New Delhi, Aug 7 (INB) The Ministry of Education has asked eligible students to submit fresh and renewal applications under the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for the 2026-27 academic year by August 31, according to an official statement. The ministry said applications must be submitted through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), while the verification process will be carried out in two stages. Institute Nodal Officers (INO) will complete Level-1 verification by September 15, followed by Level-2 verification by District Nodal Officers (DNO) by September 30. According to the Department of School Education and Literacy, students will, from the 2026-27 academic year onwards, be allowed to apply simultaneously for one merit-based scholarship scheme and one or more welfare-based scholarship schemes, subject to fulfilling the eligibility criteria of the respective schemes. The centrally sponsored scholarship scheme aims to reduce dropout rates at the secondary level by providing financial assistance to meritorious students from economically weaker sections to continue their education after Class VIII. Under the scheme, one lakh fresh scholarships are awarded annually to eligible students studying in Class IX, with provision for renewal in Classes X to XII, subject to prescribed conditions, for students enrolled in state government, government-aided and local body schools. The ministry advised eligible students to submit their applications well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues and urged Institute and District Nodal Officers to complete the verification process within the stipulated timelines to ensure timely processing and disbursal of scholarships.
