NSP Scholarship 2026-27: eligibility, last date, documents and how to apply on the National Scholarship Portal

The National Scholarship Portal (NSP) is the Government of India’s common website for central, centrally sponsored and state scholarships. It has been open for academic year 2026-27 since 1 June 2026. For the central sector schemes listed on NSP, the student application closes on 31 October 2026, institute verification on 15 November 2026 and nodal officer (L2) verification on 30 November 2026. From 2026-27 a student may apply for one merit-based scheme and one or more welfare-based schemes, as each scheme’s eligibility allows.

What is the National Scholarship Portal and who runs it?

The National Scholarship Portal (NSP), at scholarships.gov.in, is a one-stop website for scholarship services: student application, processing, sanction and payment. Its stated aim is one common portal for scholarship schemes of the Union Government, State Governments and Union Territories, with no duplicate processing and money sent straight to the student by Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

The site carries the name of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and NSP’s Standard Operating Procedures (July 2019) say NIC builds it and runs its helpdesk. Each scholarship belongs to a ministry, department or state, which sets its rules, amounts and dates.

Which scholarships are on NSP for 2026-27?

NSP lists schemes under three heads: Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored and State Schemes. Each scheme is marked Merit Based or Welfare Based, which matters for the new rule on applying to more than one.

• Central Sector: on the day we read the list there were 31 schemes (21 merit-based, 10 welfare-based). Examples: PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students (CSSS), National Means cum Merit Scholarship, AICTE Pragati (girl students) and Saksham (specially abled), UGC National Scholarship for Post Graduate Studies, PM YASASVI, and scholarships for students with disabilities.
• Centrally Sponsored and State: pre-matric and post-matric schemes for SC, ST, OBC and other students, listed under 22 states and union territories in the centrally sponsored list.

The lists we read show no scheme from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu or Telangana. Students there should use the NSP eligibility tool and check their own state’s notices.

What are the important dates for 2026-27?

Item	Date
Portal open for 2026-27	1 June 2026
Student application closes (central sector schemes)	31 October 2026
Defective application correction and institute verification	15 November 2026
Nodal officer (DNO/SNO/MNO, L2) verification	30 November 2026

Most central schemes opened on 1 June 2026. A few opened later: NEC renewal 15 July, disability pre-matric and post-matric 25 July, free coaching 3 August, and UGC PG scholarship and Ishan Uday 16 September. CSSS, the PM-USP special scheme for Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh, PM YASASVI (school) and the NEC scholarship show renewal dates only.

Centrally sponsored and state schemes have their own dates, from 15 September 2026 to 15 February 2027 for students, and some have already closed. Read your own scheme’s row under Schemes on NSP. Result and payment dates are not stated.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is set by each scheme. Income limit, marks, category, course and domicile differ, so read the Specifications and FAQ links of your scheme under Schemes on NSP. The official pages state these general rules:

• OTR is required to apply for any scholarship.
• In 2026-27 you may apply for one merit-based scheme (fresh and renewal together) and one or more welfare-based schemes, if eligible.
• Students with disabilities must first log in to the UDID portal and give consent to share their UDID details. Without it the NSP application cannot be submitted.

Before you log in, use Check Eligibility in the Public section. It asks for domicile state, gender, parent income, community, disability, institute, course and previous class percentage, then lists schemes you may apply for. If none appears, “Why am I not eligible for this scheme?” gives the reasons.

What documents and details do you need?

NSP’s user manual says not every item is needed, because document requirements vary by scheme. Keep ready:

• Active Android mobile number, and the mobile number linked with Aadhaar
• Aadhaar number (without Aadhaar: enrolment slip, or a parent’s or guardian’s Aadhaar if you are a minor)
• Name, gender, date of birth, parents’ names, domicile state and full address
• Institute enrolment number and its AISHE or UDISE code (find it under Find Institutes on NSP)
• Class 10 and Class 12 roll number, percentage and marksheet, if applicable
• Ration card or PPPID details and domicile certificate, if applicable
• UDID number, for students with disabilities
• A bank account linked with Aadhaar (NPCI seeding is “desired”)

How to apply on NSP step by step

1. Get your OTR. On scholarships.gov.in choose Students, then Apply For One Time Registration (OTR). Register your mobile number and complete Aadhaar e-KYC. You get a reference number; then complete face authentication using the NSP OTR app and the UIDAI AadhaarFaceRD app from Google Play. The 14-digit OTR is issued once and stays valid for your whole academic career.
2. Log in with Aadhaar, APAAR or OTR, and fill Basic Information (general, academic and application-specific details).
3. Open Apply Fresh, read the guidelines, tick the boxes, choose Scholarship (or Incentive) and click Apply to get an Application ID.
4. In My Applications click Proceed, then Fill/Edit Application Form. Choose a scheme from the list shown, upload documents and click Final Submit.
5. Ask your institute to verify before its last date.

NSP services are also available at Common Service Centres for a total charge of Rs 30.

How is the application verified, and how do I track status and payment?

NSP’s procedure has these stages: student application, Level 1 verification at the institute, Level 2 or 3 verification by the district, state or ministry nodal officer, account validation by PFMS, de-duplication and merit list, payment approval, and payment by DBT.

• Status: open Application Status on NSP, or My Applications after login.
• Payment: use Track Your Payment on NSP, which opens the PFMS Know Your Payment page.
• Bank account: use Check Aadhaar Seeding Status. If it is not seeded, NPCI’s Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enabler (BASE) lets you request seeding yourself. NSP’s procedure gives payment priority to Aadhaar-seeded accounts.
• Defective application: the institute or scheme nodal officer can mark it defective with a reason. Correct it in My Applications and submit again.

Applications marked rejected or fake are not processed further. How long payment takes is not stated.

Common problems and where to get help

• Error 904 in face authentication: update the UIDAI AadhaarFaceRD app from Play Store.
• Face authentication fails: your Aadhaar biometric may be locked. Check Lock/Unlock on the mAadhaar app or myAadhaar portal and keep it “Unlocked”.
• Forgot OTR, reference number or password: use “Forgot OTR Number” or “Forgot Reference no” with the Aadhaar used in e-KYC, and “Forget Password” under OTR login.
• OTR made with an enrolment number (EID): submit your Aadhaar and complete e-KYC within one month, or the OTR may be suspended.
• OTR shows “Not seeded” but the bank says it is done: use Aadhaar Seeding, Check it now, in Profile Details.

Official helpdesk: NSP, phone 0120 - 6619540, email helpdesk@nsp.gov.in; PFMS, toll free 1800 118 111. Both work 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on all days except government holidays. NSP also lists Nodal Officers (scheme-wise and district-wise) and Grievance Redressal Officers.

What has changed recently?

• 1 June 2026: NSP opened for academic year 2026-27.
• 2026-27: a student may apply for one merit-based scheme and one or more welfare-based schemes. Older NSP manuals that say only one scholarship at a time are superseded by this rule.
• 2026-27: students with disabilities must give UDID consent before submitting.
• 2026-27: CSSS and the PM-USP special scheme are open for renewal with the dates above.
• From AY 2024-25: OTR is required to apply.

Dates can change, so confirm them on scholarships.gov.in before you apply.