Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Students Statistics: Beneficiaries and Funds by Year and State
· 1 min read · 2 official sources
18,15,598 Scheduled Tribe students got the Post-Matric Scholarship in 2024-25, and the Centre released Rs 2,598.34 crore for it, according to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. This page shows five years of beneficiaries and funds, and the states with the most students and the biggest releases.
Post Matric Scholarship Scheme For The Students Belonging To Scheduled Tribe For Studies In India: key numbers
Infographic
ST Post-Matric Scholarship beneficiaries and funds by year
Students who received the scholarship and central funds released each year, from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs reply in Lok Sabha on 18 December 2025.
| Year | Beneficiaries (students) | Funds released (Rs crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 20,05,696 | 1,829.08 |
| 2021-22 | 23,44,407 | 2,256.80 |
| 2022-23 | 22,69,112 | 1,964.63 |
| 2023-24 | 20,63,703 | 2,668.69 |
| 2024-25 | 18,15,598 | 2,598.34 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 31 March 2025
Top 15 states by ST Post-Matric beneficiaries (2024-25)
States with the most Scheduled Tribe students getting the scholarship in 2024-25, with their 2023-24 count. Rajasthan had 1,68,516 beneficiaries in 2023-24 but did not report 2024-25 data.
| State | Beneficiaries 2024-25 | Beneficiaries 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Madhya Pradesh | 3,26,410 | 3,53,486 |
| Gujarat | 2,33,161 | 2,26,456 |
| Odisha | 2,30,366 | 2,13,957 |
| Maharashtra | 1,44,785 | 1,39,165 |
| Telangana | 1,31,032 | 1,31,505 |
| Karnataka | 1,25,823 | 1,23,707 |
| Assam | 77,350 | 58,774 |
| Meghalaya | 73,902 | 76,755 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 67,888 | 79,780 |
| Jharkhand | 65,104 | 1,48,676 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 45,125 | 42,417 |
| Nagaland | 41,793 | 42,485 |
| Chhattisgarh | 34,022 | 40,552 |
| Tripura | 33,506 | 33,678 |
| Manipur | 32,275 | 33,542 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 31 March 2025
Top 10 states by central funds released (2024-25)
Central funds released to states under the ST Post-Matric Scholarship in 2024-25, with the 2023-24 release for comparison.
| State | Released 2024-25 (Rs crore) | Released 2023-24 (Rs crore) |
|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | 350.00 | 220.00 |
| Odisha | 294.00 | 135.64 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 250.00 | 350.00 |
| Gujarat | 231.22 | 350.00 |
| Jharkhand | 200.00 | 53.11 |
| Telangana | 152.50 | 112.50 |
| Meghalaya | 145.08 | 85.00 |
| Karnataka | 125.00 | 225.56 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 120.00 | 114.71 |
| Maharashtra | 117.81 | 570.36 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 31 March 2025
How an ST student gets the Post-Matric Scholarship
What the numbers show
The Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Tribe students pays fees and a maintenance allowance for study after Class 10. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs told Lok Sabha that 18,15,598 students benefited in 2024-25 and that the Centre released Rs 2,598.34 crore to states that year.
The trend over five years
Beneficiaries rose from 20,05,696 in 2020-21 to a peak of 23,44,407 in 2021-22, then eased to 22,69,112 in 2022-23, 20,63,703 in 2023-24 and 18,15,598 in 2024-25. Funds did not follow the same path. Releases were highest in 2023-24 at Rs 2,668.69 crore and stayed close to that in 2024-25, even though fewer students were reported, so funds and student counts for the same year do not move together.
State differences
Madhya Pradesh has the most beneficiaries, with 3,26,410 in 2024-25, followed by Gujarat, Odisha and Maharashtra. North Eastern states with large tribal populations, such as Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, also feature in the top 15. Releases to individual states swing a lot from year to year: Maharashtra got Rs 570.36 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 117.81 crore in 2024-25, while Jharkhand went from Rs 53.11 crore to Rs 200 crore.
What the figures do not tell you
Some states did not report beneficiaries for some years. Rajasthan's 2024-25 figure is missing, and the ministry marks such gaps with an asterisk, so the national total for that year is understated. The fund figures are the central share only and do not include what states spend from their own budgets.
Where to check
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs publishes scheme details on tribal.nic.in, and its answers in Parliament, released through PIB, carry the state-wise tables. Students can track their own application on the National Scholarship Portal or their state scholarship portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many ST students get the Post-Matric Scholarship?
18,15,598 Scheduled Tribe students received the scholarship in 2024-25, according to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The highest in the last five years was 23,44,407 in 2021-22.
How much does the Centre spend on the ST Post-Matric Scholarship?
The Centre released Rs 2,598.34 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 2,668.69 crore in 2023-24. In 2020-21 the release was Rs 1,829.08 crore.
Which state has the most ST Post-Matric scholarship holders?
Madhya Pradesh, with 3,26,410 students in 2024-25, followed by Gujarat with 2,33,161 and Odisha with 2,30,366.
Why did the beneficiary count fall in 2024-25?
Part of the fall is reporting. Rajasthan, which had 1,68,516 beneficiaries in 2023-24, did not report 2024-25 figures. Jharkhand's count also fell from 1,48,676 to 65,104.
Where does this data come from?
From the Ministry of Tribal Affairs reply to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha on 18 December 2025, published by PIB, which gave state-wise beneficiaries and funds for 2020-21 to 2024-25.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Post Matric Scholarship Scheme For The Students Belonging To Scheduled Tribe For Studies In India full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2205850)
- tribal.nic.in (tribal.nic.in/ScholarshiP.aspx)