AICTE Saksham Scholarship Scheme for Specially-Abled Student (Degree)

What is the AICTE Saksham Scholarship Scheme?

The AICTE Saksham Scholarship Scheme for Specially-Abled Students is a scholarship of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the statutory technical-education body under the Ministry of Education. According to AICTE, the scheme provides financial assistance of up to Rs 50,000 per year to differently-abled students so they can pursue a technical degree in an AICTE-approved institution without dropping out for want of money.

The scholarship recognises that students with disabilities often face higher costs, for assistive devices, transport, software and support; on top of ordinary tuition. Saksham is meant to ease that burden and widen access to professional technical education. There is a companion Saksham stream for diploma students; this guide covers the degree stream.

Key features

• Benefit of up to Rs 50,000 per year of study, paid by Direct Benefit Transfer.
• Targeted at specially-abled students with a disability of 40% or more.
• Applicable to AICTE-approved degree programmes.
• Administered and disbursed through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

Who is eligible for the AICTE Saksham Scholarship?

You can apply if:

• You are a specially-abled student with a disability of at least 40%, certified by a competent medical authority.
• You are admitted to the first year of a degree programme, or to the second year through lateral entry, in an AICTE-approved institution.
• Your family income is within the ceiling notified by AICTE for the scheme.
• You have a valid disability certificate, income certificate and an Aadhaar-seeded bank account.

You cannot apply if:

• Your certified disability is below 40%.
• You are studying in an institution not approved by AICTE, or in a course outside the scheme's scope.
• Your family income exceeds the notified ceiling.
• You are already receiving another scholarship for the same purpose: most government scholarships cannot be combined for the same tuition.

Because the income ceiling and the number of scholarships sanctioned are revised from year to year, confirm the current figures in the official scheme guidelines on the National Scholarship Portal before you apply. Do not rely on a previous year's numbers.

How much does the Saksham scholarship provide?

According to AICTE, the scholarship is worth up to Rs 50,000 for every year of study. The amount is intended to be used for:

• Tuition fees (or reimbursement of fees paid), and
• Purchase of books, equipment, stationery, software and other essentials needed for the course.

Payment is made by Direct Benefit Transfer into the student's Aadhaar-seeded bank account, so the account details and Aadhaar seeding must be correct to avoid payment failure. The scholarship continues for the normal duration of the degree, subject to yearly renewal and satisfactory academic progress.

What documents are required?

Keep clear scans ready before you start the form. The National Scholarship Portal will not let you submit without the mandatory uploads.

How to apply for the AICTE Saksham Scholarship

1. Open the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in during the annual application window (the portal announces the dates each academic year).
2. Complete the One-Time Registration (OTR) and get your OTR/reference number, then log in.
3. Select the AICTE Saksham Scholarship (degree stream) from the list of schemes and open the application form.
4. Fill in your personal, academic, disability, income and bank details exactly as they appear on your documents.
5. Upload the mandatory documents — disability certificate, income certificate, admission proof, Aadhaar, bank passbook and marksheets.
6. Submit the form and note the application ID. Your institute's nodal officer verifies it, after which it moves to AICTE for approval.
7. Track the status on the portal, and renew every year if you are a continuing student.

There is no application fee. Never pay an agent to "get your name added", the entire process is free on the government portal.

Renewal and continuation

Saksham is not a one-time grant for the whole course. Continuing students must re-apply (renew) each academic year on the National Scholarship Portal. Renewal is conditional on satisfactory academic progress, typically passing and continuing in the same programme, and on continued eligibility (disability and income status). Missing the renewal window can mean losing the scholarship for that year, so track the portal's annual dates closely.

Help and grievance redressal

• National Scholarship Portal helpdesk: 0120-6619540, and the grievance section on scholarships.gov.in.
• Your institute's scholarship nodal officer. The first point of contact for verification problems, document rejection or bank-seeding errors.
• AICTE Saksham scheme page on aicte.gov.in for the current-year guidelines, income ceiling and number of scholarships.

Because the precise family-income ceiling and the count of scholarships sanctioned change between years, always confirm those two figures against the official AICTE guideline or the National Scholarship Portal for the year you are applying in.