NMMSS 2026-27: The Ministry of Education will now conclude the online application process for the National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for 2026-27 on September 30, 2026. Earlier, it was slated to end on August 31, 2026. With the extended deadline, eligible candidates can register through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). Following the extension of the application deadline, the verification deadline for the Level-1 verification at the Institute Nodal is now October 15, while the Level-2 verification process with the District Nodal Officer will close on October 31, 2026. The NSP portal opened on June 1 for submissions of the application form.
As of August 31, 79,398 fresh and 1,87,208 renewal applications had been submitted. Candidates who have already registered are not required to re-register during the extended application window.
Provides Financial Assistance To Meritorious Students
Implemented by the Ministry of Education, the "National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme" awards scholarships to meritorious students from weaker sections to decrease the dropout rates after the elementary level. Through this, the government offers financial assistance to encourage students to continue their higher studies without thinking about the financial burden.
The scheme offers financial assistance of 1 lakh to students of Class 9 who clear the scholarship exams conducted by states and UTs. Based on their academic performance, the scholarship is renewed from Class 10 to 12.
Eligibility For NMMSS 2026-27
To avail the benefits of the scholarship, the annual income of the eligible candidates must not exceed more than Rs 3.50 lakh per annum. Alongside, students must have scored a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade in Class 8. This is mandatory for appearing in the scholarship tests. For reserved categories, relaxations of 5% are granted.
Financial Aid Offered
Selected candidates across the country have to first complete their one-time registration (OTR) on the NSP. After that, they have to fill out the application form for the scholarship scheme for which they want to apply. According to the Ministry, financial assistance of Rs 12, 000 per annum will be given to students of state government, government-aided, and local body schools.
The NMMSS scholarship amount will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the selected candidates. The money will be disbursed through electronic transfers under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode using the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).