Date: 2025-09-16Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Last date to submit applications under National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme for Year 2025-26 extended up to 30th September, 2025 on National Scholarship Portal
**Policy Summary: National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) 2025-26**
The Ministry of Education has extended the application deadline for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for the year 2025-26 to September 30, 2025. The National Scholarship Portal (NSP) has been open for applications since June 2, 2025. The NMMSS aims to reduce dropout rates after elementary school by awarding scholarships to meritorious students from economically weaker sections, encouraging them to complete their education up to Class XII.
The scheme provides one lakh fresh scholarships annually to Class IX students who pass the scholarship exam conducted by State/UT governments. Renewals are available for Classes X-XII based on academic performance. The scholarship amount is Rs. 12,000 per annum per student. The scheme applies to students in State Government, Government-aided, and local body schools.
As of August 30, 2025, 85,420 fresh and 172,027 renewal applications have been submitted. Scholarships are disbursed directly to student bank accounts via electronic transfer through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Eligibility criteria include a parental income limit of Rs. 3.50 lakh per annum and a minimum of 55% marks (or equivalent grade) in the Class VII examination (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students). Applicants must complete a one-time registration (OTR) on the NSP (scholarships.gov.in/student/FAQs) before applying.
The application verification process involves two levels: Level 1 (L1) by the Institute Nodal Officer (INO) with a deadline of October 15, 2025, and Level 2 (L2) by the District Nodal Officer (DNO) with a deadline of October 31, 2025.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Education: The ministry responsible for implementing the National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme.
National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS): A scholarship scheme for meritorious students from economically weaker sections to prevent dropout after elementary level.
National Scholarship Portal (NSP): A one-stop platform for scholarship schemes disbursed by the Government of India.
Department of School Education Literacy: The department within the Ministry of Education responsible for implementing the National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme.
Public Financial Management System (PFMS): The system used for disbursing NMMSS scholarships directly into the bank accounts of selected students via electronic transfer through DBT mode.
Class VIII: The class level at which scholarships are intended to prevent student dropout.
Class XII: The upper secondary level that the scholarship encourages students to complete.
State/UT governments: The State and Union Territory governments that conduct the qualifying exam for the scholarship.
Ministry of Education
Last date to submit applications under National
Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme for Year
2025-26 extended up to 30th September, 2025 on
National Scholarship Portal
Posted On: 16 SEP 2025 12:49PM by PIB Delhi
The last date for submission of applications by the selected meritorious students on the National Scholarship
Portal (NSP) for National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for the year 2025-26 has been
extended to 30th September, 2025.
nd
The NSP portal is open for submission of applications by students with effect from 2 June 2025. In this
project year 2025-26, the selected students are first to do a one-time registration (OTR) on the NSP, after
which they have to apply for the scholarship scheme that they have selected. The FAQ details for registration
on NSP can be accessed at https://scholarships.gov.in/studentFAQs.
Through the ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme,’ implemented by the Department of School
Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, scholarships are awarded to meritorious students from
economically weaker sections to arrest their drop-out after elementary level, i.e., Class VIII and encourage
them to complete their school education up to higher secondary level, i.e., Class XII.
The scheme provides one lakh fresh scholarships every year for Class IX students who clear the qualifying
exam for the scholarship conducted by the State/UT governments. The scholarship is continued through
renewal mode from Classes X to XII based on the student's academic performance. The scheme is applicable
only to students studying in State Government, Government-aided and local body schools and the scholarship
amount is Rs. 12000 per annum per student.
The NMMSS is implemented through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) - the one-stop platform for
scholarship schemes disbursed to students by the Government of India. As of 30.08.2025, 85420 fresh and
172027 renewal applications have been finally submitted by the applicants.
NMMSS scholarships are disbursed directly into the bank accounts of selected students by
electronic transfer through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) following DBT mode.
The eligibility parameters for availing the scholarship include parental income not more than Rs.
3.50 lakh per annum, a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in the Class VII examination for
appearing in the selection test for award of scholarship (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students).
On the NSP portal, there are two levels of verification of the scholarship application of selected students,
Level-1 (L1) verification is at the Institute Nodal Officer (INO) and Level-2 (L2) is with the District Nodal
Officer (DNO). The last date for INO level (L1) verification is 15.10.2025 and for DNO level (L2)
verification is 31.10.2025.
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MV/AK
(Release ID: 2167076)