A student in Pune, one in Patna and one in Hyderabad may all be chasing the same kind of post-matric scholarship, yet each will log in to a completely different website with a different name, a different login method and a different verification route. That is because in India a large slice of scholarship money, including much of the support for SC, ST, OBC and minority students and almost all fee reimbursement, is handled by state governments on their own portals.
This guide is a directory. It first explains the four broad ways states organise their scholarship websites, then gives a quick table of portal names, followed by short notes on each major state in alphabetical order. It ends with the steps that are common almost everywhere, advice for students studying outside their home state and a warning about fake lookalike sites. Use it to find your state’s front door, then confirm the details on the official site itself.
Four Ways States Run Their Scholarship Websites
Once you know which model your state follows, the portal stops feeling strange.
Single-Window Portals
One website carries the schemes of many departments behind one login. Maharashtra’s MahaDBT and Odisha’s State Scholarship Portal are examples. You see every scheme you might fit, but you should still choose carefully, because most cannot be combined.
Department-Wise Systems
Each welfare department runs its own scheme separately, sometimes on separate pages or sites. Tamil Nadu and West Bengal lean this way, so a student may need to find the correct department first.
Identity-Linked Logins
Some states tie scholarship access to a state-wide login or family database. Rajasthan routes its scholarships through the state single sign-on (SSO), and the Jan Aadhaar family card is generally needed. Haryana’s schemes often draw income and residence details from the state family ID records.
NSP-Reliant States and Territories
Some smaller states and union territories send most applications through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) instead of running a large portal of their own. Students there should watch NSP closely.
The Portal Directory
The table gives the name each state’s scholarship system is commonly known by. States rename portals and shift schemes between them, so treat it as a starting point.
| State | Portal Name | How It Is Generally Organised |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Jnanabhumi | Post-matric and fee reimbursement on one system |
| Bihar | PMS Online Bihar | Dedicated post-matric portal for SC, ST, BC, EBC |
| Gujarat | Digital Gujarat | General citizen portal with department scholarships |
| Haryana | Har Chhatravratti | Higher education department portal; family ID data used |
| Jharkhand | e-Kalyan | Welfare department scholarship portal |
| Karnataka | State Scholarship Portal (SSP) | Several departments, pre-matric and post-matric sections |
| Kerala | e-Grantz | Post-matric for SC, ST, OBC; merit schemes run separately |
| Madhya Pradesh | MP Scholarship Portal 2.0 | Category and state merit schemes together |
| Maharashtra | MahaDBT | Single window for many departments and fee freeship |
| Odisha | State Scholarship Portal | Single portal, absorbing the earlier PRERANA system |
| Punjab | Dr Ambedkar Scholarship Portal | SC and backward class post-matric support |
| Rajasthan | SJE Scholarship via SSO | Identity-linked login; Jan Aadhaar generally needed |
| Tamil Nadu | Department welfare systems | Department-wise; college often forwards the form |
| Telangana | ePASS | Post-matric and fee reimbursement |
| Uttar Pradesh | Scholarship and Fee Reimbursement | Large multi-department system, pre and post-matric |
| West Bengal | OASIS, SVMCM, Aikyashree, Kanyashree | Separate portals by purpose and group |
This directory is a general reference prepared independently; we are not connected with any state government, ministry, portal or scholarship provider. Portal names, schemes, income limits, award amounts and dates change from one academic year to the next, so confirm everything on the official state portal or in the latest government order.
Andhra Pradesh to Haryana
Andhra Pradesh
Jnanabhumi handles post-matric scholarships and fee reimbursement, which matter most to students in engineering, pharmacy and other professional courses. Government orders in recent years have changed how much goes to the student and how much to the college, so read the current order for your course.
Bihar
Post-matric support for SC, ST, BC and EBC students runs on the PMS Online portal, which opens in a yearly window. Girls completing graduation can also look at the Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana graduation incentive, reported at a one-time ₹50,000, which is applied for on the separate MedhaSoft portal. Bihar’s student credit card arrangement is a loan, not a grant, even when it is mentioned beside scholarships.
Gujarat
Digital Gujarat serves as a general citizen services portal. After one registration, you pick the relevant welfare department and then the scholarship.
Haryana
The higher education department’s Har Chhatravratti portal carries post-matric schemes for SC, BC and some other groups. Keep your family ID record updated before the window opens, because mismatched income or residence details there can hold up the form.
Jharkhand to Maharashtra
Jharkhand
The e-Kalyan portal is the usual entry point for welfare scholarships, including post-matric support.
Karnataka
The State Scholarship Portal, known as SSP, has separate pre-matric and post-matric sections and is used by departments such as social welfare, backward classes and minority welfare. It is also one of the state systems known for fee reimbursement support.
Kerala
e-Grantz manages post-matric help for SC, ST and OBC students. The higher education department runs merit and minority scholarships separately, so a Kerala student may need to check two places.
Madhya Pradesh
MP moved to MP Scholarship Portal 2.0, which brings together category-based post-matric schemes and state merit schemes for students who score well in board exams.
Maharashtra
MahaDBT is one of the most complete single-window systems, covering social justice, tribal development, minority development and higher and technical education schemes, along with tuition fee freeship. The citizen portal Aaple Sarkar is where many students obtain income and domicile certificates beforehand.
Odisha to Rajasthan
Odisha
Odisha moved most scholarships onto one State Scholarship Portal, including those earlier processed through PRERANA for SC and ST students, plus state merit schemes for higher education.
Punjab
The post-matric scholarship for SC students runs on the Dr Ambedkar Scholarship Portal. Students should confirm that their college is registered there before filling the form.
Rajasthan
The Social Justice and Empowerment department runs post-matric and related schemes through the state SSO login, and chief minister merit and higher education schemes are accessed the same way. Family details on Jan Aadhaar should match the income certificate, or verification can stall.
Tamil Nadu to West Bengal
Tamil Nadu
Post-matric scholarships for BC, MBC and DNC students are handled by the relevant welfare department, and the college often plays a large role in submitting or forwarding forms. For SC and ST students in self-financing colleges, the college generally needs to be registered with the state system. Ask your college scholarship office which route applies this year.
Telangana
ePASS covers post-matric scholarships and fee reimbursement and is especially important for professional course students. As in Andhra Pradesh, part of the reimbursement may go to the institution.
Uttar Pradesh
The Scholarship and Fee Reimbursement Online System is run mainly by the social welfare, backward class welfare and minority welfare departments, covering pre-matric classes as well as post-matric and professional courses. If a hard copy is required, the date by which it must reach the institute is strict.
West Bengal
For SC, ST and OBC learners at both school and college level, the category scholarships sit on OASIS. SVMCM, the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means scheme, is used mostly by general category students who combine good marks with limited income. Aikyashree serves minority students, and Kanyashree Prakalpa supports girls who stay in education.
Union Territories and Smaller States
Himachal Pradesh runs its own ePASS system. Several smaller states and union territories rely heavily on NSP for both central and some local schemes. If you live in one of these places and cannot find a separate portal, ask your district welfare office or your institute which schemes are on NSP this year. Do not assume nothing exists just because there is no stand-alone state website.
What You Will Typically Find on a State Portal
State portals carry more than the familiar category scholarships. Before you decide that nothing fits you, scan the full list for these kinds of schemes.
- Fee reimbursement or freeship: the state pays some or all of the tuition for eligible students, often only for seats filled through state counselling.
- State merit awards: one-time or yearly grants for students who top the state board or score above a set percentage.
- Girl-focused incentives: payments for staying in school, completing Class 12 or finishing graduation.
- Hostel and maintenance help: allowances for students who must live away from home to study.
- Equipment schemes: laptops, tablets or bicycles in some states, usually tied to board results or enrolment.
- General category support: merit-cum-means or EWS schemes for families who are not in a reserved category but have limited income.
The mix changes when governments change, so read the scheme list afresh each season instead of trusting a senior’s memory of last year.
Common Steps Across Almost Every State
Whatever the portal is called, the flow tends to look like this:
- Register with mobile number and Aadhaar, plus any state ID such as SSO or family records.
- Fill personal, academic, income and bank details and upload certificates from the state service portal.
- Submit, then hand any required printout to your institute.
- The institute nodal officer verifies admission, fees and attendance.
- A district welfare officer or state department approves the claim.
- Payment arrives by Direct Benefit Transfer, through PFMS or the state treasury, into an active account in the student’s name seeded with Aadhaar on the NPCI mapper.
Renewal is rarely automatic. In most states you must reapply or renew each year, and a missed renewal can stop payments for the rest of the course.
When You Study in Another State
State scholarships are usually tied to domicile, the state where you permanently live, not the state of your college. A student from Odisha studying in Karnataka may still be supported by Odisha’s scheme if it allows out-of-state study. Some states permit this only for courses unavailable at home or for institutions of national importance. Your faraway college may not know your home state’s system, so contact its scholarship cell early, tell them the portal name and ask whether they hold a login. Keep domicile, caste and income certificates current, since many states want papers issued within a set period.
Scholarships meant for education costs are generally not taxable. The exemption sat in Section 10(16) of the old Income-tax Act and now appears in Schedule II of the Income-tax Act, 2025, in force from 1 April 2026. Anyone demanding “tax” before releasing a state scholarship is almost certainly a fraudster.
Avoiding Lookalike Portals
Copycat websites and social media pages imitate state portals to steal data or fees. Real state portals do not charge students to register or apply, and their addresses usually end in “gov.in” or “nic.in”. Type the address yourself instead of tapping a link in a forwarded message. Check status only inside your own login. If a caller asks for an OTP, PIN or a “processing fee”, refuse, note the number and report it on the cybercrime helpline 1930 or the national cybercrime reporting portal.
Finding Your State’s Front Door
State portals can look confusing only until you know your state’s model and its portal name. Identify both, renew your state certificates before the window opens, keep your bank account DBT-ready and make sure your institute is registered on the state system. Check NSP for central schemes as well, choose the single best option for your course and renew every year on time.
State Portal Doubts From Students
Which portal handles central post-matric schemes in my state?
It varies. Many shared post-matric schemes for SC, ST and OBC students are collected on the state portal rather than NSP. Ask your institute’s scholarship desk or the district welfare office which portal is accepting your scheme this year.
Do I need my state’s family or citizen ID to apply?
In some states, yes. Rajasthan generally needs Jan Aadhaar through SSO, and Haryana schemes often use family ID data. Other states rely on Aadhaar alone. Check the registration page before the season opens.
Do renewal students register again every year?
Usually not. Most portals let you log in with your existing account and choose the renewal option, but you still need to submit updated marks, fee receipts and sometimes a fresh income certificate.