NSP Scholarship Last Date 2026-27: Pre-Matric 30 September, Post-Matric 31 October – Scheme-Wise List
NSP 2026-27 pre-matric applications close on 30 September 2026 and post-matric on 31 October 2026, with institute verification until 15 November. Scheme-wise deadlines, the new one-merit-plus-welfare rule, documents, face authentication and rejection reasons.
On this page14 sections
NSP Scholarship Last Date 2026-27: The Deadlines That Matter Now
The National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) has been open for the academic year 2026-27 since 1 June 2026. Two deadlines are now close:
- Pre-matric scholarships: 30 September 2026 (extended from 31 August 2026)
- Post-matric and higher-education scholarships: 31 October 2026
Institute (L1) verification runs up to 15 November 2026 and L2 verification up to 30 November 2026. An application that is submitted but never verified by your school or college is as good as rejected, so submitting early matters more than submitting at all.
| Stage | Last date |
|---|---|
| Pre-matric application | 30 September 2026 |
| Post-matric application | 31 October 2026 |
| Institute (L1) verification | 15 November 2026 |
| L2 verification (District / State / Ministry) | 30 November 2026 |
A caution before you read further: the official portal publishes dates only for some schemes on its front page. Other dates come from reliable education portals and have been cross-checked, but deadlines on NSP are extended fairly often, pre-matric has already been extended once this cycle. Always confirm the date inside the scheme's own guideline after you log in.
The Big Rule Change for 2026-27
The official portal now states: "Students may apply for one merit-based scholarship scheme and one or more welfare-based scholarship schemes from AY 2026-27, as per scheme eligibility criteria."
This replaces the old "only one scholarship" rule that many websites still print. In practice:
- A merit-based scheme uses your single merit slot, for example AICTE Pragati, or PM-YASASVI.
- Welfare-based schemes, such as AICTE Saksham and Swanath, can be combined with a merit scheme.
Check the individual scheme guideline before assuming two schemes can be combined.
PM-USP CSSS: Renewal Window Open till 31 October
The official portal currently shows renewal applications open for:
- PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students (CSSS)
- PM-USP Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Student application (renewal) | 31 October 2026 |
| Institute verification | 15 November 2026 |
| L2 verification | 30 November 2026 |
Earlier reports had said 30 September for CSSS renewal, the official portal now shows 31 October 2026. Fresh CSSS applications appear to be closed for this cycle; the portal's notice refers only to renewals.
Central Schemes Closing on 31 October 2026
| Scheme | Who it is for | Income limit | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Class Education for SC Students | SC students, 1st year only, in notified institutions (IITs, NITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NLUs and notified private institutions) | ₹8 lakh | Full tuition, capped at ₹2,00,000 a year in private institutions, plus academic allowance ₹86,000 in year 1 and ₹41,000 later |
| PM-YASASVI Top Class (Colleges) | OBC / EBC / DNT students | ₹8 lakh (verify in the guideline) | As per scheme guideline |
| AICTE Pragati | Girl students in AICTE-approved technical courses, max 2 girls per family | ₹8 lakh | ₹50,000 a year |
| AICTE Saksham | Students with at least 40% benchmark disability | ₹8 lakh | ₹50,000 a year |
| AICTE Swanath | Orphans, COVID-bereaved, wards of martyrs of the armed forces and CAPFs, children of critically ill parents | ₹8 lakh | ₹50,000 a year |
| Post-Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities | Class 11 and above, 40% benchmark disability | ₹2.5 lakh | Up to about ₹1.4 lakh a year |
| Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities | Notified institutions, 40% benchmark disability | ₹8 lakh | Up to about ₹1.9 lakh a year |
| PM Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) | Wards and widows of State Police, CAPF and Assam Rifles, and RPF/RPSF personnel; minimum 60% marks | As per scheme | ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 a month |
| Financial Assistance for wards of Beedi, Cine, IOMC and LSDM workers (post-matric) | Children of registered workers, Class 10 passed in first attempt with 50% | ₹1.2 lakh (beedi/mine), ₹96,000 (cine) | ₹3,000 to ₹25,000 a year depending on course |
| National Fellowship for ST Students | ST research scholars | ₹6 lakh | As per scheme |
Note for AICTE schemes: each has a separate Degree and Diploma variant. Applying under the wrong variant is a known reason for rejection.
NMMSS: Closing 30 September 2026
The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme deadline was extended by the Ministry of Education from 31 August to 30 September 2026.
- For Class 9 students in government, government-aided or local body schools
- Minimum 55% marks in the qualifying class (5% relaxation for SC/ST)
- Family income up to ₹3.5 lakh a year
- Must have cleared the state-conducted NMMS exam
- ₹12,000 a year, payable from Class 9 to Class 12
- 1 lakh fresh scholarships every year
OTR, Aadhaar and Face Authentication
This is where most applications get stuck.
- One Time Registration (OTR) is mandatory for all NSP services. Your OTR number becomes your login username and stays valid through your academic career.
- Face authentication is mandatory to generate the OTR. You need the UIDAI AadhaarFaceRD app and the NSP OTR app, and a live face capture that matches your Aadhaar photo.
- You need a mobile number linked to Aadhaar for the OTP.
- No Aadhaar? You may use the Aadhaar enrolment slip, or a parent's or guardian's Aadhaar if you are a minor.
- Your bank account must be Aadhaar-seeded through NPCI, otherwise the money will not reach you. Check it under Profile Details, and use NPCI's Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enabler (BASE) platform to seed it yourself. Allow 24 to 48 hours.
- If face authentication fails with Error 904, update the AadhaarFaceRD app from the Play Store. A biometric lock on your Aadhaar will also block it and must be unlocked first.
- You can complete NSP work at a Common Service Centre for ₹30 per candidate.
Disabled students must first log in to the UDID portal and give consent to share UDID details, and only then apply on NSP.
Documents You Need
- Aadhaar card (or enrolment slip / parent's Aadhaar for minors)
- Bank passbook or cancelled cheque, with the account Aadhaar-seeded
- Income certificate from a revenue authority such as the Tehsildar or SDM, Form 16 is not accepted, and the certificate must be from the current financial year
- Caste, community, tribe or minority certificate, as applicable
- Disability certificate and UDID, for disability schemes
- Previous year's marksheet
- Bonafide certificate from the institution
- Fee receipt
- Passport-size photograph
- Admission letter, for Top Class schemes
Uploads are normally PDF or JPEG, up to 200 KB each, and must be legible. Limits can vary by scheme.
How to Apply: Step by Step
- Create your OTR at scholarships.gov.in using Aadhaar, an Aadhaar-linked mobile number and face authentication.
- Seed your bank account with Aadhaar through NPCI before you apply.
- Log in with your OTR number and password.
- Choose Fresh or Renewal correctly, this is a common cause of rejection.
- Select your scheme, keeping the one-merit-plus-welfare rule in mind, and pick the right Degree or Diploma variant.
- Fill in personal, academic, institutional and income details.
- Upload your documents in the correct format and size.
- Submit, no edits are possible after final submission, and save your Application ID.
- Follow up with your Institute Nodal Officer for L1 verification. This is the step students most often forget.
- Track your status on the NSP dashboard.
Why Applications Get Rejected
- Bank account not Aadhaar-seeded on NPCI, or wrong account number or IFSC
- Income certificate stale, or from the wrong authority, or Form 16 submitted instead
- The institute never verified the application at L1
- Applying as Fresh when it should be Renewal, or the reverse
- Wrong scheme or wrong Degree/Diploma variant
- Documents illegible, cropped, or over the size limit
- Family income above the scheme ceiling
- Name on Aadhaar not matching school or college records
- Already holding another scholarship where the scheme does not allow it
Two Things to Check Before You Assume Your Scheme Is Live
Post-matric SC/ST/OBC scholarships are centrally sponsored but implemented by states, and in many states the application does not go through NSP. For example: Bihar (scstpmsonline.bihar.gov.in), Uttar Pradesh (scholarship.up.gov.in), Karnataka (ssp.karnataka.gov.in) and Maharashtra (mahadbt.maharashtra.gov.in). Check your own state portal.
Minority scholarships, the pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means schemes for minorities, have a disputed status. The Centre told Parliament in July 2026 that there have been no fresh admissions under these schemes since 2022-23. They did not appear among the schemes with published 2026-27 dates. Do not rely on websites claiming these are open until you see it on the official portal.
State Deadlines Worth Noting
- Uttar Pradesh (scholarship.up.gov.in): Dashmottar / post-matric fresh 31 October 2026, renewal 15 October 2026. OTR with Aadhaar e-KYC is mandatory, and the printed hard copy usually has to reach your institution within a few days of final lock.
- Karnataka (ssp.karnataka.gov.in): pre-matric closes 30 September 2026; post-matric dates vary by department, with some running to January 2027. SATS ID is mandatory.
- Several state schemes hosted on NSP close between October and December 2026, including schemes in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Meghalaya and the UTs.
Helpline
| Help with | Contact |
|---|---|
| NSP portal | 0120-6619540 (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, except government holidays) |
| NSP email | [email protected] |
| Payment issues (PFMS) | 1800 118 111 (toll free) |
| PFMS email | [email protected] |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the last date for NSP scholarship 2026-27? 30 September 2026 for pre-matric schemes and 31 October 2026 for post-matric schemes, as per current information. Dates can be extended.
Q2. Can I apply for two scholarships this year? Yes, within limits. From 2026-27 you may apply for one merit-based scheme and one or more welfare-based schemes, subject to each scheme's rules.
Q3. Is face authentication compulsory? Yes, for generating the OTR. You need the AadhaarFaceRD app and the NSP OTR app, and a mobile number linked to Aadhaar.
Q4. My application was submitted but shows no progress. Why? Most likely your institute has not completed L1 verification. Contact your Institute Nodal Officer, and escalate to the Principal if needed. L1 verification closes on 15 November 2026.
Q5. What if the money does not reach my account? The most common reason is that the bank account is not Aadhaar-seeded with NPCI. Seed it through NPCI BASE or at your bank branch, then contact the PFMS helpline.
Q6. Is Form 16 accepted as an income certificate? No. You need an income certificate from a competent revenue authority such as the Tehsildar or SDM, issued in the current financial year.
Q7. What if I miss the deadline? There is no offline route. If a scheme is extended you can still apply, but do not count on it, apply before the current last date.
Conclusion
With pre-matric closing on 30 September and post-matric on 31 October 2026, this is the period to finish your NSP application, not to start it. Complete your OTR and Aadhaar seeding first, submit with a valid income certificate, and then chase your institute for verification before 15 November. Re-check scholarships.gov.in for extensions, since the portal has extended deadlines more than once in past years.
Disclaimer: Verified as of 19 September 2026 from the official National Scholarship Portal and reliable education sources. NSP deadlines are extended frequently, and only some scheme dates are published on the portal's front page. Always confirm the last date inside your scheme's own guideline at scholarships.gov.in.