National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Caste Etc. Candidates

What is the National Overseas Scholarship?

The National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) for Scheduled Caste etc. candidates is a Central Sector scheme of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It provides financial assistance to low-income meritorious students from the Scheduled Castes and allied categories to pursue a Master's degree or PhD abroad in specified fields, opening access to world-class higher education that these families could not otherwise afford.

According to the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, the scheme awards 125 scholarships a year, distributed as 115 for Scheduled Caste candidates, 6 for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, and 4 for landless agricultural labourers and traditional artisans. Within each category, 30% of the awards are earmarked for female candidates. The scholarship funds tuition, a maintenance allowance, airfare and contingency costs, with money routed through the Indian Missions abroad rather than paid directly to the student.

Key features

• 125 slots per year across the covered categories.
• Covers Master's and PhD study abroad.
• Family income ceiling of Rs 8 lakh a year.
• 30% of slots earmarked for women.
• Priority for offers from QS top-500 universities.

What does the National Overseas Scholarship cover?

The scheme meets the major costs of studying abroad. According to the scheme guidelines, the benefits include:

• Tuition fees as charged by the foreign university.
• A maintenance allowance to cover living expenses for the duration of the course.
• Economy-class airfare to and from the country of study.
• A contingency, equipment and incidental grant as specified in the guidelines.

Because the exact rates of the maintenance allowance and contingency grant are revised in the guidelines and depend on the country of study, this guide does not quote a single figure; refer to the current guidelines on nosmsje.gov.in for the applicable amounts. Funds are disbursed through the Indian Mission in the country where the candidate studies.

Who is eligible for the National Overseas Scholarship?

You can apply if:

• You belong to the Scheduled Castes, De-notified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, landless agricultural labourer or traditional artisan category.
• You have secured at least 60% in your qualifying degree.
• Your total family income from all sources does not exceed Rs 8 lakh a year.
• You are below 35 years for a Master's programme or below 40 years for a PhD, as on the cut-off date in the guidelines.
• You hold (or expect) an admission offer from a recognised foreign university, preferably in the QS top 500.

You cannot apply if:

• You do not belong to one of the covered categories.
• Your family income exceeds Rs 8 lakh a year.
• You scored below 60% in the qualifying degree.
• You are above the age limit for your course level.
• You are seeking funding for a course level or discipline not covered by the scheme, or you have already availed the scholarship. As a rule, more than one child of the same parents cannot receive the award.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the National Overseas Scholarship

The scheme is applied for online, free of cost, on the dedicated NOS portal.

1. Go to the official portal at nosmsje.gov.in during the annual application window and register as a new applicant.
2. Complete the online application form with your personal, category, income, academic and course details.
3. Upload the category certificate, income certificate, academic records, age proof and admission offer from the foreign university.
4. Submit the application and note the reference number for tracking.
5. The selection committee evaluates applications against merit, income and category criteria; selected candidates are informed and complete the pre-departure and disbursal formalities through the Indian Mission.

Help and where to check

• Official portal: nosmsje.gov.in, for the current guidelines, application window, eligible disciplines and the maintenance/airfare rates.
• Department of Social Justice and Empowerment: socialjustice.gov.in — the administering department, which publishes the annual notification.

Contact details for grievances and queries are published in the contact section of the NOS portal; use those rather than any third-party number, as no separate toll-free helpline is notified for this scholarship.