UGC NET December 2026 fee payment extended till November 1 for existing applicants

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has extended the deadline for fee payment for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) December 2026. Candidates who had already submitted their online application forms but had not completed the fee payment now have until 1st November 2026, 11:50 PM, to do so.

This extension specifically addresses applicants who completed the initial registration process but faced issues with fee submission. The registration window for new applications and document uploads closed on 31st October 2026, and no new submissions are being accepted.

UGC NET December 2026 Application Status and Fee Details

As of 1st November 2026, a total of 10,86,321 candidates had registered for the UGC NET December 2026 exam. Of these, 9,48,109 candidates successfully paid the application fee, and 9,47,222 candidates downloaded their confirmation pages. However, 19,706 applicants had submitted their forms but had not yet paid the application fee, while 1,14,160 applicants had not uploaded their photographs and signatures and had not paid the fee. Also, 4,334 candidates had uploaded required images but had not submitted application forms or completed fee payment.

The application fee for the UGC NET December 2026 examination varies by candidate category. General category candidates are required to pay ₹1,150. Candidates from the EWS and OBC-NCL categories must pay ₹600, while those from SC, ST, PwD, and third gender categories are charged ₹325. The fee can be paid online using Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI.

Examination Schedule and Eligibility Criteria

The NTA will conduct the UGC NET 2026 exam across the country from 14th to 18th December and on 21st December 2026. The UGC NET exam serves to determine eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), appointment as assistant professor, and admission to PhD programmes in Indian universities and colleges. It also selects candidates for the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC), National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC), and Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students (MANF).

To be eligible, candidates must hold a Master’s degree with a minimum of 55% marks, or 50% for SC/ST/OBC/PwD categories. The maximum age limit for JRF is 30 years, with a 5-year age relaxation provided for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD/Women candidates. There is no upper age limit for the Assistant Professor position.

Further reading

• UGC NET application deadline extended: apply by 31 October for December 2026 exam
• UGC NET December 2026 application deadline extended: apply by 31 October
• AP Ed.CET registration: dates and steps to apply
• UGC NET: complete exam guide

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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