Pre- Matric Scholarships Scheme for Scheduled Castes & Others
Scholarship for SC students and OBC children of sanitation workers · Class 9 and 10
This Centrally Sponsored Scheme provides annual financial assistance to SC students in Class 9 and 10, and separately to children (Class 1–10) of parents engaged in hazardous or cleaning occupations like manual scavenging or waste picking, to reduce school dropouts among disadvantaged communities. Day scholars receive ₹3,500/year and hostellers receive ₹7,000–₹8,000/year. Applications are accepted each April on the National Scholarships Portal at scholarships.gov.in.
About This Scheme
This Centrally Sponsored Scheme provides annual financial assistance to SC students in Class 9 and 10, and separately to children (Class 1–10) of parents engaged in hazardous or cleaning occupations like manual scavenging or waste picking, to reduce school dropouts among disadvantaged communities. Day scholars receive ₹3,500/year and hostellers receive ₹7,000–₹8,000/year. Applications are accepted each April on the National Scholarships Portal at scholarships.gov.in.
Full official description
This program provides financial aid to parents of children from Scheduled Castes and other disadvantaged groups to help them afford their children's education at the Pre-Matric level. The goal is to increase the participation of these children in education, reduce the dropout rate, especially during the transition from primary to secondary school, improve their academic performance, and increase their chances of continuing their education beyond the Pre-Matric stage.
Benefits
- Day scholars: ₹3,500 per year (consolidated academic allowance)
- Hostellers (Component 1): ₹7,000 per year
- Hostellers (Component 2, Class 3–10): ₹8,000 per year
- Divyang (disabled) students receive an additional 10% on top of the above amounts
💡 Why Startups Should Care
Social-impact startups: children of sanitation workers face structural barriers to education despite government support — a product that simplifies scholarship discovery, application tracking, and document digitisation for this segment could create substantial social ROI while building a defensible user base.
Who Can Apply (Eligibility)
- Component 1 (SC students): studying in Class 9 or 10 full-time, must belong to Scheduled Caste, family income ≤ ₹2,50,000/year
- Component 2 (Hazardous occupation children): studying in Class 1–10, parent/guardian must be a manual scavenger, tanner/flayer, waste picker, or engaged in hazardous cleaning — no income ceiling
- Must be an Indian national
- Cannot hold another government scholarship at the same time
Exclusions
- Not available to students in Class 8 or below
- Children of central or state government employees with income above the ceiling are not eligible
- Students already receiving another central government scholarship cannot apply
How to Apply
- Register on scholarships.gov.in using mobile OTP.
- Select the Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC and Other Specified Targets under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Fill the application form with personal, academic, and family income details.
- Upload all required documents and submit.
- Your institution verifies the application online.
- Scholarship is disbursed via DBT to your bank account.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this scheme ?
The Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes & others is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.
What are the main objective of the scheme?
This program provides financial aid to parents of children from Scheduled Castes and other disadvantaged groups to help them afford their children's education at the Pre-Matric level.
What benefits are provided under the scheme?
- Day Scholar- Rs. 3,500/- per annum
- Hosteller - Component 1- [?] 7,000/- per annum Component 2- [?] 8,000/- per annum (For Class III-X)
What benefits are provided to the Disabled students ?
Along with the common benefits, in addition, a 10% extra allowance shall be given to Divyang (Disabled) students.
Who can get the benefits under Component 1?
- The scholarships are open to Nationals of India only.
- Applicant students should be studying in class IX and X on a full time basis
- Applicant students should belong to a Scheduled Caste.
- Parent/Guardian of applicant students income should not exceed Rs. 2.50 lakh per annum
Which categories are fall under Component 2?
- Persons who are Manual Scavengers.
- Tanners & Flayers.
- Waste pickers.
- Persons engaged in hazardous cleaning.
Is there any relaxation for the component 2?
There is no family income ceiling under component 2.
What is the procedure to apply ?
- Applicant must register them self on NSP portal.
- Login with their credentials and apply.
What documents are required ?
- Aadhaar Card.
- Link mobile no. with Aadhaar.
- Seed bank A/C with Aadhaar.
- Academic Documents.
What is the NSP URL ?
Ready to apply?
Visit the official government portal to apply for this scheme.
Apply on myScheme.gov.inDocuments Required
- Aadhaar card
- SC caste certificate (or proof of parent's occupation in sanitation for OBC applicants)
- Income certificate (family income under ₹2.5 lakh/year)
- Previous year's marksheet
- School enrolment certificate
- Bank account details