The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme aims to award 100,000 scholarships to talented and meritorious students from economically weaker backgrounds. To be eligible, the parental income of the applicants from all sources must not exceed Rs. 3,50,000 per annum at the time of selection for the scholarship award. Each state and union territory has a fixed quota of scholarships allocated for students in classes 7 and 8. The scheme provides reservations to different categories of students as per the norms followed by the respective state or union territory governments. This is because different states and UTs have their own reservation policies and norms that they adhere to. The scheme takes these varying state/UT level reservation norms into account while implementing the scholarship program across the country.
National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme 2024
This scholarship is offered annually to students enrolled as regular students and entering the 9th grade in government, government-aided, or local body schools. It extends for a maximum duration of four years, covering classes 9th through 12th. However, students attending Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, residential schools under central/state government institutions, and private schools are ineligible for this scholarship. The scholarship amount totals Rs. 12,000 per annum, disbursed at Rs. 1,000 per month. State governments/UT administrations will conduct a separate examination comprising the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and Mental Ability Test (MAT) to select scholarship recipients. Additionally, states/UTs will be reimbursed Rs. 100 per student for conducting the NMMSS (SAT and MAT) examination.
Who can benefit from the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)?
Under this scheme, students whose parental income is not more than Rs. 3,50,000 per year from all sources can avail the benefit of this scholarship. For students to be present in the selection examination organized for providing this scholarship, they should score a minimum of 55% marks in the 7th class exam (with a 5% relaxation for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students) or equivalent grade. There are two levels of verification under this – Level 1, which is the Institution Nodal Officer (INO) level, and Level 2, which is the District Nodal Officer (DNO) level. The last date for verification at the INO level (Level 1) is January 15, 2024, and for verification at the DNO level (Level 2), it has been fixed as January 30, 2024.
Benefits of the National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme
- Under this scheme, every year, 1,00,000 new scholarships are provided to meritorious students of class 9th. The scholarship amount is Rs. 12,000 per annum (Rs. 1,000 per month) and can be continued until class 12th.
- The scholarship amount is electronically transferred directly to the bank accounts of the students through direct benefit transfer (DBT). For this purpose, an annual budget provision is made to release the funds to the State Bank of India.
- To avail the scholarship, students are required to open a bank account in the State Bank of India, any other public sector bank, or in a designated bank having core banking facilities.
The utilization of direct benefit transfer and banking network is ensured for transparency and effectiveness in the implementation of this scheme. Additionally, the process for students to receive the scholarship is clearly defined.
General Eligibility Conditions
An awardee is eligible to receive the scholarship under the following conditions:
(i) They must enroll in approved courses/programs of study.
(ii) They must maintain good conduct, as certified by the Head of the College/Institution, and continue studying as a regular student in a government, government-aided, or local body school.
(iii) They must not absent themselves without proper leave.
(iv) They must pursue their studies on a full-time basis.
Who cannot benefit from the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)?
- The scholarship is not available for studying any courses abroad.
- No claim for scholarship arrears will be entertained after 12 months of the academic session for which the claim was applied.
- If an awardee leaves their course of study within one month of registration/admission, no scholarship shall be paid.
- If a student is unable to appear for the annual examination due to serious illness, they should submit a medical certificate through the Head of the Institution within three months of falling ill. The duration of illness should be clearly certified by a specialist registered medical practitioner. The student will be allowed to continue the same course they are studying, provided the principal or head of the institution certifies their overall performance during the year as very good.
- The student must join the next class/desired course within 3 months of the previous class/course result declaration.
- The scholarship shall be deemed discontinued if there is a gap of one academic session in studies at any time due to any reason.
- Once a scholarship is discontinued based on the disbursement rules, it cannot be revived under any circumstances.
- All rules are subject to change from time to time as required, which will be binding on all awardees.
Selection Process for Awarding Scholarships:
Each state/UT will conduct its own state-level examination, consisting of two components:
- Mental Ability Test (MAT) – A 90-minute test comprising 90 multiple-choice questions covering reasoning, analytical thinking, patterns, etc.
- Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) – A 90-minute test consisting of 90 multiple-choice questions based on science, social studies, and mathematics subjects.
Both these exams will be conducted at the level of class 8 and will be crucial for receiving the scholarship.
The following conditions will apply for the selection of students:
- The criteria for selecting students for the National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship are clear: Students must obtain a minimum of 40% marks combined in both MAT and SAT exams. For SC/ST students, this minimum requirement will be 32%.
- At the time of selection, the student must have obtained a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in the class 8 examination. SC/ST students will receive a 5% relaxation.
- Winning students must also fulfill all other eligibility criteria mentioned in the scheme.
Understanding the minimum qualification level and other requirements necessary to receive the scholarship has become easier with these detailed conditions.
Note:-
A recipient of the scholarship is eligible if he/she:
(i) Studies in approved courses.
(ii) Maintains good conduct as certified by the principal of the college/institution and continues his/her studies as a regular student in a government/ government-aided/ local body school.
(iii) Does not remain absent without proper leave.
(iv) Studies on a full-time basis. This scheme will provide reservation to students of various categories according to the standards of the state/UT because different states/UTs have their own reservation criteria. A student can avail the benefit of only one scholarship scheme under the central government. Award winners will be required to open a bank account preferably with SBI, any public sector bank, or any bank with core banking facility. No claim for scholarship arrears will be considered after the expiration of 12 months from the end of the academic session for which an application has been made. If a scholarship awardee drops out of his/her study course within one month of registration/admission, no scholarship payment will be made to him/her. If a student cannot appear in the annual examination due to serious illness, he/she will have to submit a medical certificate to the institution’s head within three months of falling ill. The duration of illness should be clearly certified by a specialist who is a registered medical practitioner.
For Renewal Application:
- To continue the scholarship in Class 10, awardees must have clear promotion from Class 9 to 10 and obtain a minimum of 60% marks in Class 10 (55% for SC/ST).
- To continue the scholarship in Class 12, awardees must have clear promotion from Class 11 to 12.
- If a school does not conduct the examination for Class 9 or 11, the scholarship will be continued for the next year upon submission of a certificate.
- The scholarship is payable for a maximum duration of 4 years from Class 9 to 12 in India only.
Who Will Not Be Eligible:
- Students studying in “Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas” are not eligible for this scholarship.
- Students studying in residential schools operated by central/state governments, where facilities like food, accommodation, and education are provided, and students studying in private schools are also not eligible for the scholarship.
- No scholarship will be available for studying abroad for any course.
- No scholarship is available for studying diploma/certificate level courses at this level.
National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme 2024 Application Process:
- Step 1: Visit www.scholarships.gov.in and click on “New Registration” to accept the terms and conditions.
- Step 2: Fill out the registration form, and you will be given an application ID and password.
- Step 3: Log in, enter the OTP, and create a new password. You will be directed to the applicant dashboard.
- Step 4: Click on “Application Form,” fill in the details, upload documents, and either save the draft or “Final Submit.”
- Keeping soft copies of necessary documents ready is essential.
Required Documents:
- Marksheet of Class 7 (only from government schools) (mandatory)
- Caste certificate
- Parent’s income certificate (mandatory)
- Disability certificate
- Domicile certificate
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q1. Who is eligible for this scholarship?
Answer 1: Students whose parents’ annual income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 3,50,000 and who are studying regularly in government, government-aided, and local authority schools from Class 9 to 12 are eligible.
Q2. How is the selection of students for the scholarship done?
Answer 2: The selection is done through examinations conducted by state/UT governments. Students must pass a Mental Ability Test (MAT) and a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) at the Class 8 level.
Q3. What are the criteria for the renewal of the scholarship?
Answer 3: For renewal in Class 10 and 12, students must obtain at least 60% marks (55% for SC/ST) and pass the previous classes in the first attempt.
Q4. How long is the scholarship available?
Answer 4: The scholarship is available for a maximum of 4 years for classes 9 to 12 in India only.
Q5. How to apply for the scholarship?
Answer 5: Students need to apply online by visiting www.scholarships.gov.in and following the registration and application process.
Q6. Which documents are necessary?
Answer 6: Soft copies of necessary documents along with the application form.
Disclaimer: This website (sarkariyojnaa.com) is not affiliated with any government institution but is a personal blog. It is operated by an individual interested in government schemes and aims to provide information to people. While efforts are made to present accurate information, there may be some errors. Each article mentions the official website of the relevant scheme.
Official Website: https://scholarships.gov.in/