SMILE - Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons (Scholarship)

What is the SMILE scholarship for transgender persons?

SMILE; Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise, is an umbrella scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment that brings together welfare measures for transgender persons and for people engaged in begging. Within the transgender sub-scheme, the scholarship component supports transgender students so that they can stay in school and complete their higher secondary education.

According to the scheme listing on the myScheme portal, the SMILE scholarship pays Rs 13,500 per academic year to a transgender student. It covers students in Classes IX and X (secondary), Classes XI and XII (senior secondary), and XI-XII level vocational courses run at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Industrial Training Centres (ITCs) affiliated to the NCVT, and polytechnics.

Because the scholarship is meant to remove the financial barrier that pushes transgender students out of school, it is paid directly to the student and renewed each year as long as the student keeps up satisfactory marks.

Key features

• Annual scholarship of Rs 13,500 per selected student.
• Covers Classes IX to XII, including vocational streams at ITIs and polytechnics.
• Requires a Transgender Certificate from the National Portal for Transgender Persons.
• Number of scholarships is fixed and limited each year; selection is on merit.
• Paid once a year and renewed annually on proof of good academic standing.

Who is eligible for the SMILE transgender scholarship?

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian national and a transgender person.
• You hold a Transgender Identity Certificate issued through the National Portal for Transgender Persons.
• You are a full-time student in Classes IX to XII, or in an XI-XII level vocational course at an NCVT-affiliated ITI/ITC or a polytechnic.
• You are not drawing any other central or state pre-matric or post-matric scholarship for the same period.

You cannot apply if:

• You do not hold a Transgender Certificate from the national portal. This is a strict requirement.
• You are already receiving another central or state pre-matric or post-matric scholarship, since duplicate scholarships are not allowed.
• You are a part-time or correspondence student, or are studying below Class IX, which is outside the component's scope.
• You are not an Indian national.

Because the scholarships are fixed in number, meeting the eligibility conditions does not guarantee selection — the final list is drawn up on merit.

What documents are required for the SMILE scholarship?

How to apply for the SMILE scholarship

1. Go to the National Portal for Transgender Persons at transgender.dosje.gov.in and register as an applicant.
2. First apply for and obtain your Transgender Certificate and Identity Card through the portal, the scholarship cannot be applied for without it.
3. Open the scholarship application and fill in your personal, academic and bank account details.
4. Upload the documents, previous year's marksheet, Aadhaar card, photograph, the non-duplication declaration and the institute verification form.
5. Submit the application within the announced window for the academic year and note the reference number.
6. If selected, the scholarship is credited to your bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer. Renew each year by submitting proof of satisfactory marks.

How much does the SMILE scholarship pay?

The SMILE scholarship pays Rs 13,500 per academic year per selected student, paid once in the year. There is no separate hostel or day-scholar split published for this component. The amount is a single annual figure meant to offset the cost of continuing education.

Selection is competitive: because the number of scholarships is fixed, students are ranked on their previous year's marks, with post-matric applicants (Classes XI-XII) preferred over pre-matric (Classes IX-X), and, in a tie, the older candidate by date of birth preferred.

The wider SMILE scheme

The scholarship is only one part of SMILE. The transgender sub-scheme of SMILE also provides support such as skill development, medical assistance and shelter (Garima Greh homes), while a separate SMILE sub-scheme covers the rehabilitation of persons engaged in begging. This guide covers the scholarship component specifically; the other components have their own eligibility rules and are administered through the same Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Help and contact for the SMILE scholarship

• National Portal for Transgender Persons: transgender.dosje.gov.in
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: socialjustice.gov.in
• National Helpline against Atrocities (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment): 1800-11-4515

The SMILE scholarship is free to apply for. No agent can secure it for you, and selection is based only on merit and eligibility as recorded on the national portal.