Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students (PMS-SC)
Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (implemented through State Governments and UT Administrations)
Quick Actions
About This Scholarship
The Post Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Caste students (PMS-SC) is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It pays the compulsory non-refundable fees and a yearly academic allowance to SC students who study beyond Class X in recognised institutions in India, from Class XI and ITI courses to professional degrees and doctoral programmes. The Centre and the States share the cost 60:40 (90:10 for North-Eastern States). Awardees are selected by the State or UT where the student is domiciled, and applications go through that State or UT's scholarship portal, or NSP where the State uses it. The guidelines, issued in March 2021, cover 2020-21 to 2025-26 and remain the guidelines listed on the MSJE scheme page.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, through State and UT governments |
| Level | Post-matric: Class XI, ITI, diploma, degree, postgraduate and research courses |
| Amount | Fees at actuals plus an academic allowance of Rs 2,500 to Rs 13,500 a year |
| Income limit | Rs 2.5 lakh a year (parents or guardians) |
| Applications | On the State or UT portal or NSP; the guidelines keep portals open through the year, so dates are set by each State |
| Guidelines | March 2021, for 2020-21 to 2025-26 |
Post-matric schemes for other categories
| Category | Scheme | Run by | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBC, EBC and DNT students | Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT students (under PM YASASVI); parental income up to Rs 2.5 lakh | Department of Social Justice and Empowerment | PM YASASVI scheme page |
| ST students | Post Matric Scholarship for ST students | Ministry of Tribal Affairs | Scholarship page and DBT portal |
Sources: PMS-SC guidelines (March 2021), MSJE scheme page, PM YASASVI guidelines and Ministry of Tribal Affairs scholarship page. Checked on 5 October 2026.
Provider
Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (implemented through State Governments and UT Administrations)
Type
Need-based
Level
Post-Matric
Duration
Until course completion, subject to satisfactory performance and 75% attendance each year
Until course completion, subject to satisfactory performance and 75% attendance each year
Duration
Compulsory non-refundable fees including tuition fee (as fixed by the State Fee Fixation Committee) plus a yearly academic allowance by course group and hosteller or day-scholar status
Coverage
Eligibility Criteria
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Category | Scheduled Caste student of the State or UT where the student is permanently settled or domiciled |
| Nationality | Indian national, studying in India |
| Education | Passed Matriculation, Higher Secondary or a higher examination; studying a post-matric course in a recognised institution |
| Parental income | Not more than Rs 2.5 lakh a year from all sources in the last financial year; the certificate is taken once, at admission, for multi-year courses |
| Age | No fixed limit; the institution sets the age ceiling for admission to a class |
| Family | All children of a parent or guardian are eligible |
- Seats filled through management quota, NRI quota or spot admission without a merit process are not eligible.
- A student repeating the same stage in a different subject (for example B.Com after B.A.) is not eligible.
- A scholar cannot hold another scholarship or stipend and must choose the more beneficial one.
- Correspondence and online courses in Central or State universities get the non-refundable fees but no academic allowance.
Source: PMS-SC guidelines (March 2021).
Income Limit
₹2,50,000 p.a.
Eligible Categories
Scholarship Benefits
Financial Support
INR 2,500 - 13,500
Disbursement: By DBT into the student's bank account, one instalment per application, on the timelines set in the guidelines
What's Covered
| Course group | Hosteller a year | Day scholar a year |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: degree and postgraduate professional courses (medicine, engineering, management, law, CA and similar) | Rs 13,500 | Rs 7,000 |
| Group 2: other professional courses leading to degree, diploma or certificate (pharmacy, nursing, hotel management and similar) | Rs 9,500 | Rs 6,500 |
| Group 3: graduate and postgraduate courses not in Group 1 or 2 (B.A., B.Sc., B.Com, M.A., M.Sc., M.Com) | Rs 6,000 | Rs 3,000 |
| Group 4: post-Class X non-degree courses (Class XI and XII, ITI, 3-year polytechnic diploma) | Rs 4,000 | Rs 2,500 |
On top of the allowance, the compulsory non-refundable fees including tuition fee are paid as fixed by the State's Fee Fixation or Rationalization Committee. Divyang students get 10 percent extra allowance, and CA, ICWA, CS and ICFA students count as day scholars. These are the base rates of the March 2021 guidelines; the allowance is linked to the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers and revised each year, and States may top it up, so current amounts can be higher. Payment is by DBT only, in one instalment per application. A Freeship Card lets the student join without paying tuition and hostel fees upfront, and the student pays the institution within 7 working days of receiving the scholarship. The award continues until the course ends, subject to satisfactory performance and 75 percent attendance each year.
How to Apply
Application Guide
- Before admission, register for a Freeship Card on the scholarship portal of the State or UT of domicile (or on NSP, https://scholarships.gov.in, where the State uses it), giving the Aadhaar number and the course.
- The State or UT verifies eligibility within 30 days and issues the Freeship Card, which is valid for one year from issue for admission.
- On the day of admission the institution confirms the admission on the portal and the student applies for the scholarship the same day.
- Provide the details the portal asks for. Until verification is automated, the guidelines list a photograph, certificates of all examinations passed, a caste certificate and an income certificate.
- Verification is completed within 30 days of the application and the scholarship is paid by DBT.
- Renewal is automatic on attendance and on the institution confirming that the student was promoted and rejoined the same course.
Selection Process
There is no competitive ranking: every SC student who meets the conditions is entitled to the scholarship, and the awardees are selected by the State or UT to which the student belongs. States must also identify the poorest households and enrol their students in mission mode; these include households with three or more deprivations under SECC-2011, households where one or both parents are illiterate, and students who passed Class X from a State, municipal or local-body school. Eligibility, caste, income and domicile are to be verified against linked databases such as school-board results and State certificate databases through DigiLocker. Until that is in place, verification is manual within 30 days, with presumed approval if it is not completed in that time. Seats must be filled through a transparent merit process and the fees must be approved by the Fee Fixation or Rationalization Committee.
Documents Required
Important Dates
Important dates will be announced soon. Check back later for updates.