AICTE Swanath Scholarship 2026-27: ₹50,000 a year, apply on NSP by 30 November
AICTE's Swanath scholarship gives ₹50,000 a year to technical degree and diploma students who are orphans, lost a parent to Covid-19, or are wards of martyred armed forces personnel. A May 2025 guideline adds two more cases. Applications for 2026-27 are open on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) until 30 November 2026.
What does it give?
₹50,000 per year of study, as a lump sum towards college fee, computer, stationery, books, equipment and software. It lasts up to 4 years for first-year degree students and 3 years for diploma students, and is shorter if you are already in a later year. There is no extra grant for hostel or medical charges. It is paid by Direct Benefit Transfer, and renewal is through NSP each year.
Who can apply?
| Category | Orphan; or one or both parents died due to Covid-19; or ward of armed forces or central paramilitary personnel martyred in action; or (per the 2025 guideline) a parent with a critical life-threatening illness, or who died or was more than 80% disabled in an accident. |
|---|---|
| Income | Family income from all sources not more than ₹8 lakh a year, with an income certificate from the State or UT. |
| Course | Currently studying in an AICTE-approved degree or diploma course, in regular mode, any year. |
| Not eligible | Anyone already getting a central, state or AICTE-sponsored scholarship. |
The guideline also bars other financial assistance such as a scholarship, salary, stipend or other emoluments during the course. It says receiving such assistance can end the scholarship and require repayment of the full amount to AICTE. Check this rule with your institute before applying.
Key dates on NSP
| Scheme open | 1 June 2026 |
|---|---|
| Student application | Until 30 November 2026 |
| Institute verification and defective applications | Until 15 December 2026 |
| District, state or ministry verification | Until 31 December 2026 |
How are awardees picked?
Solely on merit of the qualifying exam. For degree courses that is the percentage in Class XII or equivalent, with Class X marks, then age (elder ranks higher), then lower family income breaking ties. For diploma courses it is the Class X percentage, then age, then lower family income. Reservation follows Government of India norms.
How to apply on NSP: step by step
Checked on the live National Scholarship Portal on 19 October 2026. NSP now uses One Time Registration (OTR) - do this first if you have never registered.
- Open scholarships.gov.in (Academic Year 2026-27 is live), click Students → Apply now, then Register. Registration is free - no fee is required.
- Read the OTR guidelines, tick the consent boxes and click Next. Register your active mobile number and verify it with the OTP; a reference number is sent to your mobile.
- Complete eKYC: install the NSP OTR app and the Aadhaar Face RD app on an Android phone and do face authentication with the reference number. Your OTR ID is then generated. Aadhaar is required; a minor without Aadhaar can register with a parent's or legal guardian's Aadhaar.
- Log in on NSP with your OTR ID, open Fresh Application for Academic Year 2026-27 and choose the AICTE Swanath Scholarship from the scheme list.
- Fill the application form and upload the documents it lists.
- Submit before 30 November 2026. Track the application in the same dashboard; institute and district/state verification happen after you submit.
Steps 4-6 happen inside your own NSP login, so they are not shown as screenshots. Generating an OTR alone is not an application - you must still log in and submit the scholarship application.
Video guides
We searched YouTube on 19 October 2026 for a step-by-step application video for this scheme on the current NSP OTR portal in English and in Malayalam. The videos we found cover older portal versions or could not be verified to match the current portal, so we are not linking any rather than risk outdated or unrelated instructions.
A careful checklist
- Gather the documents for your category: death or shaheed certificate, or the Tehsildar or SDM orphan certificate, plus income certificate, bonafide certificate and mark sheets.
- Generate your One-Time Registration (OTR) on scholarships.gov.in. The guideline requires Aadhaar.
- Apply under the AICTE Swanath scheme for your level, degree or diploma, before 30 November 2026.
- Ask your institute to verify before 15 December 2026.
We did not log in or apply. We read the NSP scheme list, the AICTE scheme page and the May 2025 guideline PDF. The AICTE web page lists only three categories, while the guideline lists four, so check the category list on NSP before applying. The PDF document section gives checklists for the original three categories but no separate checklist for the new illness/accident category. Ask your institute which evidence NSP needs for that category.
Frequently asked questions
Is it only for first-year students?
No. Students in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th year can apply too, but the scholarship then runs for fewer years.
Sources: NSP scheme list, AICTE scheme page, Swanath guideline PDF. Checked 10 October 2026; application steps and video search re-checked 19 October 2026. Deadlines re-checked on the live NSP scheme list on 2 November 2026: the student application date moved from 31 October to 30 November 2026 for both the degree and diploma schemes. This is an AiCoN explainer, not a government publication.