students entering UG | UG education support based on merit and need | Team Everest |
Education Loans & Benefits
Education loan access routes, first-generation fee support and reservation-linked benefits that can significantly reduce the cost of professional education.
| Name | Best for | Support | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vidya Lakshmi Scheme | College students seeking education loans | Common education-loan access through single application; limits depend on bank and loan size | Vidya Lakshmi portal / participating banks |
| PM Vidyalakshmi Scheme | Students in eligible quality higher education institutions | Collateral-free loan up to applicable limit; digital processing and subsidy-linked rules where eligible | PM Vidyalakshmi / government education loan portal |
| First Graduate Scholarship — Tamil Nadu | First-generation college students in Tamil Nadu | Tuition fee support paid to college for eligible professional courses | Tamil Nadu counselling / college route |
| 7.5% Government School Quota — Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu government school students | Reserved access pathway and fee support coverage for many professional courses | NEET / TNEA / NATA / IMU-CET (by course) |
Looking for the right career first?
Explore 350+ Indian careers, entrance exams and college pathways.
Compiled by StudioQ · PathFinder is an information guide, not an official scholarship authority. All scholarship details are for discovery only — verify amounts, deadlines and eligibility from official portals before applying.