| Who it is for | Regular students in Class IX or X, with 40% or more disability, Indian nationals |
| Monthly maintenance allowance | Rs 800 (hostellers), Rs 500 (day-scholars) |
| Disability allowance per year | Rs 4,000 (visual impairment or intellectual disability), Rs 2,000 (other disabilities) |
| Book allowance per year | Rs 1,000 |
| Parental income limit | Rs 2.5 lakh per year |
| Application deadline | 31 August 2026 |
| Where to apply | National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) |
| Total annual slots | 25,000 (including renewal cases) |
What this scheme actually covers
You're in Class IX or X. Your parents earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh a year. You have a disability certificate. The government will send money directly to your bank account every month—Rs 800 if you live in a hostel, Rs 500 if you study from home. Once a year, you get Rs 1,000 for books. On top of that, another Rs 4,000 or Rs 2,000 per year depending on your disability type.
This is not a loan. You don't repay it. It's not merit-based—the scheme doesn't ask for your marks. It's based on your disability, your family's income, and whether you're studying full-time in a recognised school.
The money comes from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, which is part of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The application window for 2026 runs from 25 July to 31 August.
Who can apply
The disability requirement
You must have a valid disability certificate issued by a competent authority. "Competent authority" means a doctor or medical board authorised by your state or union territory. The certificate must show at least 40% disability—this is called "benchmark disability" in the rules.
The scheme covers all types of disabilities that meet this threshold: visual impairment, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, mental illness, autism, multiple disabilities, and chronic neurological conditions.
You also need a UDID (Unique Disability ID) or UDID enrolment number. If you don't have one yet, apply for it through the UDID portal before you submit your scholarship application. The process is free and takes a few weeks.
School and study status
You must be a regular, full-time student studying in Class IX or X. The school must be government-recognised or run by a state or central board of secondary education. Private schools are allowed if they're recognised.
Distance learning, online-only schools, or part-time study don't qualify.
Income ceiling
Your parents' combined annual income must not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. This includes salary, business income, agricultural income, and any other source.
If your parents are self-employed, the income declaration must come from a Revenue Officer (Tehsildar or equivalent) authorised by your state. A letter from a CA or a bank statement alone won't work. If your parents have multiple income sources, you need a consolidated certificate from the Revenue Officer covering all of them.
Other rules that affect you
You must be an Indian national. The scheme does not cover foreign nationals or NRIs.
Not more than two children from the same parents can receive this scholarship. If the second child is a twin, both twins can apply.
If you've already received this scholarship for Class IX, you can apply again for Class X—but only once per class. If you repeat a class, you cannot get the scholarship for that repeated year.
Once you accept this scholarship, you cannot accept any other scholarship, stipend, or financial aid from another scheme. The moment you take money from another government or private scholarship, this one stops.
How much money you actually receive
The amounts are fixed by the government and do not depend on your school fees or family circumstances.
| Component | Amount |
| Monthly maintenance (hosteller) | Rs 800 |
| Monthly maintenance (day-scholar) | Rs 500 |
| Disability allowance (visual or intellectual) | Rs 4,000 per year |
| Disability allowance (other disabilities) | Rs 2,000 per year |
| Book allowance | Rs 1,000 per year |
If you're a hosteller with visual impairment, for example, you'd receive Rs 800 × 12 months = Rs 9,600 in maintenance, plus Rs 4,000 disability allowance, plus Rs 1,000 for books. That's Rs 14,600 in a year.
The maintenance allowance is paid month by month from April (or from the month you get admitted, whichever is later) through the month your final exams end. If you join school after the 20th of a month, the payment starts from the next month.
The income certificate you submit must be from the current financial year. An old certificate, even if it shows you're below the limit, will get your application rejected.
The application process
Where and when to apply
All applications go through the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in. There is no offline application, no form to post, no email submission. The portal only accepts online applications.
The application window for 2026 is 25 July to 31 August. Applications submitted after 11:59 PM on 31 August will not be accepted, no matter the reason.
What you need to upload
Before you start, gather these documents in digital form (photograph, scan, or clear mobile photo):
- Your photograph (passport-size or similar, clear face, recent)
- Proof of age (birth certificate, school admission record, or class 10 mark sheet)
- Disability certificate (the original issued by the competent authority)
- Income certificate of your parents or guardian (issued by Revenue Officer, dated in the current financial year)
- Proof of school admission (school ID, admission letter, or current year fee receipt)
- Last academic qualification certificate (previous class mark sheet or pass certificate)
- Any other document the portal asks for at the time of application
All documents must be in the prescribed format. The portal will tell you the file size and format limits when you upload. If a document is rejected, you'll see the reason on screen.
How the school verifies your application
After you submit, your school's nominated officer will review your details on the portal. They'll check that you're actually a student there, that your class is correct, and that the information matches their records. This step is not optional—if your school doesn't verify you, your application won't move forward.
Your school has a window to verify. It's not instant. If your school is slow, contact your school's scholarship officer and ask them to verify within a few days of your submission.
State-wise slot allocation
The government has 25,000 total slots for the entire country. These are not distributed equally by state. Instead, slots are allocated based on two factors: the number of eligible applications received from each state, and the percentage of people with disabilities in that state's population.
This means if your state receives 2,000 eligible applications but has a small population, you might face tighter competition than a student in a state with 500 applications but a larger population. You can't change this, but you should know it affects your chances.
How selection works
Once all applications are verified, the portal ranks candidates within each state by disability percentage. A student with 80% disability ranks higher than a student with 40% disability, all else being equal.
If two students have the same disability percentage, the older student gets preference.
The portal then selects candidates in rank order until the state's slot allocation is filled. If your state has 500 slots and 2,000 eligible applications, only the top 500 by disability percentage (and age as tiebreaker) will be selected.
You'll see the result on the portal. There's no interview, no appeal process, no way to request reconsideration. The portal's decision is final.
Mistakes that get applications rejected
The guidelines don't list rejection reasons explicitly, but the document rules make some rejections certain:
- Income certificate older than the current financial year. If you apply in July 2026 and submit an income certificate from 2024–25, it will be rejected. You need a certificate dated from April 2025 onwards.
- Disability certificate showing less than 40% disability. The scheme is for benchmark disability only. 39% will not be accepted.
- No UDID or UDID enrolment number. The guidelines state this is mandatory. Without it, you're ineligible.
- Parental income exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh. The income certificate is the proof. If it shows more, you don't qualify.
- Not a regular, full-time student. If you're in correspondence, distance learning, or part-time study, you're out.
- School is not recognised. An unrecognised or private unrecognised school disqualifies you.
- Already receiving another scholarship. If you declare you're receiving another scholarship, you're ineligible.
- More than two children from same parents already receiving the scholarship. The third child cannot apply.
After you're selected
If your name appears in the final selected list, you'll receive a notification on the portal. The money will be transferred directly to your bank account linked with your Aadhar number, using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Payments happen month by month. The first payment usually comes within a few weeks of the final selection announcement, but the exact timing depends on your state government's processing speed.
You must maintain regular attendance at school and good conduct. If your school reports that you've stopped attending or been expelled, the scholarship can be cancelled and you may have to repay the money.
If you fail your annual exam in Class IX, you can still get the scholarship renewed for the next attempt. But if you fail a second time in the same class, you have to pay for your own education until you pass and move to the next class.
Key dates for 2026
| Application window opens | 25 July 2026 |
| Application deadline | 31 August 2026 |
| School verification period | Typically a few weeks after submission |
| Final selection announcement | Not specified in guidelines; usually by October–November |
The guidelines do not specify when money will be credited to your account. It depends on your state's processing. Plan for it to arrive by December, but don't count on it for immediate expenses.
Before you apply
Check that you have all documents ready. The income certificate is the one that causes the most delays—get it from your Revenue Officer at least two weeks before the deadline. Don't wait until the last day.
Confirm your school is recognised. Call your school office and ask if they're registered on the National Scholarship Portal. If they're not, you can't apply through this scheme.
If you don't have a UDID yet, start the application now. It's free and online, but it takes time.
Read the portal instructions carefully when you log in. The form changes slightly year to year, and the portal's own help text is usually accurate. If the portal and these guidelines differ, follow the portal—it's the live system.
Official source:
Pre Matric Scholarship For Students With Disabilities - scheme guidelines (PDF)
· National Scholarship Portal
Verified against the official guidelines on 2026-08-17. Confirm current dates and amounts on the official portal before applying.