Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities Statistics: Students and Money Released
· 1 min read · 3 official sources
The Top Class Education scholarship for students with disabilities supported 833 students with Rs 13.03 crore in 2024-25, up from 14 students in 2015-16, according to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. In all, DEPwD counts 3,746 beneficiaries and Rs 44.71 crore over ten years. Year-wise figures are below.
Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities: key numbers
Infographic
Top Class scholarship for students with disabilities, year by year
Number of beneficiaries and amount released each financial year, as published by DEPwD on 15 December 2025.
| Financial year | Beneficiaries | Amount released (Rs crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 14 | 0.24 |
| 2016-17 | 42 | 0.86 |
| 2017-18 | 37 | 0.67 |
| 2018-19 | 78 | 1.06 |
| 2019-20 | 239 | 3.02 |
| 2020-21 | 453 | 4.5 |
| 2021-22 | 519 | 5.04 |
| 2022-23 | 825 | 7.82 |
| 2023-24 | 706 | 8.47 |
| 2024-25 | 833 | 13.03 |
Source: cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in, as on 31 March 2025
Disability scholarships compared (2024-25)
Beneficiaries and amount released in 2024-25 under each scholarship of the Central Sector umbrella scheme for students with disabilities.
| Scholarship | Beneficiaries | Amount released (Rs crore) |
|---|---|---|
| Post-Matric | 11,668 | 37.29 |
| Pre-Matric | 9,938 | 10.22 |
| Top Class Education | 833 | 13.03 |
| National Fellowships | 447 | 24.12 |
| Free Coaching | 101 | 0.55 |
| National Overseas | 13 | 3.89 |
Source: cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in, as on 31 March 2025
How the Top Class scholarship reaches a student
What the numbers show
The Top Class Education scholarship pays for students with benchmark disabilities to study at notified institutes of excellence. Year-wise data published by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) shows 833 students supported with Rs 13.03 crore in 2024-25. That is the most money released in any year since 2015-16.
The trend over the years
The scheme started very small. Only 14 students were supported in 2015-16 and fewer than 100 in each of the next three years. The number rose to 239 in 2019-20 and 453 in 2020-21, and then reached 825 in 2022-23. It dipped to 706 in 2023-24 before rising again to 833 in 2024-25.
Money released has grown steadily, from Rs 0.24 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 3.02 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 13.03 crore in 2024-25. Over the ten years, DEPwD reports a total of 3,746 beneficiaries and Rs 44.71 crore released.
How it compares with other disability scholarships
Top Class Education is one of six scholarships under the Central Sector umbrella scheme for students with disabilities. In 2024-25 the Post-Matric scholarship reached far more students (11,668) and the Pre-Matric scholarship 9,938. Top Class reaches fewer students but pays more for each one, because it covers full tuition at premier institutes. Its Rs 13.03 crore in 2024-25 was more than the Pre-Matric scholarship's Rs 10.22 crore.
What the figures do not tell you
The DEPwD table counts beneficiaries in each year, so a student who renews the scholarship for three years appears in three years' counts. Adding the years does not give the number of different students. The table also does not split beneficiaries by state, gender, type of disability or institute. The guidelines fix 300 slots, but the number of beneficiaries in a year can differ from the slot count.
Frequently asked questions
How many students get the Top Class scholarship for students with disabilities?
833 students received it in 2024-25, according to the year-wise data published by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. The number was 706 in 2023-24 and 825 in 2022-23.
How much money was released under the scheme in 2024-25?
Rs 13.03 crore was released in 2024-25, the highest in any year since 2015-16. The figure was Rs 8.47 crore in 2023-24.
How many beneficiaries have there been since 2015-16?
DEPwD reports a total of 3,746 beneficiaries and Rs 44.71 crore released from 2015-16 to 2024-25.
How many slots does the scheme have?
The scheme guidelines on the National Scholarship Portal fix 300 slots, with 50% reserved for girls. Renewal cases are processed before fresh applications.
What does the scholarship pay?
It reimburses tuition and non-refundable fees up to Rs 2 lakh a year, plus a maintenance allowance of Rs 3,000 a month for hostellers or Rs 1,500 for day scholars, and other allowances.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities 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:
- cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in (cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3e58aea67b01fa747687f038dfde066f6/uploads/2025/12/2025121)
- depwd.gov.in (depwd.gov.in/document-category/scholarship)
- scholarships.gov.in (scholarships.gov.in/public/schemeGuidelines/DEPDGuidelines.pdf)