The eligibility criteria varies from scheme to scheme hosted on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

In general, students studying in India and fulfilling the specific requirements laid out in the guidelines of the various scholarship schemes offered by different ministries are eligible to apply.

It is recommended to thoroughly go through the detailed guidelines available on the home page of the portal to check the eligibility conditions for each scheme.

There are two major categories of scholarships on NSP:

a) Pre-Matric Schemes

b) Post-Matric / Merit-cum-Means (MCM) / Top Class Education Schemes

All these are online schemes. To apply:

1. Go to the NSP portal (www.scholarships.gov.in)
2. On the home page, click on ‘New Registration’
3. Select the scheme you want to apply for and enter other mandatory details to register
4. You will receive a unique application ID and password via SMS on your registered mobile number
5. Log in using the ID/password and fill out the detailed application form
6. You can save the draft and log out/log in to edit before final submission
7. There is also a dedicated National Scholarships mobile app available on Google Play Store that students can use

If you need to modify any information in the application after final submission, you will have to immediately contact the nodal officer (institute level/ district level/ state level) where your application is pending for verification.

Request them to mark your application as ‘Defective’. Once marked defective, the application will become editable again in your login and you can modify all details, except registration details, before re-submitting.

This may happen if the institute has not updated their profile with the correct course level and course details that the applicant is studying.

In this case, the applicant should contact the Institute Nodal Officer and request them to update the institute’s profile with the missing course information.

Students should also double-check that they have entered the complete and correct name and address of their institute to avoid conflicts with similarly named institutes.

No, once the registration details like name, date of birth, mobile number etc. are entered and submitted during the registration process, the applicant cannot edit these details.

However, before final submission, the applicant can choose to withdraw the current registration and apply for a fresh registration with the correct details.

The fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are mandatory fields that must be filled in the application form.

No, the applicant does not have to fill the entire application in one go.

The software allows saving the partially filled application as a draft at any stage until the final submission is done.

The applicant can logon again later and resume filling the form.

The documents required vary from scheme to scheme, so refer to the specific scheme guidelines carefully.

However, some common documents that may need to be uploaded, especially for scholarships above Rs.50,000 per annum, include:

• Caste/community certificate as per scheme requirement
• Income certificate issued by competent state/UT government authority
• Disability certificate (if applicable as per scheme)
• Single girl child certificate from state/UT govt (if applicable)
• Scanned copy of applicant’s bank passbook showing account number and IFSC
• Residential/domicile certificate

Some key points regarding bank account details:

• Enter the IFSC code of the bank branch carefully and correctly
• Ensure the account number and other details provided are accurate
• The account should remain operational until scholarship is disbursed
• It is advisable to maintain the same account for the scholarship tenure
• Having the account in a nationalized bank may help in smoother disbursal
• Check and complete KYC requirements with the bank
• Link the account with Aadhaar for faster disbursal
• Ensure the account remains active until scholarship payment
• Use an account with a scheduled bank having core banking facility
• For pre-matric schemes, a joint account with parents is allowed
• For post-matric/top class schemes, only applicant’s own account is permitted

It is strongly advised to maintain the same bank account throughout the tenure of scholarship disbursement.

However, there is a provision to change or update the bank details once, but only during the renewal process for the subsequent academic year.

This one-time change of bank details option will be strictly restricted per academic year.

The NSP system also sends text alerts to the registered mobile number and applicant’s login dashboard if bank details need to be updated. Applicants should keep track of such notifications.

If the course the applicant is studying is not listed in the drop-down options on the application form, it means the institute has not added that course to their profile on NSP.

The applicant should immediately contact their institute and request the Institute Nodal Officer to update their profile by adding the missing course details.

The State Nodal Officer can coordinate and assist institutes in this process if required.

Students can check the status of their online application by logging into their account on the NSP portal and going to the “Check Your Status” section.

In case an applicant forgets their password:

a) For Fresh Applications – Use the “Forgot Password?” option on the main login page

b) For Renewal Applications – Use the “Recover Password?” option after logging in

This will take you to a password recovery process where you enter details like application ID, date of birth, registered mobile number to receive an OTP and reset your password.

If an applicant forgets their application ID, they can use the “Forgot Application ID?” option on the login page.

Here, they need to enter their bank account number registered with NSP along with a captcha code. The system will then retrieve and display the application ID.

While scholarship advertisements are published in regional/national newspapers by the state governments/ministries, it is not mandatory to publish them on the NSP portal itself.

However, there is a provision to publish these advertisements on the portal if required, based on communication received from the concerned scholarship funding authorities.

If an applicant knows either the AISHE/DISE/ITI(NCVT) code or address/location of their institute, they can use the link https://scholarships.gov.in/NSP1718/onlineInstituteSearchIndex to search and find the corresponding institute code or address details.

No, an applicant who is already a renewal candidate for a scholarship scheme cannot apply as a fresh candidate for the same scheme in the same academic year. Their application will be rejected.

However, if they want to apply for a different scheme and discontinue their renewal application, they will first have to withdraw their renewal application on the portal.

But the withdrawn renewal can be revoked only if they haven’t finally submitted the new fresh application.

Yes, applicants can withdraw their renewal application on NSP before finally submitting it.

If an applicant wants to change their scholarship scheme from the previous year, they must first withdraw their existing renewal application before finally submitting it.

They can then apply fresh for the new desired scheme.

For any technical problems or issues faced on the NSP portal, applicants can contact the dedicated helpdesk by:

• Sending an email with details to helpdesk@nsp.gov.in
• Calling the helpdesk number 0120-6619540

The helpdesk will facilitate resolving issues related to filling the online application form or any other functional issues with the portal.

The verification of scholarship applications on NSP is done by the respective nodal ministries/departments owning those schemes.

In case of inordinate delays in verification of an application, the applicant should directly contact or send grievances/representations to the concerned nodal ministry/department.

Their contact details are available under the ‘Services’ section of the portal.

A fresh application can be withdrawn by the applicant only if it has not been finally submitted yet, or if it is in ‘defective’ mode and pending re-submission.