National Overseas Scholarship 2026: A scholarship scheme that will cover all expenses abroad has been launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide opportunities to underprivileged students to enroll for Masters and Ph.D. The program is a part of the National Overseas Scholarship Programme, which aims to enable higher education outside India at top-ranked institutions.The categories include SCs, DNTs/NTs, and landless agricultural labourers/traditional artisans. A total of 30% of the scholarships are reserved for women, while selected candidates must return to India after completing their studies.Eligibility criteria and financial aidScholarships offer total financial support including tuition fees, maintenance allowance, visa fees, health insurance, and travel expenses. This amount will be released directly from Indian missions abroad.Eligible applicants should secure not less than 60% or equivalent grades in the qualifying examinations. Prospective PhD students are required to hold a master’s degree, while applicants to master’s programs require a bachelor’s degree. Candidates must also be below 35 years of age on the first day of April in the election year.In this scheme, the annual income limit of the family has been fixed at Rs.8 lakh. Applicants are required to submit an income certificate issued by a revenue officer not below the rank of Tehsildar.Categorization and selection processOf the 125 slots, 115 are reserved for scheduled castes, six for de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, and four for landless agricultural laborers and traditional artisans. A cap of 10% of the total slots per state is applied during the first round of allocation, with vacant seats carrying over to the second round.Selection is done in two rounds. The applicant must have received an unconditional offer of admission to a foreign university that is among the top 500 universities in the QS World Ranking. The merit list is prepared based on the ranking order of the admitting foreign university.In case of tie-ups in ranking, the applicant is evaluated on the basis of the marks obtained in the qualifying examination. A waiting list of up to 50% of the total seats is maintained in the final round and is valid up to 31st March of the election year.• Direct link to read official notification • Direct link to go to official websiteCourse duration and application requirementsFinancial assistance is provided for up to four years for PhD programs and up to three years for Master’s degree, or till completion of the course, whichever is earlier. Undergraduate courses are not covered under the scheme.The application form should be accompanied by documents like education certificate, caste certificate, Aadhaar card, foreign university admission certificate, income proof, and other relevant documents. Candidates who are already employed have to provide no objection certificate from their employer.The application process is done electronically through the portal. Selection cycles are usually conducted in two phases during the year.
