| Who it is for | Scheduled Tribe students from J&K, studying post-matric courses |
| Annual family income limit | Rs 2,50,000 |
| What you get | Course fees + monthly stipend (amount varies by course type) |
| Application opens | 22 July 2026 |
| Application closes | 20 September 2026 |
| Where to apply | National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) |
What this scheme does
The Post Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Tribe students is a centrally sponsored scheme run by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. The UT of Jammu & Kashmir implements it locally. The scheme pays for your course fees and gives you a monthly allowance (called stipend) while you study any recognised course after class 10.
"Post-matric" means any course you take after passing your matriculation exam—so class 11, 12, diploma, degree, anything up to PhD. It is not limited to one level or stream.
Who can apply
You must meet all of these conditions:
- You belong to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) as listed for Jammu & Kashmir
- You are domiciled in J&K (your permanent home is there, as per state domicile rules)
- You have passed matriculation, higher secondary, or any higher exam from a recognised board or university
- Your family's annual income from all sources does not exceed Rs 2,50,000
- You have a bank account in a scheduled bank, linked to your Aadhaar and mobile number
- You are not receiving any other scholarship at the same time
- You are studying in a recognised institution (government, private, deemed university, diploma college, ITI, or vocational training institute—see the full list in the guidelines)
How family income is calculated
Income means the gross income of your parents (or guardians) from all sources, with no deductions. If both parents work, add both incomes together. If only one parent is alive, count only that parent's income. If you are an orphan with a guardian, the income limit does not apply to you.
You need an income certificate issued by the competent authority in your state. This certificate must be from the current financial year in which you are taking admission. If you renew your scholarship in year 2 or later, you do not need a fresh income certificate—the one from year 1 remains valid for the entire course.
The income certificate is the document most students get wrong. It must be issued in the same financial year as your admission, not from last year or whenever you happen to get it made.
How much you will receive
The scholarship has two parts: fee payment and monthly stipend.
Course fees
The scheme pays your compulsory, non-refundable course fees. The exact amount depends on the type of course you are in. The UT of J&K has a State Level Fee Fixation Committee that decides the fee ceiling for each course category. For students in private institutions, there are caps:
- Engineering courses: up to Rs 2,50,000 per year
- MBBS/MS/MD courses: up to Rs 6,00,000 per year
- All other courses: up to Rs 1,00,000 per year
If your college charges more than these limits, the state can choose to pay the extra amount from its own funds, but the central government's contribution is capped at these figures.
Monthly allowance
You also get a monthly stipend. The amount depends on whether you live in a hostel (called "hosteller") or commute from home (called "day scholar"), and what type of course you are doing.
For the academic year 2022-23, the revised rates for J&K are:
| Course Type | Hosteller (monthly) | Day Scholar (monthly) |
| Professional degree/PG (Group I) | Rs 12,000 | Rs 5,500 |
| Non-professional degree/PG in Arts, Science, Commerce (Group II) | Rs 8,200 | Rs 5,300 |
| Vocational, ITI, 3-year diploma (Group III) | Rs 5,700 | Rs 3,000 |
| Post-matric non-degree courses, class 11–12 (Group IV) | Rs 3,800 | Rs 2,300 |
The stipend is paid from April 1st or from the month of your admission, whichever is later, until the month your exams end. The maximum is 10 months per academic year.
If you are a student with a disability, you get an additional Rs 800 per month (Rs 9,600 per year) if you are a hosteller, or Rs 600 per month (Rs 7,200 per year) if you are a day scholar. This also applies to students who are cured of leprosy or have sickle cell anaemia or thalassaemia, as notified by the Ministry of Social Justice.
What documents you need
When you apply, you will upload these documents to the National Scholarship Portal:
- Your Aadhaar number
- Domicile certificate issued by J&K authorities
- Scanned copies of all certificates and mark sheets you have passed (10th, 12th, degree, diploma, whatever applies)
- Your marks or percentage in the last exam you passed (or equivalent CGPA/OGPA if your institution uses that)
- ST certificate issued by the competent authority of J&K
- Family income certificate from the current financial year
- Disability certificate, if applicable (issued by a state medical authority)
- Passport-size photograph, scanned clearly
The J&K Directorate of Tribal Affairs specifies which official can issue each certificate. If your state has an online system (like Digi Locker), you may be able to fetch certificates automatically.
How to apply
- Go to the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in (or your state portal if J&K has its own). The portal opens on 22 July 2026.
- Register as a new user with your email and mobile number.
- Fill in your personal details: name, Aadhaar, date of birth, state, ST certificate number.
- Enter your institution details: the name of your college or school, course name, course duration, and whether you live in a hostel or commute.
- Provide your bank account number, IFSC code, and confirm it is linked to your Aadhaar and the mobile number you registered with.
- Upload all required documents. Make sure they are clear and legible—blurry or cut-off documents will be rejected.
- Submit the application before 20 September 2026.
After submission, your college's Nodal Officer (a designated person at your institution) will verify your application. Then the district or state level will do a second check. Only after both levels approve it does the scholarship get released to your bank account.
Common reasons applications are rejected
- Income certificate is from the wrong financial year
- Bank account is not linked to Aadhaar or is dormant (inactive)
- You have stated that you are getting another scholarship (the scheme does not allow this)
- Your family income exceeds Rs 2,50,000
- Documents are unclear, cut off, or illegible when scanned
- You are studying in an institution that is not recognised or not empanelled by the state
- You have already completed a degree in one stream and are now applying for a degree in a different stream (the scheme does not allow this)
If your application is marked "defective", the portal will tell you what is wrong. You then have time to fix it and resubmit before the deadline.
After you are approved
Once your application is verified and approved, the scholarship is transferred directly to your bank account using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). This is electronic payment—no cheques, no cash, no going to an office.
The fee component may be paid either to your account or directly to your institution, depending on what your state decides. The stipend goes to your account every month.
Keeping your scholarship
Your scholarship continues year to year as long as you:
- Pass your exams and move to the next class
- Maintain good conduct and regular attendance
- Do not change your course or institution without permission from the state
- Do not receive any other scholarship
- Do not drop out or discontinue your studies
If you fail an exam, you lose the scholarship until you clear that exam and are promoted. If you are ill and cannot appear for exams, you can request renewal by submitting a medical certificate and a letter from your college head saying you would have passed had you appeared.
If you are found to have lied on your application—false income, false ST certificate, false domicile—your scholarship is cancelled immediately, the amount paid is recovered, and you are blacklisted from any government scholarship forever.
Important dates for 2026
| Event | Date |
| Application window opens | 22 July 2026 |
| Application window closes | 20 September 2026 |
| Institute-level verification deadline | Typically 31 October |
| State-level verification deadline | Typically 15 November |
| Target date for first disbursement | 31 December |
These are target dates set by the Ministry. Your state may adjust them slightly. Check your state's official notification and the NSP portal for the exact dates in your case.
Where to get help
The UT of J&K has set up a helpdesk to answer questions about the application. You can contact the Directorate of Tribal Affairs, J&K, or check the NSP portal for the helpline number and email.
Your college's Nodal Officer can also help you understand what documents are needed and whether your course is eligible. Do not wait until the last week to ask—the portal gets slow as the deadline approaches, and if your application is defective, you need time to fix it.
Official source:
Post Matric Scholarship To ST Students -Jammu And Kashmir - scheme guidelines (PDF)
· National Scholarship Portal
Verified against the official guidelines on 2026-08-30. Confirm current dates and amounts on the official portal before applying.