| Who it is for | Scheduled Tribe students in Class IX or X, studying in government or recognized schools |
| Monthly amount (day scholar) | Rs 225 |
| Monthly amount (hosteler) | Rs 525 |
| Books and grant | Rs 750 (day scholar), Rs 1,000 (hosteler) |
| Family income limit | Rs 2,50,000 per year |
| Application window | 1 June to 31 August 2026 |
| Where to apply | National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) |
Before you start: do you qualify?
This scholarship is for Scheduled Tribe students only. The tribe must be officially recognized in relation to the state where you belong—your domicile state. If your parents are from Tripura but you study in another state, you apply through Tripura's authorities, not the state where your school is.
You must be in Class IX or Class X. The scholarship covers one class per year. If you repeat a class, you don't get the scholarship twice for the same class. You can renew it when you move to the next class, provided you pass.
Your school must be a government school, or one recognized by the government, or affiliated to a Central or State Board of Secondary Education. Private schools that lack government recognition don't qualify.
Your family income from all sources must not exceed Rs 2,50,000 per year. This is the single biggest reason applications are rejected. Read the income rules carefully, because they have exceptions.
How family income is calculated
Income means gross income from all sources—no deductions, no exemptions, even if your parents claim them on their tax return.
If both your parents work, add both their incomes together. If only one parent is alive, count only that parent's income. If you're an orphan supported by a guardian, the income limit doesn't apply to you at all.
Income from other family members—siblings, aunts, uncles—is not counted. Only your parents' income matters.
The income certificate must be from the financial year in which you apply. If you're applying in June 2026, the certificate should show income from the year ending 31 March 2026. Do not use an old certificate.
You also need a valid bank account in a scheduled bank, linked to your Aadhaar number and a mobile number. The account can be in your name or your parent's name. This is how the money reaches you.
You cannot be receiving any other scholarship. If you're already on another scheme, you're ineligible.
Documents you need to upload
Have all of these ready before you start filling the form. The portal will ask you to upload scanned copies. Poor-quality uploads—blurry, cut off, too small—get rejected. Photograph or scan each document in colour, make sure it's legible, and check the file size before uploading.
- Aadhaar number – the 12-digit ID. You'll need the actual number, not just the card.
- Domicile certificate – proof that you belong to Tripura. Issued by the revenue or district administration office.
- ST certificate – issued by the competent authority in Tripura (usually the district administration). This is not a self-declaration. You must get it from the official issuing body.
- Family income certificate – issued by a competent authority notified by the Tripura government. Self-declarations or affidavits are not acceptable. Check the Tripura government website or contact your district administration to find out who issues these.
- Disability certificate – only if you are claiming the additional disability allowance. Must be issued by a competent medical authority of the State Government or UT Administration. Leprosy-cured students, and those with sickle cell anemia or Thalassemia, can also claim this allowance with the necessary certificate.
- Passport-size photograph – scanned copy, colour, clear face visible.
If Tripura has an online system for issuing any of these certificates—and they link it to DigiLocker—the portal may fetch them automatically. Check the state portal instructions when you log in.
The application form: what to expect
The National Scholarship Portal is where you apply. You'll create a login, fill in your details, and upload documents. The form is not difficult, but it has fields where a small error can cause rejection.
Registration and login
Start by creating an account on the National Scholarship Portal. You'll need an email address and a mobile number. Use a number you can access throughout the process—the portal sends SMS updates to this number, and you need to respond to them.
Personal and family details
Fill in your name, date of birth, Aadhaar number, and contact details exactly as they appear on your Aadhaar card. Mismatches between your application and your Aadhaar cause delays and rejections.
Enter your parents' names and income. If only one parent is alive, say so. If you're an orphan, mark that field clearly.
School and class details
Enter your school's name and its DISE code (if it has one). The portal may auto-fill some details if your school is already registered. If your school doesn't appear in the list, the Nodal Officer at your school can register it. Ask your school's office.
Select whether you are a day scholar or a hosteler. This determines the amount you receive. Day scholars get Rs 225 per month; hostelers get Rs 525 per month. The portal will calculate your total scholarship based on this choice.
Bank account details
Enter your bank account number, IFSC code, and the bank's name. The account must be active (not dormant) and linked to your Aadhaar and the mobile number you provided in the application. If the account is not linked, the money cannot be transferred.
Double-check the account number and IFSC. A single wrong digit means the scholarship goes to the wrong person or bounces back.
Document upload
Upload each document as a PDF or image file. The resolution must be good enough to read. If the uploaded file is blurry or incomplete, the Nodal Officer will mark your application as defective and ask you to re-upload.
After you submit: the verification stages
Your application doesn't go straight to approval. It passes through three levels of checking.
Level 1: Your school's Nodal Officer
Every school has a Nodal Officer for this scholarship. Their job is to verify that you are actually studying in that school, that your documents match your application, and that the details are correct.
The Nodal Officer can do one of three things: verify your application, mark it as defective, or reject it. If marked defective, you'll get a message saying what's wrong. You then have a chance to correct it and re-upload. If rejected, the Nodal Officer must give a reason. Read it carefully—sometimes it's a misunderstanding you can clear up by contacting the school office.
This is where most applications get stuck. Schools are slow. Follow up with your school office regularly. Don't wait until the deadline is two days away.
Level 2 and 3: District and State verification
Once your school approves it, the District Nodal Officer checks your documents again. They verify that your income certificate is genuine, your ST certificate is valid, and your family income is within the limit. Then the State Nodal Officer does a final check.
At this stage, rejections are usually final. The State officer is not checking whether you filled the form neatly—they're checking whether you actually qualify.
Why applications get rejected
Know these now, so you don't end up in this list.
- Income certificate is from the wrong financial year, or is self-declared instead of officially issued.
- ST certificate is missing, invalid, or issued by the wrong authority.
- Domicile certificate is missing or doesn't match the state you claim.
- Bank account details are wrong or the account is not linked to Aadhaar.
- School is not government-recognized or not affiliated to a recognized board.
- You are already receiving another scholarship.
- Documents are unreadable or incomplete (cut off, blurry, too small).
- You stated wrong facts—for example, claiming to be a day scholar when you're a hosteler, or giving false income.
If your application is marked as rejected by the Nodal Officer during verification, it will not be considered further on the portal. There is no appeal process mentioned in the guidelines. Prevention is the only option.
Timeline and deadlines
| Applications open | 1 June 2026 |
| Applications close | 31 August 2026 |
| School verification deadline | 31 August 2026 |
| District and State verification deadline | 30 September 2026 |
| Scholarship disbursement | 31 October 2026 |
These dates are suggestive. The state may adjust them. But use them as a guide: don't apply on 30 August. Apply in early June or July. The portal slows down as the deadline approaches, and if there's a problem with your documents, you need time to fix it.
The income certificate must be from the financial year in which you apply. An old certificate, even if it shows you qualify, will be rejected.
Disability allowance
If you are a person with disability as defined under law, you get an extra allowance on top of the scholarship. Hostelers get an additional Rs 800 per month (Rs 9,600 per year). Day scholars get Rs 600 per month (Rs 7,200 per year).
You must have a disability certificate issued by a competent medical authority of the Tripura government. Students who are leprosy-cured, or have sickle cell anemia or Thalassemia, can also claim this with the necessary certificate.
How the money reaches you
The scholarship is transferred directly into your bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). You don't collect it from school or the district office. It goes straight to the account you provided in the form.
The scholarship is paid for 10 months in an academic year. The disability allowance, if applicable, is paid for all 12 months.
If your bank account is dormant, or not linked to Aadhaar, the transfer will fail. The money doesn't bounce back to the government—it gets stuck. Check with your bank that your account is active and properly linked.
One more thing: the mobile number
Keep the mobile number you provide in the application active throughout the scholarship period. The portal sends SMS updates—verification status, rejection reasons, disbursement confirmations. If you change your number, update it in the portal immediately. If you miss an SMS asking you to take action, your application can get stuck.
The number must belong to you or your parent. It should be the same number linked to your bank account.
Official source:
Umbrella Scheme For Education Of ST Students - Pre Matric Scholarship (Class Ix & X) For ST Students-Tripura - scheme guidelines (PDF)
· National Scholarship Portal
Verified against the official guidelines on 2026-08-26. Confirm current dates and amounts on the official portal before applying.