National Scholarship Portal (NSP): Complete 2026 Guide for Indian Students

The National Scholarship Portal (NSP) at scholarships.gov.in is the single window where the Government of India lists central, state and UGC scholarships. If you''re an Indian student, learning to use NSP well is the single highest-ROI hour you can spend each year.

What is the National Scholarship Portal?

NSP is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) under the Digital India programme. It hosts scholarships from over 25 ministries and most state governments — pre-matric (Class 1–10), post-matric (Class 11 onwards), top-class, merit-cum-means, minority, OBC, SC/ST, disability and more. One profile, many scholarships.

Who can apply on NSP?

• Indian citizens enrolled in a recognised institution (school, college, university).
• Specific schemes have their own eligibility — common filters are family income (often ₹2.5L–₹8L cap depending on the scheme), category (SC/ST/OBC/Minority/General), state of domicile, course level and disability status.
• Most schemes need a valid bank account in the student''s own name (or a joint account with a parent for minors), linked to Aadhaar.

NSP registration: the 6 steps

1. One Time Registration (OTR). Visit scholarships.gov.in → "Apply for Scholarship" → Register. Enter your name as on Aadhaar, date of birth, mobile number, email and the state where you currently study.
2. Aadhaar / EID verification. New applicants need an Aadhaar number or Enrolment ID (EID). The mobile number you register with must be linked to your Aadhaar to receive OTPs.
3. Get your Application ID + password. NSP issues a unique Application ID. Save it — this is what you use to log in for every subsequent year.
4. Fill the application form. Pick the scheme(s) you are eligible for. Enter institute details (AISHE code for colleges, U-DISE code for schools), course year, course fees and bank details (account number + IFSC).
5. Upload documents (see checklist below). Files should be clear PDFs/JPGs under the per-document size limit shown on the portal.
6. Submit + take a printout. After final submission, download the PDF and submit a hard copy to your institute''s NSP nodal officer for verification.

NSP document checklist

Keep these scanned and ready before you start:

• Aadhaar card (front + back in one PDF)
• Domicile / residence certificate issued by the competent authority of your state
• Income certificate (parent/guardian) — usually from Tehsildar / SDM, valid for the relevant financial year
• Caste certificate if applying under SC / ST / OBC / Minority schemes
• Previous year mark sheet (Class 10 / 12 / last semester)
• Bonafide / admission letter from current institute on letterhead
• Fee receipt for the current academic year
• Bank passbook front page showing name, account number and IFSC
• Passport-size photograph
• Disability certificate if applying under disability schemes

Key deadlines

NSP usually opens for fresh applications around August and the central window closes in October–November. State scholarships often have separate windows. The institute verification deadline is typically 2–3 weeks after the student deadline — so apply at least a month before the cutoff to give your nodal officer time.

Common reasons NSP applications get rejected

• Name mismatch between Aadhaar, bank account and Class 10 mark sheet
• Bank account not Aadhaar-seeded → DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) fails
• Income certificate from an earlier financial year
• Institute didn''t verify the application in time
• Wrong AISHE / U-DISE code
• Uploaded the wrong page of the bank passbook

Fix every one of these before you submit. Once an application is rejected, you usually wait a full academic year for the next window.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to register every year? No. Use the same Application ID and "Renewal" option. You only need fresh documents (income, fee receipt, mark sheet) and bank confirmation.

Is NSP free? Yes. NSP itself does not charge any fee. Beware of agents.

I missed the deadline. Some state portals (e.g. ePASS in Telangana, e-Grantz in Kerala) run their own windows; check your state''s scholarship portal in addition to NSP.

Want one-tap matches?

YojanaRadar tracks every NSP-listed scheme plus state and ministry-run scholarships, and shows you only the ones you''re actually eligible for based on your state, category, income and course. It''s free to start.