Ministry of Education has invited applications for National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme for students of Classes 9 to 12 for the 2023-24 year. The amount of the scholarship awarded is Rs 12,000 per annum to school students belonging to the underprivileged sections. The scholarship has been introduced with an aim to reduce the dropout of students from class 8 onwards.
The registration for the applications can be submitted online on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) by November 30, 2023. The submission for the applications started on October 1, 2023.
The scholarships are awarded to meritorious students from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) from the state government, government-aided, and local body schools.
Eligibility for availing the scholarships
Students whose parental income from all sources is not more than Rs 3,50,000 per annum are eligible to apply for the scholarships. These students must have scored at least 55% marks or equivalent in Class 7 examination. There is a relaxation of 5% marks for the students belonging to the SC/ST category. The students who satisfy the eligibility criteria will have to appear for the selection test in order to avail the scholarship.
The scholarship applications undergo two levels of verification on the National Scholarship Portal. The first is at the Institution/School level by the Institute Nodal Officer (INO) and at second by the District Nodal Officer (DNO). The last date for the first level verification is December 15 while the deadline for the second level of verification is December 30, 2023.
The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) are distributed directly into the bank accounts of selected students by electronic transfer through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) following DBT mode. This is a Central Sector Scheme. Every year around one lakh fresh scholarships are awarded to selected students from Class 9. These scholarships are further renewed for the students once they reach class 10-12.
