CBSE NSP framework 2026-27 revised: students can now get merit and welfare scholarships together

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on 22 September 2026 released a revised framework for the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) for the Academic Year 2026-27. This update allows students to simultaneously receive both merit-based and welfare-based scholarships, addressing previous issues where different types of student support were incorrectly flagged as duplicates.

The new rules, effective from Academic Year 2026-27, are based on a Cabinet Secretariat Office Memo dated 12 November 2025. This change aims to craft easier the application process and ensure eligible students can access all applicable financial aid without being hindered by the ‘One Student, One Scholarship’ principle, which previously prevented students from receiving multiple forms of support.

Changes to Scholarship Application Rules

Under the revised framework, students can now apply for one merit-based scholarship scheme alongside one or more welfare-based scholarship schemes. Scholarship types are categorized into merit-based, such as the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS), INSPIRE, and the Central Sector Scheme, and welfare-based, which include Pre-Matric and Post-Matric schemes for SC, ST, OBC, and minority students.

The portal, which opened for Academic Year 2026-27 on 1 June 2026, has also introduced changes to the application process. Details from a student’s first application form are now saved and reused for subsequent applications, requiring students to only add scheme details and documents for new forms. If a form is marked ‘Defective’, only scheme details can be fixed. To change personal or study details, all submitted forms must first be withdrawn. Officers can view all of a student’s forms together, but a mistake in personal or study details will result in all forms being marked with a ‘Red Flag’.

National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) Updates

The application deadline for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for 2026-27 has been extended to 30 September 2026. This scheme, administered by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Union Ministry of Education, aims to prevent student drop-outs after elementary school and encourage completion of education up to higher secondary level. It provides 1 lakh fresh scholarships annually for Class IX students, with a scholarship amount of Rs. 12,000 per annum per student.

Eligibility for NMMSS includes parental income not exceeding Rs. 3.50 lakh per annum and a minimum of 55% marks in Class VII, with a 5% relaxation for SC/ST students. As of 31 August 2026, 79,398 fresh and 1,87,208 renewal applications have been submitted for NMMSS. The last date for INO verification (L1) is 15 October 2026, and for DNO verification (L2) is 31 October 2026.

Other Scholarship Schemes and Application Procedures

Renewal applications are currently open for the ‘PM-USP – Central Sector Scheme Of Scholarship For College And University Students (CSSS) (Merit Based Scheme)’ and the ‘PM USP Special Scholarship Scheme For Jammu Kashmir And Ladakh (Merit Based Scheme)’. The closing date for student applications for CSSS renewal is 31 October 2026, with institute verification closing on 15 November 2026, and L2 verification on 30 November 2026.

The Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS), administered by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, offers up to 82,000 new scholarships per year, with 50% reserved for girls. Eligibility requires students to be above the 80th percentile of successful candidates in Class XII and have a parental income not exceeding Rs. 4.5 lakh per annum. In addition, CBSE offers a Merit Scholarship Scheme for Single Girl Child, requiring a minimum of 70% marks in the CBSE Class X exam and studying Class XI and XII in a CBSE-affiliated school, with a family income cap of ₹8 lakh per annum. A Board Merit Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST candidates is also available, requiring a minimum of 85% marks in the relevant CBSE examination of Class X or Class XII.

One Time Registration (OTR) is mandatory for applying for scholarships on NSP from Academic Year 2024-25, which can be generated using an Aadhaar or Aadhaar Enrollment number (EID). NSP services are available at Common Service Centres (CSCs) for a total charge of Rs. 30.00 per candidate. Students getting error 904 during face authentication should update the UIDAI AadhaarFACERD App from the PlayStore, and ensure their Biometric Lock/Unlock status is ‘Unlocked’ in Aadhaar before proceeding for face authentication through the NSP OTR app.

Further reading

• Odisha NEET 2026 Round 2 Revised Merit List Released at ojee.nic.in
• WBMCC Releases WB NEET UG 2026 Revised Provisional Merit List at wbmcc.nic.in

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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