| Who qualifies | Class IX and X students from OBC, EBC, or DNT categories; parents' income under Rs 2,50,000 per year; studying in government schools in Chandigarh |
| Annual amount | Rs 4,000 (consolidated academic allowance) |
| Application closes | 15 September 2026 |
| Apply on | National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) |
| Income limit | Rs 2,50,000 per annum from all sources |
The money and when you get it
The scholarship is Rs 4,000 per year. That is a consolidated academic allowance—a single payment each year, not split into monthly amounts. The guidelines do not specify the exact month of disbursement, but the application window closes on 15 September 2026, which suggests payments are likely processed after verification is complete.
This is not a large amount. It will not cover tuition fees or books entirely. But it is a direct payment into your account, and for students whose families are stretched, it matters.
Who can apply
You must be studying in Class IX or X in a government school in Chandigarh. That is the first gate. Private schools are not covered. If your school is aided or private, you are not eligible.
Your caste certificate must show you belong to one of three categories:
- Other Backward Class (OBC)
- Economically Backward Class (EBC)
- De-notified, Nomadic, or Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNT)
The certificate must be valid and issued by the competent authority in Chandigarh or your home state. If you are SC or ST, you are not eligible under this scheme—different scholarships cover those categories.
Your parents' or guardians' income from all sources must not exceed Rs 2,50,000 per annum. This includes salary, business income, agricultural income, rent, pensions—everything. The income certificate is required only once, at the time of admission, not every year.
What you cannot hold at the same time
If you are awarded any other educational scholarship for Class IX or X, you must choose one. You cannot draw both.
The rules say you can pick whichever scholarship is better for you, but you must inform your school and the awarding authority of your choice. Once you accept another scholarship, this one stops.
Documents you will need
- Aadhaar card or Aadhaar enrolment ID (e-Aadhaar). If Aadhaar authentication fails, you can use another form of identity, but Aadhaar is the first choice.
- Valid caste certificate issued by the competent authority
- Income certificate from the current financial year, issued by the competent authority (tehsildar, naib tehsildar, or equivalent in Chandigarh)
- School admission proof or roll number
- Bank account details (the scholarship is paid via Direct Benefit Transfer)
The income certificate is the document most students get wrong. It must be from the current financial year (1 April to 31 March). If your parents earned Rs 2,60,000 last year but are now below the limit, an old certificate will not work. Get a fresh one.
How to apply
All applications go through the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in. There is no paper application. The portal opens on 1 June 2026 and closes on 15 September 2026.
- Go to scholarships.gov.in and register if you do not have an account.
- Log in and fill the application form for the PM YASASVI Pre-Matric Scholarship.
- Enter your Aadhaar number. The system will verify it in real time before you can proceed. If verification fails, you can establish your identity by other means, but this will take longer.
- Upload scans of your caste certificate and income certificate. The guidelines say the system should auto-verify these by linking to government databases, but until that is fully in place, you may need to upload documents.
- Provide your bank account number and IFSC code. Payments go through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), so your account details must be correct.
- Submit the form on the portal.
Your school will verify your admission on the same day you apply, or within a few days. The school will confirm on the portal that you are a genuine student of the institution. Do not wait weeks to apply—do it as soon as you are admitted.
Verification and approval
After you submit, the institution has until 31 July to verify your admission details. The state government then has until 15 August to verify your caste and income certificates. If everything is in order, you should receive approval by 30 September.
The guidelines say verification should happen automatically by linking to government databases. In practice, this does not always work smoothly. If your documents do not match records in the system, the school or state may ask for clarification. Respond quickly if they contact you.
What happens in the next year
If you are promoted to Class X and continue in the same school, you do not need to apply again. The scholarship auto-renews based on your attendance and promotion. You must maintain at least 75% attendance in the previous academic year to qualify for renewal.
Attendance is verified through Aadhaar-based systems. Your school will record this on the portal each month.
If you fail an exam and have to repeat Class IX, you will not get the scholarship for that class again. The rules are clear: one scholarship per class, one time only.
If you are ill and cannot sit for the annual exam, the scholarship can be renewed if you provide a medical certificate from a prescribed authority and the school accepts it.
What can disqualify you
The scholarship will be cancelled or withheld if:
- You violate school discipline or the terms of the scholarship
- You leave school or stop attending
- Your attendance falls below 75% in any year
- You obtain the scholarship by submitting false information
If you are found to have made false statements, the scholarship is cancelled immediately, the amount paid is recovered, and you are blacklisted—barred from any government scholarship forever. This is not a light penalty. Do not be tempted to fudge documents.
Special provisions
The state government is expected to make special efforts to identify and enrol the poorest eligible students. This includes students from households with three or more deprivations according to the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011, and students whose parents are both illiterate.
If you fit these categories, your school or the state may reach out to you directly. Do not assume you have to find the scholarship yourself.
At least 30% of scholarships are reserved for girls. If you are a girl student, you have a dedicated slot pool.
Grievances and support
If your application is rejected, your payment is delayed, or you have a problem, there is an online grievance system on the scholarship portal. You can lodge a complaint through the portal or a mobile app. Your school has a Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) who is responsible for following up and resolving issues. If the school does not resolve it within a reasonable time, the complaint is automatically escalated to the district and then to the state level.
Key dates for 2026
| Portal opens | 1 June 2026 |
| Portal closes | 15 September 2026 |
| School verification deadline | 31 July 2026 |
| State verification deadline | 15 August 2026 |
| Expected payment date | By 30 September 2026 |
The portal closure date is firm. After 15 September, you cannot apply. Plan to submit at least a week before the deadline—the portal often slows down in the final days.
One more thing
The scholarship amount of Rs 4,000 is fixed. The state government can choose to top it up from its own funds, but the central government contribution is Rs 4,000. Do not expect it to increase during your tenure in Class IX and X.
If you have questions that the portal does not answer, contact your school first. The school is your point of contact with the scholarship system. If the school cannot help, escalate through the grievance system.
Official source:
PM YASASVI Pre Matric Scholarship Scheme For OBC,EBC,DNT Students (Class Ix And X)-Chandigarh - scheme guidelines (PDF)
· National Scholarship Portal
Verified against the official guidelines on 2026-08-13. Confirm current dates and amounts on the official portal before applying.