MahaDBT Post-Matric Scholarships 2026-27 (Maharashtra)
Government of Maharashtra, through the MahaDBT portal (Social Justice, Tribal Development, Higher and Technical Education, OBC, SEBC, VJNT and SBC Welfare, Medical Education and Minority Development departments)
Quick Actions
About This Scholarship
MahaDBT (Maharashtra Direct Benefit Transfer) is the Government of Maharashtra portal that takes applications for post-matric scholarships, fee reimbursement and maintenance allowances run by several state departments: Social Justice and Special Assistance, Tribal Development, Higher and Technical Education, OBC, SEBC, VJNT and SBC Welfare, Medical Education and Research, and Minority Development. The 2.0 portal counts 105 schemes across 14 departments, 60 of them for college students. The portal also runs farmer, pension and special-assistance schemes; those are outside this page.
The 2026-27 cycle works differently from earlier years. The older MahaDBT 1.0 portal stayed open for 2025-26 applications until 30 September 2026, but fresh and renewal applications for 2026-27 are accepted only on the MahaDBT 2.0 portal. The 2.0 portal announced that acceptance of new applications for 2026-27 would start on 1 June 2026. No closing date for 2026-27 has been published.
Most schemes combine a maintenance allowance, which depends on the course group and on whether the student is a hosteller or a day scholar, with reimbursement of tuition and examination fees. Several schemes pay fees only, at 50% or 100%. Income ceilings run from Rs 75,000 (Eklavya Scholarship) through Rs 2.5 lakh (central and state post-matric schemes) to Rs 8 lakh (EBC fee scheme, hostel allowance and minority scholarships). Merit decides only where a scheme has a quota or a marks condition.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Government of Maharashtra departments, through the MahaDBT portal |
| Level | Post-matric courses (Std 11-12 onwards, including professional courses) |
| Amount | Allowances of Rs 2,000 to Rs 60,000 a year plus tuition and examination fee reimbursement |
| Income limit | Rs 75,000 to Rs 8 lakh a year by scheme |
| Applications 2026-27 | Announced to start on 1 June 2026 on MahaDBT 2.0; closing date not announced |
| Portal | mahadbt2.maharashtra.gov.in (2026-27 applications); mahadbt.maharashtra.gov.in (scheme pages and 2025-26) |
Main student schemes on the portal
| Scheme | Who | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Government of India Post-Matric Scholarship (SC) | SC and Neo-Buddhist students; family income up to Rs 2,50,000 | Maintenance allowance for up to 10 months plus all compulsory fees |
| Post-Matric Tuition Fee and Examination Fee (Freeship), SC | SC students; family income above Rs 2,50,000 | Tuition, examination and other compulsory fees |
| Maintenance Allowance for students in professional courses (SC) | SC students in professional courses living in hostels attached to professional colleges | Rs 7,000 a year (4 to 5 year courses) or Rs 5,000 a year (2 to 3 year courses) in government hostels |
| Rajarshri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Merit Scholarship (SC) | SC students with 75% or more in SSC who enter Std 11; no income limit | Rs 300 a month for 10 months in Std 11 and in Std 12 |
| Post-Matric Scholarship for persons with disability | Students with disabilities | Maintenance allowance by course group (Rs 300 to Rs 550 a month in Groups A to D) plus tuition and examination fees |
| Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, Government of India (ST) | ST students of Maharashtra | Hosteller Rs 380 to Rs 1,200 and day scholar Rs 230 to Rs 550 a month by group, plus additional allowances |
| Tuition Fee and Exam Fee for Tribal Students (Freeship) | ST students; family income above Rs 2,50,000 | Tuition and exam fee as per the approved college fee structure |
| Post Matric Scholarship to OBC, VJNT and SBC students | OBC, VJNT and SBC students; family income up to Rs 2,50,000 | Maintenance allowance of Rs 120 to Rs 425 a month by group and residence, plus tuition and exam fees (OBC: 100% for girls and in government or aided professional courses, 50% in other professional courses) |
| Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Shulkh Shishyavrutti Yojana (EBC) | EBC and EWS students in professional and technical courses admitted through CAP; income up to Rs 8 lakh | Tuition and exam fee: 50% for male and 100% for female students |
| Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Vastigruh Nirvah Bhatta Yojana | Hostel-resident students admitted in general or SEBC category; professional courses: children of registered labourers or small-holder farmers, or EBC with income up to Rs 8 lakh; other courses: income up to Rs 1 lakh | Rs 38,000 to Rs 60,000 a year by city (professional); Rs 2,000 a year for 10 months (non-professional) |
| Eklavya Scholarship | Postgraduate students with 60% (arts, commerce, law) or 70% (science) in graduation; parental income up to Rs 75,000 | Rs 5,000, on merit |
| State Minority Scholarship Part II and scholarships for minority students in higher and professional courses | Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, Jain and Jewish students; income up to Rs 8 lakh (Part II and medical courses) | Annual course fee or Rs 5,000, whichever is less (Part II); up to Rs 50,000 a year or the actual fee (higher and professional courses) |
| Rajarshri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Fee Reimbursement Scheme (EBC, medical) | EBC students in MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, nursing and allied courses | 50% of tuition and examination fee |
Sources: MahaDBT 2.0 portal; MahaDBT 1.0 portal; MahaDBT scheme list; Help file for the online application process. Checked on 5 October 2026.
Provider
Government of Maharashtra, through the MahaDBT portal (Social Justice, Tribal Development, Higher and Technical Education, OBC, SEBC, VJNT and SBC Welfare, Medical Education and Minority Development departments)
Type
Need-based
Level
Post-Matric
Duration
Course duration, renewed every year
Course duration, renewed every year
Duration
Reimbursement of tuition and examination fees (50%, 100% or all compulsory fees by scheme) plus maintenance allowance by course group; hostel maintenance allowance of Rs 38,000 to Rs 60,000 a year under the Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh scheme
Coverage
Eligibility Criteria
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Residence | Resident of Maharashtra (domicile certificate where the scheme asks for it) |
| Category | Set by scheme: SC and Neo-Buddhist, ST, OBC, VJNT, SBC, EBC, minority, students with disabilities, or open category (hostel allowance, Eklavya) |
| Income | Up to Rs 2.5 lakh (SC, ST, OBC, VJNT and SBC post-matric); above Rs 2.5 lakh (SC and ST freeship); up to Rs 8 lakh (EBC fee scheme, hostel allowance, minority scholarships); up to Rs 75,000 (Eklavya) |
| Course | Government-approved post-matric courses; CAP admission for professional courses under the OBC, VJNT and EBC schemes |
| Family limit | Two children per family for the OBC, EBC and hostel-allowance schemes (girls unlimited under OBC) |
| Bank account | Aadhaar-linked, NPCI-mapped account |
- Deemed and private universities are not covered by the EBC fee scheme, and no other scholarship or stipend may be availed alongside it.
- A student who fails a year is paid that year's fees and allowance but receives no further benefit until promoted (OBC, VJNT and SBC schemes).
Source: MahaDBT scheme pages.
Eligible Categories
Scholarship Benefits
Financial Support
INR 2,000 - 60,000
Disbursement: DBT into the student's Aadhaar-linked, NPCI-mapped bank account after verification; maintenance allowance is paid for up to 10 months a year
What's Covered
Maintenance allowance under the Government of India post-matric schemes is paid for up to 10 months at these monthly rates by course group (the SC and ST rates are the same).
| Group | Day scholar (a month) | Hosteller (a month) |
|---|---|---|
| I | Rs 550 | Rs 1,200 |
| II | Rs 530 | Rs 820 |
| III | Rs 300 | Rs 570 |
| IV | Rs 230 | Rs 380 |
OBC, VJNT and SBC post-matric maintenance allowance is paid from the admission date to the end of the examination at these monthly rates.
| Group | Hosteller (a month) | Day scholar (a month) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Rs 425 | Rs 190 |
| B | Rs 290 | Rs 190 |
| C | Rs 290 | Rs 190 |
| D | Rs 230 | Rs 120 |
Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh hostel maintenance allowance for professional courses is paid a year by the city of study.
| City of study | Food | Residence | Subsistence | Total a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai, Mumbai suburbs, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Nagpur | Rs 32,000 | Rs 20,000 | Rs 8,000 | Rs 60,000 |
| Other divisional cities and remaining C class municipal areas | Rs 28,000 | Rs 15,000 | Rs 8,000 | Rs 51,000 |
| Other districts | Rs 25,000 | Rs 12,000 | Rs 6,000 | Rs 43,000 |
| Talukas | Rs 23,000 | Rs 10,000 | Rs 5,000 | Rs 38,000 |
- Fee reimbursement is 100% of compulsory fees under the SC and ST central schemes and 50% or 100% under the schemes listed in the scheme table.
- The benefit is paid by DBT into an Aadhaar-linked, NPCI-mapped bank account; the portal notes that Aadhaar seeding is an important requirement for receiving DBT benefits.
How to Apply
Application Guide
- Open the MahaDBT 2.0 portal at mahadbt2.maharashtra.gov.in and choose Marathi or English at the top right. Keep the 12-digit Aadhaar number (with a linked mobile number), scanned documents (PDF, JPG or JPEG, up to 5 MB each), a photograph and signature image, and an NPCI-mapped bank account ready.
- First-time users click Register and complete registration on MahaSarathi to get a Maha ID. Existing users choose Login, then Citizen Login, pick Maha ID, Aadhaar or without Maha ID, and enter the OTP.
- After login, open the Apply for Scheme tab and use the search bar or the Department and Scheme Type filters. The Description icon shows eligibility and Download GRs gives the Government Resolution.
- Click Apply next to the scheme. The portal checks eligibility automatically; select the academic year (2026-27) and click Proceed to Apply.
- Complete all sections of the form (fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory) and review the details filled in by Smart Auto-fill.
- Upload the required certificates, then use Save as Draft or Preview Application and finally Submit Application. An Application Reference Number is generated.
- Track the application under My Applications and use the Grievance tab for complaints.
Selection Process
Eligibility is checked automatically when the student clicks Apply, and the status of every application can be tracked in real time under My Applications. Merit decides only where a scheme has a quota or a marks condition: the Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh hostel allowance gives 500 seats per district to EBC students with income of Rs 1 to 8 lakh (33% reserved for women, ranked by professional course merit), the State Minority Scholarship Part II has a quota of 2,000 fresh applicants, one minority medical scheme reserves 30% for girls, the Eklavya Scholarship is awarded on merit, and the Shahu Maharaj merit scholarship needs 75% in SSC. Professional-course schemes for OBC, VJNT and EBC students require admission through the CAP round. The portal publishes a Citizen Charter with expected approval timelines.
Documents Required
Important Dates
Application Start
Monday, 01 June 2026
Date passed