The last date for submission of applications by selected meritorious students on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) for National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for 2026-27 has been extended to September 30, 2026. The extended timeline is as follows:

 

Particulars	Extended timelines
Last date for Submission of Application	30.09.2026
Last date for INO verification (L1)	15.10.2026
Last date for DNO verification (L2)	31.10.2026

 

The NSP portal is open for submission of applications by students with effect from June 1, 2026. In this project year, that is, 2026-27, selected students have to do a one-time registration (OTR) on the NSP, after which they have to apply for the scholarship scheme that they have selected.

The ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme’, implemented by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Union Ministry of Education, awards scholarships to meritorious students from economically weaker sections to prevent drop-out of students after elementary level, i.e., Class VIII and encourage them to complete their school education up to higher secondary level, i.e., Class XII.

The Scheme provides one lakh fresh scholarships every year for Class IX students who clear the qualifying exam for the scholarship conducted by the State/UT governments. The scholarship is continued through renewal mode from Classes X to XII based on the student's academic performance. The scheme is applicable only to students studying in State Government, Government-aided and local body schools. The scholarship amount is Rs. 12,000 per annum per student.

NMMSS scholarships are disbursed directly into the bank accounts of selected students by electronic transfer through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) following DBT mode. The eligibility parameters for availing the scholarship include parental income of not more than Rs. 3.50 lakh per annum, a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in the Class VII examination for appearing in the selection test for award of scholarship (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students).

The NMMSS is implemented through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) - the one-stop platform for scholarship schemes disbursed to students by the Government of India. As of 31.08.2026, 79,398 fresh and 1,87, 208 renewal applications have been submitted.

All eligible students are advised to complete their scholarship applications on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) within the extended timeline. Students who have already submitted their applications should also ensure that their applications are duly verified by the concerned Institute/District/State Nodal Officers, as applicable.

 

On the NSP portal, there are two levels of verification of the scholarship application of selected students, Level-1 (L1) verification is at the Institute Nodal Officer (INO) and Level-2 (L2) is with the District Nodal Officer (DNO). The last date for INO level (L1) verification is 15.10.2026 and for DNO level (L2) verification is 31.10.2026.

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