National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students (NFST)

What is NFST?

The National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students (NFST) is a central sector scheme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs that funds higher education for Scheduled Tribe students. NFST replaced and merged two earlier schemes. The Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for ST students and the top-class education scholarship for ST students; into a single scheme with two distinct components.

According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the fellowship component supports ST scholars pursuing regular, full-time M.Phil and PhD research in Indian universities and institutes, with about 750 fresh slots offered every year. The scholarship component pays the full cost of professional and technical education for ST students admitted to institutes identified by the ministry as premier institutions.

The two components are administered on different portals, the fellowship through the National Tribal Fellowship Portal (fellowship.tribal.gov.in) and the scholarship through the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in). Confusing the two is the single most common reason ST applicants miss a deadline.

Key objectives

• Increase the number of Scheduled Tribe scholars in research and higher academia, where ST representation has historically been low.
• Remove the financial barrier for ST students admitted to expensive professional and technical courses at premier institutes.
• Encourage ST students towards careers in teaching, research and the professions rather than only into general degree courses.

Main features

• Two components, a research fellowship and a top-class scholarship; under one scheme, funded fully by the central government.
• Fellowship pays Rs 31,000 a month for the first two years and Rs 35,000 a month thereafter, plus contingency and HRA.
• No family income ceiling on the fellowship component.
• Scholarship component has a Rs 6 lakh annual family income ceiling.
• Payment is made by direct benefit transfer into the scholar's Aadhaar- linked bank account.

Who is eligible for NFST?

Eligibility differs between the two components. Read the one that applies to you.

You can apply for the fellowship component if:

• You are an Indian national belonging to a notified Scheduled Tribe with a valid ST certificate from the competent authority.
• You have passed the post-graduate examination in the relevant subject with at least 55% marks.
• You have secured admission and registration for a regular, full-time M.Phil or PhD course in a university, institute or college recognised by the UGC.
• You are not drawing any other fellowship or stipend for the same course.

You can apply for the scholarship component if:

• You belong to a notified Scheduled Tribe.
• Your total family income from all sources does not exceed Rs 6,00,000 a year.
• You have secured admission to a premier or professional institute identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The list covers management, medicine, engineering, law and similar professional streams.

You cannot apply if:

• You do not belong to a notified Scheduled Tribe. NFST is reserved for ST candidates only; SC students have a parallel scheme and OBC students another.
• You are enrolled in a part-time, distance, correspondence or open-learning programme. Only regular full-time research registration counts for the fellowship.
• You are already receiving another fellowship such as UGC-JRF, CSIR-JRF, an institutional stipend or a state fellowship for the same course. Double funding is not permitted.
• Your family income exceeds Rs 6 lakh a year — this disqualifies you from the scholarship component, though it does not affect the fellowship.
• You are pursuing a course at an institute not recognised by the UGC, or at an institution outside the ministry's identified list for the scholarship component.
• You are studying abroad; overseas study for ST students falls under the separate National Overseas Scholarship scheme.

What documents are required for NFST?

How to apply for the NFST fellowship online

1. Open the National Tribal Fellowship Portal at fellowship.tribal.gov.in when the year's notification is live, and read the notification for the deadline and subject-wise slot distribution.
2. Complete the new applicant registration using your name, mobile number, email and Aadhaar, and verify the OTP sent to the registered mobile.
3. Link your DigiLocker account so that your ST certificate, degree and marksheets can be pulled digitally where available.
4. Fill in the application form with your personal, category, academic and research details: subject, university, supervisor and date of M.Phil or PhD registration.
5. Upload the supporting documents, ST certificate, post-graduate marksheets, registration proof, photograph and bank passbook; in the prescribed format and size.
6. Submit the form and note the application reference number, then print or download the acknowledgement.
7. Get the application verified by your university or institute, which confirms your registration status on the portal. Applications not verified by the institution are not considered.
8. Track the status on the portal and, if selected, share your bank details for direct benefit transfer of the monthly fellowship.

How to apply for the NFST scholarship component

1. Go to the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in and complete the one-time registration (OTR) with Aadhaar-based face authentication.
2. Log in with the OTR number and select National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students, scholarship component under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
3. Fill in academic, institutional and bank details, and enter the fee amounts as shown on your institute's receipt.
4. Upload the ST certificate, income certificate, bonafide certificate, fee receipts and bank passbook.
5. Submit before the NSP deadline and keep the application ID. The institute must then verify the application at its level, followed by state or ministry verification.

The NSP deadline for the 2026-27 cycle is reported as 31 October 2026; confirm the current date on scholarships.gov.in before you apply, as NSP dates are extended in some years.

How much does NFST pay?

Fellowship component

Scholarship component

• Full tuition and admission fees at the identified institute, subject to a ceiling of Rs 2,50,000 per student per year for private institutions.
• Monthly living stipend of Rs 3,000.
• Books and stationery allowance of Rs 5,000 a year.
• One-time computer and accessories grant of up to Rs 45,000.

How to check your NFST application status

1. Log in to fellowship.tribal.gov.in with your registered credentials for the fellowship component.
2. Open the application status or dashboard section to see whether the application is pending at institute verification, ministry scrutiny or selection stage.
3. For the scholarship component, log in to scholarships.gov.in with your OTR number and check the status track, which shows institute-level and ministry-level verification separately.

Common reasons NFST applications are rejected

• Institution verification not completed. A submitted application that the university never verified is treated as incomplete and is rejected.
• Marks below 55% in the post-graduate examination for the fellowship component.
• Part-time or distance registration instead of regular full-time research registration.
• Another fellowship already held, the declaration of no other fellowship is checked.
• Invalid or expired ST certificate, or a certificate issued by an authority that is not competent under the rules.
• Income above Rs 6 lakh for the scholarship component.
• Bank account not Aadhaar-seeded, which blocks the DBT payment even after selection.

Help and grievance redressal

• National Scholarship Portal helpdesk: 0120-6619540, or the grievance form on scholarships.gov.in
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs, New Delhi: 011-23383303
• Portal support on fellowship.tribal.gov.in for fellowship-specific issues
• University or institute scholarship cell, which handles the verification step and is the fastest fix for a stuck application

Applying for NFST is free. No agent or consultant can get a fellowship sanctioned, and no official will ask for a payment or an OTP.