Government Initiative for Abroad Education: The National Overseas Scholarship scheme!

One dream common in almost every Indian household is to send their children abroad to study, and that is where their search for overseas scholarships begins. However, there is one catch, while the number of students aspiring to study abroad is at an all-time high, so is the number of scammers or insecure companies offering so-called cheaper ways to study abroad. To prevent young Indians and their families from falling into such unsafe lures, and to aid their higher education dreams the government of India has rolled out initiatives like the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme. Let’s dive deeper into the aspects and benefits of the scheme. 

National Overseas Scholarship

The National Overseas Scholarship was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and focuses on providing financial assistance to full-time or regular students from Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers, and Traditional Artisans’ communities to pursue their dreams of overseas higher education. 

The overseas scholarship scheme provides financial assistance to approximately 125 students (subject to change as funds become available) aiming for a master’s or a PhD degree from any government-accredited/recognized university of any specific country in any field of study. 

Features and Benefits of the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme

The scheme offers 115 scholarship seats distributed amongst students from scheduled castes, 6 seats for tribal students, and 4 seats for Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans. 

The benefits offered under the overseas scholarship scheme are as follows:

• Maintenance Allowance (Annual): For USA and other countries, USD 15400; For United Kingdom, GBP 9900

• Contingency Allowance (books/essentials/study tour/library fee/learning apparatus/travel cost for workshops organized by the University/exam fee/amenity fee/student fee etc): For the USA and other countries, USD 15000; For United Kingdom, GBP 1100

• Tuition Fees: As charged

• Visa Fees: As charged in INR

• Medical Insurance: As charged

• Journey and Equipment Allowance: 20 USD each or whatever is the equivalent of INR

• Air Passage: Buy air tickets (From the nearest airport to the student’s hometown in India to the nearest airport to the educational institute for which the student has received the scholarship) from the three specified/authorized ticketing and travel partners namely, Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL), Ashok Travels & Tours (ATT), Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC). The air ticket should be of the economy class and the shortest distance. Students/awardees must ensure that no booking charges or any excess baggage or cancellation charges shall be borne by the government, or be reimbursed. However, students can claim reimbursement for regular travel allowance as mentioned above. However, such reimbursements can be claimed through the Indian Mission Abroad post joining the university and upon submission of the joining letter from the university. 

• The awarded scholarship shall be provided for a maximum period of 3 years for a master’s degree and 4 years for a Ph.D

Eligibility Criteria for the scholarship scheme:

• The scholarship is ONLY for students from the Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers, and Traditional Artisans’ communities. 

• The student must hold an admission letter to pursue a master’s degree/Ph. D. from an institute/university located in any foreign country. The chosen university must be government-accredited or authorized by the authorities of that country. 

• The candidate must have scored at least 60% or equivalent marks in the required qualifying examination as directed by the university.

• The candidate’s total family income must not exceed INR 8 Lakh per annum.

• If a candidate has taken lateral entry to the 2nd year of bachelor’s after completing a year’s diploma course, the marks obtained in bachelor’s will be considered for entry into the master’s course.

• 30% of the slots are set aside for women candidates each year, which may be given to male candidates in case of an inadequate number of women applicants.

Who is not eligible for the scheme?

• Students applying for bachelor’s level courses

• Candidates staying/studying in abroad or who have completed their studies abroad through some other state or national level scholarship program or even by self-funding

• No more than two children of the same family are eligible for the scholarship

• Candidates applying for the same level of courses, for instance, a master’s degree in some other field, which they have already completed in any university in India or abroad

Application Procedure and Documents Required:

While applying for the national overseas scholarship scheme interested students must have the following documents ready with them:

• Class 10th board certificate

• Caste or category proof/certificate (Check Format Here or Here)

• Passport size photograph

• Scanned signature of the applicant

• Residential (both current and permanent) address 

• Passing degree and mark sheets of qualifying exam or provisional certificate in case of last semester

• All documents regarding application, acceptance, and admission to a foreign university

• Family income certificate (Check Format Here)

• Applicant’s NOC certificate from the employer (considering the applicant is employed) 

• Gap certificate if the applicant has a gap of more than 6 months after completing the qualifying degree

• Aadhar details and ITR Certificate

Documents required post-selection of the applicant for the scholarship: 

• Attestation form

• Self-declaration or undertaking of the total family income of the applicant (Annual Income) 

• Self-declaration (regarding a pending case or non-conviction of offence)

• A passport copy of the applicant

Process of Application:

• The application process begins with students applying on the online portal: www.nosmsje.gov.in 

• On the portal, the students need to register themselves through the “Student Register Form” https://nosmsje.gov.in/Register.aspx 

• Once the students log in successfully on the platform, they will receive a text message on their registered email ID. (Note: The email address and password added during the registration process will be used as the USER ID and password for the respective student account)

So the students interested in pursuing higher education in foreign countries to ensure a brighter future ahead can mark their calendars and plan for application to the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme 2025.