| Who qualifies | SC students domiciled in Puducherry, passed Class 10 or above |
| Family income limit | Rs 2,50,000 per year |
| What it covers | Tuition fees + academic allowance (Rs 3,000–13,500/year depending on course) |
| Application window | 23 June to 31 August 2026 |
| Apply at | scholarships.gov.in (National Scholarship Portal) |
Who can apply
You must belong to a Scheduled Caste as defined by the government of Puducherry. Simply having an SC certificate is not enough—it has to be valid and issued by the competent authority.
You must be a permanent resident or domiciled in Puducherry. The UT decides what counts as domicile; usually this means you or your parents have lived there for a set period. Check the exact definition on the Puducherry government website before applying.
You must have passed the Matriculation examination (Class 10) or any higher secondary or higher examination from a recognized board or university. If you dropped out and came back to study the same class again, you can still apply—but only for one additional year beyond the normal course duration.
Income and household rules
Your parents' or guardians' income from all sources must not exceed Rs
2,50,000 in the financial year before you apply. This is a hard ceiling. The guidelines do not specify which financial year's income certificate you need, but standard practice is the year immediately preceding your application.
All children in your household qualify, not just one. If three siblings are studying, all three can apply separately if they meet the other conditions.
Who cannot apply
If you are studying the same stage of education in a different subject (for example, you completed Intermediate Science and are now doing Intermediate Arts), you are ineligible. The rule exists to prevent students from gaming the system by switching streams.
If you already hold another scholarship or stipend, you cannot receive both. You must choose one. Once you accept a different scholarship, this one stops. You can, however, accept free lodging, grants for books or equipment, or ad-hoc money from the state government in addition to this scholarship.
Seats filled through management quota, NRI quota, or spot admissions without transparent merit-based selection do not qualify. If your seat was not advertised, you were not ranked, and you did not appear on a published merit list, the scholarship will not cover it.
Documents you need before you start
Gather these before opening the application form. The portal will ask for them as you fill it in, and delays here are the most common reason applications get stuck.
- Aadhaar number and EID – You will need to enter this during registration. The portal checks it in real time. If your Aadhaar is not linked to your bank account yet, do that now.
- Caste certificate – Issued by the district administration, dated and signed by an authorized officer. It must clearly state you belong to a Scheduled Caste. Take a clear photo or scan.
- Income certificate – Issued by the competent authority (usually the tahsildar or revenue officer) of your district. It must show your parents' or guardians' total income from all sources. Do not use an old one; get it issued in the current financial year.
- Domicile certificate – Proof that you or your parents have lived in Puducherry. Issued by the district administration.
- Certificates for all exams passed – Class 10 mark sheet and certificate, Class 12 if applicable, degree or diploma certificates if you are pursuing a postgraduate course. The portal will ask you to upload copies.
- Passport-size photograph – Colour, recent, against a plain background. Digital file, not a printed photo.
- Bank account details – Account number, IFSC code, and the name of the bank. The scholarship will be deposited here. Aadhaar-linked accounts are preferred.
The Freeship Card: what it is and why you need it first
Before you can apply for the scholarship, you must register for a Freeship Card on the portal. This is not the scholarship itself—it is permission to study without paying fees upfront.
The card tells your college that the government will pay your tuition and hostel fees once the scholarship is approved. You can then take admission without handing over money on day one. Once the scholarship amount reaches your bank account, you have
7 days to reimburse the college.
To register for the Freeship Card:
- Go to scholarships.gov.in before your expected admission date.
- Enter your Aadhaar number and create a login.
- Fill in the course name (for example, MBBS, B.Sc., Class XI), the institution you plan to join, and your Aadhaar details.
- Upload a scanned copy of your caste certificate, income certificate, and domicile certificate.
- The portal will verify these automatically against government databases where possible. If verification is instant, your Freeship Card is issued immediately. If not, the UT has 30 days to verify and issue it.
- Download the card from the portal. It will have your name, ID, course, and an undertaking that you will repay the college within 7 days of receiving the scholarship.
The card is valid for
one year from the date it is issued. If you do not take admission within that time, you will need to apply for a fresh card.
If you want to change your course before admission, log in and request a new card. A fresh one will be generated automatically.
Applying for the scholarship itself
You apply on the same day you take admission to the college or institution. Do not wait.
- Log in to scholarships.gov.in with your Aadhaar credentials.
- Go to the application section and select "Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students."
- Fill in your personal details: name, date of birth, father's name, Aadhaar number, caste, annual family income.
- Enter your domicile state as Puducherry.
- Provide the course name, institution name, and course duration exactly as they appear in your admission letter.
- Upload your Freeship Card number and the documents listed above: caste certificate, income certificate, domicile certificate, exam certificates, and photograph.
- Enter your bank account number and IFSC code. The account must be in your name.
- Read the undertaking carefully. It says you will repay the institution within 7 days of receiving the scholarship. Tick the box to confirm.
- Submit.
The institution will verify on the same day that you have taken admission and that the course matches your Freeship Card. If everything matches, your application moves to the UT for processing.
If you are renewing your scholarship (you studied the same course last year and are continuing), you do not need to apply again. The UT will automatically renew it if your attendance was 75% or above and you were promoted to the next class.
What happens after you submit
The UT has
30 days from the date you submit to verify your income, caste, and domicile details. The portal is linked to government databases, so much of this happens automatically. If there is a discrepancy or a document is unclear, the UT will contact you.
If you do not hear anything within 30 days, your application is treated as approved. You do not need to do anything else.
Once approved, the scholarship is paid in one lump sum directly into your bank account. The amount depends on your course:
| Course type | Hosteller per year | Day scholar per year |
| Degree and postgraduate professional (Medicine, Engineering, etc.) | Rs 13,500 | Rs 7,000 |
| Other professional (Nursing, Pharmacy, etc.) | Rs 9,500 | Rs 6,500 |
| General graduate and postgraduate (BA, MA, BSc, etc.) | Rs 6,000 | Rs 3,000 |
| Post-Class X non-degree (Class XI, XII, ITI, diploma) | Rs 4,000 | Rs 2,500 |
If you are a Divyang student, add 10% to these amounts.
The scholarship covers compulsory fees only: tuition, registration, games, union, library, medical examination. It does not cover optional fees, caution deposits, or security deposits. If your college charges more than the scholarship amount, you pay the difference yourself.
Keeping your scholarship: attendance and performance
You must attend at least
75% of classes in every academic year. The college tracks this through Aadhaar-based attendance. If you fall short, your scholarship stops.
You must also perform satisfactorily in exams. The guidelines do not define "satisfactory" precisely, but it means you cannot repeatedly fail or score far below the class average. If you are struggling, ask your college for remedial coaching—the state is required to provide it.
If you miss an exam due to illness, you can apply to renew your scholarship by submitting a medical certificate from a government doctor. The college and UT must accept it.
If your institution promotes you to the next class even though you did not technically pass (some universities do this), you remain eligible for the scholarship for that higher class.
If you fail a class and repeat it as a regular student, you can claim the scholarship for one additional year beyond the normal course length.
Reasons your application might be rejected
- Caste certificate is invalid, expired, or does not clearly state you belong to an SC.
- Income certificate is from the wrong financial year or issued by an unauthorized officer.
- Family income exceeds Rs 2,50,000.
- You do not have Aadhaar, or your Aadhaar details do not match your certificate.
- Your seat was obtained through management quota or spot admission without a published merit list.
- You are studying the same stage of education in a different subject (for example, switched from Science to Arts after Intermediate).
- You are already receiving another scholarship.
- The institution is not recognized by the government or does not maintain Aadhaar-based attendance records.
- You submitted false statements in the application.
If your application is rejected, the UT will notify you through the portal. You can file a grievance through the online grievance system. Each institution has a Grievance Redressal Officer who will investigate. If it is not resolved at the institution level, it escalates to the district and then the state.
Important dates for 2026–27
| Freeship Card registration opens | As soon as you know your admission date |
| Scholarship applications open | 23 June 2026 |
| Scholarship applications close | 31 August 2026 |
| UT verification deadline | 30 days from your submission date |
| Scholarship payment | Once approved; no later than 15 August if you applied by 31 July |
Do not apply on the last day. The portal typically slows down as the deadline approaches, and if you encounter a technical issue, you will have no time to fix it. Aim to submit by mid-August.
Where to apply and support
All applications go through
scholarships.gov.in, the National Scholarship Portal. You will need an Aadhaar number to register.
If you face technical issues, contact the portal helpdesk through the website. For questions about eligibility or your specific case, contact the Social Welfare Department of the Puducherry government or visit your nearest district office.
The guidelines reserve the right to change the scheme at any time. Check the portal and the UT website closer to the deadline to confirm dates and amounts have not shifted.
Official source:
Centrally Sponsored Scheme Of Post Matric Scholarship For SC Students-Puducherry - scheme guidelines (PDF)
· National Scholarship Portal
Verified against the official guidelines on 2026-08-10. Confirm current dates and amounts on the official portal before applying.
