The Ministry of Education has extended the application deadline for the National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for the 2026-27 academic year to September 30, 2026. The extended timeline includes verification deadlines of October 15, 2026 for Institute Nodal Officer (INO) level verification (L1) and October 31, 2026 for District Nodal Officer (DNO) level verification (L2).
The NSP portal has been open for applications since June 1, 2026, requiring selected students to complete a one-time registration before applying for the scholarship. The scheme, implemented by the Department of School Education & Literacy, aims to prevent drop-outs after elementary education (Class VIII) and encourage completion of school education up to higher secondary level (Class XII).
The program provides 100,000 fresh scholarships annually for Class IX students who clear state/UT government qualifying exams, with renewal available through Classes X to XII based on academic performance. The scholarship amount is ₹12,000 per annum per student, disbursed directly into bank accounts via PFMS using DBT mode.
Eligibility criteria include parental annual income not exceeding ₹3.50 lakh and minimum 55% marks (or equivalent grade) in Class VII examination for appearing in the selection test, with a 5% relaxation for SC/ST students. The scheme is exclusively for students studying in State Government, Government-aided, and local body schools.
As of August 31, 2026, the portal has received 79,398 fresh applications and 187,208 renewal applications. Students are advised to complete applications within the extended timeline and ensure proper verification by Institute/District/State Nodal Officers.