Education is a blessing and a right of every person on the globe, which shall not be exploited. In India, the emphasis on education has been given for ages, but still, not all people have access to it. Thus, the government of India has initiated scholarship programs for students Scholarships for College Students in India who are financially challenged. This way, the government is aiming to provide financial assistance to students who are unable to continue their studies due to monetary challenges. In an economy where, due to inflation, the costs of education are reaching heights, scholarships act as a cool shoulder. Moreover, scholarships are meant to aid those students who are not from financially well-off families and need support to grow. In the end, these students contribute to the human capital investment of the country.
Several initiatives have been taken to help students fulfill their dreams and gain a good education. Some of them are discussed in this article in detail.
Top 10 Scholarships for College Students
In this section, we’ll discuss the top 10 scholarships that help students in completing their education.
1. National Scholarship Portal (NSP)
The National Scholarship Portal (NSP) is an initiative that allows students to easily access a variety of scholarship programs. This platform not only provides numerous scholarships for which you are eligible but also simplifies the application process. Moreover, its main aim is to provide financial assistance to students whose annual family income is less than 2.5 lakhs. However, there is a condition on its eligibility that the student must have scored more than 50% in the exams. On its completion, the student can get the scholarship with an annual benefit of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 25,000.
2. INSPIRE scholarship
INSPIRE scholarship is an initiative that aids students from economically backward families in science and technology-related fields. It allows eligible merit students to pursue their higher studies in the sciences and technology field. The interested student must secure 75% or above in their 12th class to be eligible for this scheme. In addition, it provides a Rs. 80,000 annual benefit to students eligible for the program.
3. Central Sector Scheme for College Students
The Central Sector Scheme for College Students is an initiative to support students coming from financially challenged families. It funds the students who have scored well under the 20th percentile in the 12th class to pursue their higher studies. Moreover, it opens the application for 82,000 students annually to fund their educational requirements for UG and PG courses. It provides a sum of Rs. 12,000 to students enrolled in UG courses annually. On the other hand, it provides a sum of Rs. 20,000 annually to help the students in PG courses to continue their studies.
4. Post Matric Scholarship for Minorities
This scholarship is specifically implemented to support minority community students who have the potential to invest in the country. It helps the students belonging to an economically weaker section of society, but who are good scorers. These minority students might belong to the Muslim, Sikh, Christian, or other communities, but are provided equal opportunities by the Government. They are provided an annual benefit of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 30,000 for funding their higher education.
5. AICTE Pragati Scholarship (girls only)
AICTE is an opportunity given to the youth, precisely, girls, to learn, study, and become independent. It has its main focus on providing technical education to foster their career growth. Moreover, the girls who are enrolled in the first year of college can access this opportunity for their career growth. They will be provided an annual tuition fee of Rs. 50,000, as per the scheme.
6. AICTE Saksham Scholarship (Specially-Disabled only)
As a great initiative to promote technical education amongst especially disabled kids, the AICTE Saksham Scholarship offers an opportunity for them to complete their studies and to become successful irrespective of their disability. This scheme is valid only for diploma or degree-specific courses, in which they will be given an annual reward of Rs. 50,000.
7. State-level Merit Scholarships
The State Governments across India have initiated these scholarships to aid students who lack financial resources to continue their studies. Moreover, every state has its website and eligibility criteria that students have to follow to access the scholarship. It is a merit-based scholarship scheme that provides annual benefits according to its budget.
8. PM YASASVI Scholarships
This scholarship is a merit-based opportunity that is given to 15,000 students across the country every year. Moreover, it pays attention to students belonging to OBC, EBC, and DNT categories who cannot afford the above-the-line fees for higher education. The benefits range from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 1,25,000, which is entirely dependent on the standard of the student.
9. EBC Scholarship Scheme
The EBC Scholarship Scheme was specifically brought into existence to help students from an EBC background. It is offering a 100% fee concession for students who belong to the EBC category for their higher studies. This offer is valid for a diploma, UG, or PG courses in the state of Maharashtra. Moreover, these students must possess an EBC certificate as proof to access this scholarship opportunity.
10. NTSE Scholarship
NTSE is considered a nationwide scholarship that entitles a student who clears its exam, the nation’s talent. This is a high-level examination that consists of two stages that test their knowledge and problem-solving skills. The qualifiers are provided the NTSE scholarship that they can apply for later for their higher studies. Furthermore, selected students get a monthly benefit of Rs. 1,250 for their further studies.
Steps to Apply for the College Scholarships?
Scholarships are a crucial initiative taken by the Government to reduce the financial burden on some lower-income families. It gives an equal opportunity to students to prove their worth and gain a good education, despite financial issues. Most of the above scholarships have the same application procedure to access their benefits. However, we have mentioned the steps you should apply for the scholarships as a safe side:
- Open the official website of NSP, scholarships.gov.in, where you will find many scholarship opportunities.
- Register yourself before proceeding to your preferred scholarship.
- Log in and fill in your details on the application for your chosen scholarship.
- Upload the documents that are asked to provide.
- Review and submit your application and track the updated time-to-time.
How to ensure your chance of getting selected for the scholarship?
We can easily apply for a scholarship, but what are the chances that we get selected? The answer is uncertain, but we can make our application strong to increase the chances of securing a scholarship.
- Candidates should make sure that their academic background is strong enough to get selected.
- In addition, you should keep your income and caste certificates updated, as they verify that the application is legit.
- Candidates should make sure that they apply early to secure an upper hand in the applications.
- You should review the documents twice before submission. This leaves no room for a mistake and increases the chance of selection.
- Candidates should check the application status daily to track the progress of the application.
Conclusion
Scholarships are an opportunity for students who want to grow and prosper in their careers. In case of financial hardships, these programs assist them in managing the financial load of the family. The payments are usually credited to the accounts of the beneficiaries, as per the benefit distribution policy. Students must keep their NSP notifications on to keep updated about the application dates. This is because many applications are open only at certain times of the year, mostly from July to September. Apart from government schemes, many private scholarships are also offered by some institutes to contribute to society. By giving small contributions, a big change can be brought in the country as well as our education system.
Education is a crucial component of life that teaches us values and worldly knowledge. It is a store of lessons and values, which brings us closer to our culture. Nobody has the right to exploit someone’s Education, as it is eternal, in every portion of the Earth.
