Post-Matric Scholarship ST — Quick Overview
| Scheme Name | Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Students 2026 — Free Higher Education for Tribal Students |
| Launched By | Government of India |
| Launch Year | 1944 |
| Benefit | 100% tuition fee + ₹230-₹1,200/month maintenance for ST students Class 11 to PhD |
| Category | Tribal Welfare |
| Last Verified | 23 May 2026 |
| Official Portal | https://scholarships.gov.in |
What is Post-Matric Scholarship ST?
Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Tribe (ST) Students is one of the largest scholarship programmes in India under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs — providing tuition fee reimbursement, maintenance allowance, and other benefits to ST students from Class 11 to PG and PhD. The scheme is administered via the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) — scholarships.gov.in. Annual outlay: ₹2,500+ crore covering 20+ lakh ST students nationally. Benefits: 100% tuition fees (whatever charged by the institution), reader allowance for visually impaired, escort allowance for severe disability, study tour, thesis printing charges. Maintenance allowance: ₹230-₹1,200/month based on Group I-IV (Engineering/Medical = Group IV, highest). Family income limit: ₹2.5 lakh/year. Aadhaar mandatory. Application window: typically August-November each year. Renewal annual subject to passing previous year.
Under this scheme, eligible beneficiaries receive 100% tuition fee + ₹230-₹1,200/month maintenance for ST students Class 11 to PhD. The scheme was launched in 1944 and is implemented by the Government of India.
Benefits of Post-Matric Scholarship ST
100% tuition fee + ₹230-₹1,200/month maintenance for ST students Class 11 to PhD
Who is Eligible for Post-Matric Scholarship ST?
- ✓Scheduled Tribe (ST) student studying in India
- ✓Studying Class 11 onwards (UG, PG, PhD, professional courses) in recognised institution
- ✓Annual family income below ₹2.5 lakh/year
- ✓Indian citizen with valid ST caste certificate
- ✓Aadhaar Card and Aadhaar-linked bank account
- ✓Minimum 50% in previous year (relaxed to 40% for tribal-area institutions)
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Documents Required for Post-Matric Scholarship ST
How to Apply for Post-Matric Scholarship ST Online?
- 1Visit National Scholarship Portal (NSP) at scholarships.gov.in
- 2Register: enter Aadhaar number → mobile OTP → create login credentials
- 3Complete e-KYC verification via Aadhaar
- 4Login → 'Apply for Scholarship' → 'Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Students' (Ministry of Tribal Affairs)
- 5Fill the form: personal, family income, caste, course, institution, bank account details
- 6Upload documents: ST caste certificate, Aadhaar, domicile, marksheet, college bonafide, fee receipt, income certificate, bank passbook
- 7Submit application → note unique Application ID
- 8Institution verifies (online by college principal) → State Department of Tribal Welfare verifies → MoTA approves
- 9Scholarship credited directly to student's Aadhaar-linked bank account via DBT — single or split installments
- 10Renew annually: submit current year's marksheet, bonafide, fee receipt; minimum 50% required to retain
Official Government Portal
Apply directly on the official government website. This is the only authorised portal — never pay anyone to apply on your behalf.
🔗Apply on scholarships.gov.inFrequently Asked Questions — Post-Matric Scholarship ST
Common Questions About Tribal Welfare Schemes
What is Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK)?+
VDVK is a tribal community-owned and operated value-addition centre for Minor Forest Produce. Each VDVK Cluster has 15 tribal SHGs (300 members) and is established with ₹15 lakh funding from TRIFED. VDVKs procure MFP at MSP, process and add value (sorting, grading, packaging, branding), and sell finished products to fetch 3-4x higher prices than raw MFP.
Which Minor Forest Produces (MFPs) are covered?+
50+ MFPs are covered including: Tendu leaves, Bamboo, Mahua flower/seed, Gum Karaya, Lac, Honey, Wild Honey, Tamarind, Hill Brooms, Wild Mushrooms, Chironji, Sal seed, Kusum seed, Imli, Tora, Madhuca, Aonla, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Turmeric (forest-collected), and various medicinal herbs. The MSP for each MFP is notified annually by TRIFED.
What is PM JANMAN Yojana?+
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN), launched 15 November 2023 by PM Modi on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas (Bhagwan Birsa Munda's birth anniversary). ₹24,104 crore mission for comprehensive development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) across 220 districts of 22 states. 11 interventions covering housing, roads, water, electricity, healthcare, education.
Who are PVTGs?+
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are the most marginalised tribal communities in India — historically isolated, declining population, pre-agricultural lifestyle, very low literacy. 75 PVTGs notified by Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Examples: Sahariya (Rajasthan), Birhor (Jharkhand), Toda (Tamil Nadu), Onge & Jarawa (Andaman), Cholanaikkan (Kerala), Kattunayakan (Karnataka).
What is Top Class Education Scholarship for ST?+
Premium scholarship for ST students admitted to 217 PREMIER institutions in India — IITs (23), IIMs (20), AIIMS (15), NITs (31), NLUs (24), BITS Pilani, IIT-Delhi, IIM-Ahmedabad, NID-Ahmedabad, etc. Covers: FULL tuition fee (whatever charged), ₹3,000-₹6,000/month living allowance, ₹3,000/year books grant, reimbursement of computer/laptop up to ₹45,000. Income limit ₹2.5 lakh.
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📰 Latest News & Updates — Post-Matric Scholarship ST
Related Tribal Welfare Schemes
Van Dhan Vikas Yojana 2026 — PMVDY | TRIFED Tribal Forest Produce Value Addition
Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY), launched on 14 April 2018 under TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), is a flagship tribal livelihood programme that promotes value-addition and entrepreneurship in Minor Forest Produce (MFP). The scheme establishes Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) — each cluster comprising 15 tribal Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of 20 tribal NTFP gatherers/artisans each (300 beneficiaries per VDVK Cluster). TRIFED funds 100% of each VDVK at ₹15 lakh per cluster, with tribal gatherers contributing ₹1,000 per member for ownership. VDVKs procure forest produce (tendu leaves, mahua, gum, honey, bamboo, lac, herbs, tamarind, etc.) at MSP, add value through processing (sorting, grading, packaging, branding), and sell to local/national/global buyers. PMVDY has established 50,000+ VDVKs targeting 10 lakh tribal entrepreneurs and supports tribal MFP gatherers — whose 40-60% of annual income depends on forest produce. Operational across 22+ States/UTs.
PM JANMAN Yojana 2026 — Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN), launched on 15 November 2023 (Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda), is the Government of India's ₹24,104 crore mission to comprehensively develop 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) across 22 states. PVTGs are the most marginalised tribal communities (e.g., Sahariya, Birhor, Toda, Onge, Jarawa) — historically isolated, declining populations, pre-agricultural lifestyle, very low literacy. PM JANMAN covers 11 critical interventions: (1) Pucca Houses (PMAY-G) — 4.9 lakh houses; (2) Connecting roads (PMGSY); (3) Piped water (JJM); (4) Electrification (RDSS); (5) Mobile medical units; (6) Anganwadi Centres in PVTG habitations; (7) Hostels for PVTG students; (8) Vocational training centres; (9) Solar street lights & solar power; (10) Sickle Cell screening; (11) Tele-medicine. Implementation through 4-Tier monitoring — Centre, State, District, Block.
TRI Tribal Research Institute Scholarship 2026 — Higher Education Research for ST Scholars
Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs), set up in 19 states by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, provide research grants, scholarships, and fellowships to Scheduled Tribe (ST) scholars pursuing M.Phil, PhD, and post-doctoral research in tribal studies, anthropology, social sciences, and tribal-area-specific subjects. The scheme also offers Top Class Education Scholarship for ST students admitted to 217 premier institutions (IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NLUs, BITS, NIDs, etc.) — covering FULL tuition fee + ₹3,000-₹6,000/month living allowance + ₹3,000/year books grant + reimbursement of computer/laptop. Plus National Fellowship & Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students (NFST) — ₹37,000-₹42,000/month JRF/SRF fellowship for PhD scholars. Plus National Overseas Scholarship for ST — ₹3,500-₹5,500 USD/year for studying abroad. Administered by Ministry of Tribal Affairs via TRIs and via National Scholarship Portal.
PM Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY) 2026 — ₹20.38 Lakh Per Village for 36,000 Tribal Villages | tribal.gov.in
PM Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY) — formerly known as Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) renamed in 2021–22 under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs — is an integrated development scheme covering 36,428 villages across 27 states and 4 union territories where 50% or more of the population is from Scheduled Tribes (Adivasi communities). The scheme provides ₹20.38 lakh per village for convergent infrastructure development: roads (PMGSY), drinking water (Jal Jeevan Mission), electricity (DDUGJY/SAUBHAGYA), health centres (NHM), anganwadis (POSHAN 2.0), schools (Samagra Shiksha), and telecom connectivity (BharatNet). Budget: ₹7,276 crore for 2021-22 to 2025-26. The key feature is CONVERGENCE — PMAAGY acts as the coordinating scheme, while the actual work is funded by 10+ other central schemes. Each PMAAGY village gets a dedicated Village Development Plan (VDP) prepared by Gram Sabha in consultation with state tribal departments. Implementation: Ministry of Tribal Affairs monitors through PMAAGY portal. State Tribal Welfare Departments execute. Village-level monitoring by local Gram Sabha ensures accountability. Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) are co-implementing agencies. PMAAGY is separate from PM JANMAN (for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) which covers 75 most vulnerable tribal communities.