Have you been searching for government schemes for students, but confused where to begin from? You are not alone. Education is an important asset for students to build their future ahead, yet for many families continuing school or higher higher education is still a financial challenge.
According to the recent data released by the ministry of education through UDISE+, dropout rates at the secondary level remain above 12%, with economic hardship being a key reason.
This clearly highlights the importance of government scholarships, programs, and education support schemes. In this quick handbook explore important schemes for students, understand their benefits, review eligibility criteria, and check out the authorised portals available to apply.
Contents
- What are Govt Schemes for Students?
- 9 Government Schemes for Students
- 1. Pradhan mantri uchchatar shiksha protsahan yojana (PM-USP) Central sector scheme
- 2. Pre-Matric scholarship for OBC students
- 3. PM-Vidyalaxmi (Pradhan Mantri Vidyalaxmi)
- 4. Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHERYAS)
- 5. PM CARES for children scheme
- 6. National means-cum-merit scholarship scheme
- 7. Beti bachao beti padhao
- 8. National scheme of incentives to girls for secondary education
- 9. Top class education in college for OBC EBC and DNT students
- Conclusion
What are Govt Schemes for Students?
Government schemes for students is a financial support program launched by the government to continue their education without stressing about the money. These schemes include scholarships, education loans, stipends, free reimbursements, and financial incentives for students from economically poor backgrounds and other minority communities.
9 Government Schemes for Students
The government funded programs are intended to support students at various levels of their education.
Now let’s take a closer look at some of the government schemes and scholarships
1. Pradhan mantri uchchatar shiksha protsahan yojana (PM-USP) Central sector scheme
The PM-USP (Pradhan mantri uchchatar shiksha protsahan yojana) is a central government scheme designed to promote higher education among meritorious students from economically poor backgrounds.
The PM-USP scheme is implemented by the ministry of education to provide financial assistance to students pursuing higher education.
Benefits:
- This scheme offers ₹ 12,000 for first 3 years for undergraduate students and ₹ 20,000 for postgraduate students
- Students can avail direct benefit transfer (DBT) to their bank accounts
- Annual financial assistance is offered for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Eligibility criteria :
- Students must score above 80 percentile in class 12 board examination.
- Family income should be below ₹4.5 lakh per annum.
- Admission must be in colleges recognised by AICTE, UGC, or other relevant regulatory bodies.
How to apply:
Students can apply for this scholarship program directly through national admission portals by submitting academic documents and income certificates. The scholarship is renewed annually based on academic performance.
2. Pre-Matric scholarship for OBC students
The pre-matric scholarship for OBC students is a government scheme designed to support students from other backward classes (OBC) category.
The primary objective of this scholarship is to ease the financial burden on the families and encourage students to complete their basic education and minimise the dropout rate.
Benefits:
- provide financial assistance for students pursuing education in class 1-10th irrespective of the state guidelines
- Assist in tuition fees and other educational expenses
- minimise early dropout rates
Eligibility criteria:
- The student must belong to the OBC community
- The income ceiling under the PM-YASASVI Pre-Matric scheme is ₹2,50,000 per annum.
- Must be enrolled in a government school
How to apply:
Students can apply through the national scholarship portal or the state scholarship portal available and submit Aadhaar card, caste, and income certificate. Scholarships are generally distributed after verification of authorities.
3. PM-Vidyalaxmi (Pradhan Mantri Vidyalaxmi)
The PM vidyalaxami scheme offers students collateral-free education loans from multiple banks through a single online platform.
The PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme simplifies the loan application process and makes higher education affordable.
Benefits:
- Transparent and streamlined process of online tracking.
- Loans up to₹ 7.5 lakh and above are offered depending upon the bank policy.
- Financial support offered for tuition fee and other higher education expenses
Eligibility criteria:
- Admission in a recognised school or institution
- Meeting bank loan eligibility criteria
- Submit required financial and academic documents
How to apply:
Quickly register in the PM-vidyalaxmi portal, fill-out the common education loan application form and select your preferred bank, submit your application, and track approval status online.
4. Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHERYAS)
The Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHERYAS) helps to improve employability among students from OBC and other targeted groups. is designed to support bright students from economically backward sections.
This government funded scheme ensures that talented students do not have to give up their dream to study further because of financial constraints.
It is implemented by the ministry of social justice and empowerment to promote equal educational opportunities.
Benefits:
- Financial assistance to undergraduate and postgraduate students
- Direct transfer of scholarship amount to student’s bank account
- Reduce financial stress on the families
Eligibility criteria:
- Family income should not exceed the limit of ₹2.5 lakh per annum.
- Belong to eligible criteria as per government guidelines
- Admission in a reputed college or university
How to apply:
Students can apply through the national scholarship portal(NSP) by completing the online registration and submitting necessary documents for verification.
5. PM CARES for children scheme
The PM CARES for children scheme was launched on 29th may 2021 to support children who lost their parents or their legal guardians in the COVID-19 pandemic.
This government scheme offers complete care starting from education to healthcare access to financial security.
Benefits:
- A financial corpus of up to ₹ 10 lakhs is built so it reaches ₹ 10 lakhs and invested between 18 and 23 years of age.
- It provides intensive financial assistance including school fees and higher education.
- free health insurance of up to ₹5 lakh per year under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY until the age of 23 years.
Eligibility criteria:
- A child should have lost both parents, a surviving parent or a legal guardian due to COVID-19 between 11th march 2020 and 31st december 2021, and further extended to 5th may 2023 under WCD ministry.
- Must be below 18 years of age at the time of the parent’s death.
- Must be an indian citizen
How to apply:
Applications can be submitted through the official portal. District authorities verify the documents like death certificate, Aadhaar details and guardian proof.
6. National means-cum-merit scholarship scheme
The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) was launched in 2008 by the ministry of education to support meritorious students from economically weaker sections. The main aim of the scheme is to reduce drop out rate after class 8.
Benefits:
- A scholarship of ₹ 12,000 per year runs from class 9 through 12.
- Continuous financial support is provided right from secondary and higher education.
- Encourage students from low-income background families to avoid dropping out.
Eligibility criteria:
- The selection test is conducted at class 8 level in a government school
- Family income must be less than ₹1.5 lakh per annum.
- Must qualify in the NMMS state-level selection test.
How to apply
Start applying through respective state education departments and appear for NMMS examinations conducted by the state. After the selection the scholarship is distributed in the national scholarship portal (NSP).
7. Beti bachao beti padhao
The beti bachao beti padhao (BBBP) scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015 to address declining child sex ratio and promote girls education in India. It was initially started in 100 districts and later this momentum was expanded nationwide.
This program spreads awareness regarding equal rights to education for girl children and empower their future.
Benefits:
- Nationwide awareness campaigns for the promotion of girl child education and protection
- Improved access to education and welfare scheme for girls
- Implementation of existing programmes like sukanaya samriddhi yojana for girl’s education to be strengthened.
Eligibility criteria:
- The program targets all girl children in India.
- The program targets districts with a low child sex ratio
- The benefits can be availed through the linked government schemes and the concerned state schemes.
How to apply
Families can avail the benefit by enrolling their girl child in school and applying for concerned schemes through the official government websites.
The awareness and benefits regarding these schemes are provided by concerned district authorities.
Further details are available on the BBBP website.
8. National scheme of incentives to girls for secondary education
The National scheme of incentives to girls for secondary education (NSIGSE) was launched in 2008, by the ministry of education to reduce dropout rates among girls at the secondary level. This program is important for girl’s education in SC/ST and other economically backward classes.
Benefits:
- ₹ 3,000 one-time incentive deposit in the girl’s account
- Withdrawable with interest at the age of 18 after passing Class 10.
- Provides immense support to SC/ST communities and other backward classes.
Eligibility criteria:
- Girl should belong to SC/ST community
- should be enrolled in class 9 in a government aided school
- Should be below 16 years of age at the time of admission to class 9
How to apply:
The students are identified by the state education department. No separate individual application is required.
9. Top class education in college for OBC EBC and DNT students
The Top class education in college for OBC EBC and DNT students was introduced by the ministry of social justice and empowerment to support meritorious students in premier institutions. This scheme covers complete financial assistance for financial and technical courses. It’s one of the most important government scholarship schemes for higher education in India.
Benefits:
- Full tuition fee coverage up to ₹ 2 lakhs per year.
- Accommodation expenses of up to ₹ 3,000 per month and ₹ 5,000 per year for books and stationery.
- One-time laptop grant up to ₹45,000.
Eligibility criteria:
- Student must belong toOBC, EBC or DNT categories
- Family income should not exceed ₹2.5 lakh per annum for (OBC & DNT) and ₹1 lakh per annum for (EBC).
- Must secure admission in a recognised top institution through merit.
How to apply:
Apply through the national scholarship portal and submit academic and income and caste certificates.
Conclusion
Finding the right government schemes for students can be an overwhelming process at first, but once you understand its availability, it becomes much easier to access these programs. For many families school fees, college tuition, or other educational expenses begin to feel like a burden, that’s where government scholarships and education support programs make a huge difference.
The key is to be aware of the programs and apply for them through official government portals on time. With the right awareness about student scholarships schemes in India, many eligible students can apply to these programs to seamlessly continue their education and focus on building the future that they truly deserve.
