What are the general conditions of eligibility?

a. A citizen of India. b. A person with disability having not less than 40% disability and having a disability certificate issued by the competent medical authority. c. Not more than two disabled children of the same parents will be entitled to receive benefits of the scheme. In case if the second child is a twin, the scholarship under these schemes will be admissible to both twins. d. Scholarship for studying in any class will be available for only one year. If a student has to repeat a class, he/she would not get scholarship for a second (or subsequent) year. e. A scholarship holder under these schemes will not hold any other scholarship/stipend. If awarded any other scholarship/stipend, the student can exercise his/her option for either of the two scholarships/stipends, which is more beneficial to him/her and should inform the awarding authority through the Head of the Institution about the option exercised.

For which course is the Top Class Education scheme for students with disabilities available?

Scholarships for Top Class Education for SwDs: Students eligible for Post-graduation Degree/Diploma in 240 notified Institutes as given in the Scheme guidelines. The consolidated DEPD guidelines (September 2024) state that Top Class is for graduate and post-graduate degree/diploma in institutes of excellence notified by DEPwD (Annexure-I); scholarship is not admissible for distance-learning, part-time or week-end courses, and the award under this component cannot be considered a second time for the same individual.

Whether students pursuing studies through correspondence or distance education are eligible for the Top Class scholarship?

SwDs are eligible only in case of Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for correspondence/distance education. Top Class is not admissible for distance-learning, part-time or week-end courses under the guidelines.

What is the parental income limit for the Top Class scheme?

For Pre-Matric Scheme- The parental/guardian income from all sources should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh per annum. For Post-Matric Scheme- The parental/guardian income from all sources should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh per annum. For Top-Class scheme- The parental/guardian income from all sources should not exceed Rs.8.00 lakh per annum.

How can I apply online for the scholarship?

The Pre-Matric, Post Matric and Top Class Scholarship Schemes for Disabilities are online schemes which are on-boarded on National Scholarship Portal. One can apply for scholarship under these schemes (both Fresh and Renewal), please visit the website through URL www.scholarships.gov.in.

What is the last date for submitting applications online?

Opening and Closing dates for acceptance of applications are decided by the DBT Mission, Cabinet Secretariat and are available in National Scholarship Portal, www.scholarships.gov.in.

How do I submit the online application? What is the difference between Fresh and Renewal?

Fresh: Students Applying for the first time must register as a fresh in the portal through the option "Student Registration", on the home page of NSP then have to fill up all the mandatory fields correctly as per the instructions given on the portal. After saving the application, student will get "Application ID and Password" which will be required each time to open the application till final submission and further to check the application status after final submission. The application ID will be conveyed to the student through SMS also, which will be required to apply for Renewal scholarship (if eligible) next year. Renewal: Students who had been selected for scholarship last year through NSP and the same course is continuing in current year will be considered as renewal. For renewal of application, student need to login on the portal with previous year Application Id and Password then have to update only minimal details i.e. fee details, previous year marks etc. in the existing application. In case, student has forgotten the password to apply for Renewal, he/she may use "Forgot Password" option to reset the password.

What is the remedy for the error "Invalid User Name" while login for Renewal with the previous year Application ID?

Under the "Forgot Application ID" option, student may recover the correct ID by using the option "Search by Bank Account Number" and "Search by Mobile Number".

What are the documents required to upload on the portal?

Students with less Rs. 50,000/- scholarship amount, no documents are required to be uploaded on the Portal. Students have to submit the required documents to their respective school/institutions. The list of documents to be submitted to the college/institution/school: i. Aadhaar ID or if not available Aadhaar enrollment receipt. ii. Disability certificate issued by the competent authority designated by the District Medical officer/civil surgeon of a govt. Hospital. iii. Parental income certificate issued by the designated authority as per scheme (duly signed by revenue authority, form 16 is not acceptable). iv. Copy of previous year mark sheet. v. Tuition fee receipt. Students with more than Rs. 50,000/- scholarship amount need to upload the following documents in the portal before final submission: i. Student photograph; ii. Scanned copy of parental income certificate (duly signed by revenue authority/tehsildar; form 16 is not acceptable); iii. Scanned copy of Aadhaar card/Aadhaar enrollment no.; iv. Scanned copy of disability certificate; v. Scanned copy of previous year mark sheet; vi. Tuition fee receipt of current course year; vii. Scanned copy of bank passbook/cancelled cheque leaf; viii. Receipt of purchase of computer and aids and assistive device to be uploaded (only in case of top-class scholarship scheme for SwDs). Please note that the document should be in PDF or JEPG format only. The size of each document should not exceed 200kb. The documents uploaded must be in readable mode otherwise application is liable to be rejected.

What should I do, if I do not find my institute name in the drop-down menu?

You should immediately approach the institute to contact with the nodal officer of the State where the institute is located. You can also approach the Nodal Officer of that State directly through e-mail under intimation to the Ministry. If your institute is an eligible institution, the State Government concerned would register the Institute online through portal and then you can apply.

What is the meaning of verification in the scholarship process?

The process of verification is essentially meant to check whether the particulars given in the scholarship form are correct as per the documents enclosed. The verification is done in two steps namely School/college/Institute verification and State verification. School/Institute Verification: The Institute Nodal Officer has been mandated to verify the documents submitted/uploaded by the students against the entries made in the application form online. If all the entries are found correct, the Institute Nodal Officer would accept and forward the application to State level for verification by the appointed Officer or by the State Nodal Officer. State Verification: The Verification officer appointed by State Nodal Officer or himself verifies the application as per the documents uploaded by each student and as per the verification done by the Institutes. If found eligible, the SNO would accept the application for scholarship and after completion of Bank validation on PFMS, the SNO would digitally sign the same and send it to the concerned Ministry for further processing.

Why is the application sent for Bank Validation after State verification?

After completion of verification by SNO, the application moves forward to PFMS for bank validation. In this process, PFMS verifies whether the bank account details of the student i.e. IFSC code, Account No. etc. are correct/valid. If the bank details are found incorrect/invalid, the application would be rejected by PFMS. In this case, the payment process may be completed only after account correction in the application, if correction provision is available on NSP.

How do I check the status of my application?

Student can check the status of Online Application by submitting his/her Application ID and Date Of Birth/Password under the link "Check your Status" on the home page of NSP.

Are the milestone dates on this DeshSeva page the official deadlines?

We publish NSP workflow milestone dates for planning. Opening/closing and verification dates are decided by the competent authorities and shown on www.scholarships.gov.in; always confirm live dates and scheme status there.

Whom should I contact for technical issues on NSP?

You may register your complaint on the home page of NSP. You may also raise the issue through the Helpline number and email ID available on the portal.

Home / Government scholarships / Scholarship For Top Class Education For Students With Disabilities

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities

Scholarship For Top Class Education For Students With Disabilities

This page summarises published scheme window and verification milestones for planning purposes. Eligibility, award amounts, documents, and the live application form are on the National Scholarship Portal.

Open National Scholarship Portal All government scholarships

Key dates (milestone summary)

Dates are shown as on the NSP workflow (DD-MM-YYYY). Verify current status on the portal.

Milestone dates for Scholarship For Top Class Education For Students With Disabilities
Milestone	Date / window
Scheme open from	25-06-2025
Student application closed on	15-12-2025
Defective application verification closed on	31-12-2025
Institute verification closed on	31-12-2025
DNO/SNO/MNO verification closed on	15-01-2026

Complete reference: Scholarship for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities

This long-form guide explains the Top Class Education component of the Central Sector umbrella scheme “Scholarships for Students with Disabilities”, administered by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, and processed on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). It follows the revised guidelines (Office Memorandum File No. 3-06/2017-sch, Comp. No. 14196, dated 25 September 2024) and the DEPD FAQ for NSP applicants. It is intended for students in graduate and post-graduate degree/diploma courses at institutes listed in Annexure‑I of the guidelines, parents, institutes and nodal officers. It does not replace the official PDFs or the live scheme form: always confirm eligibility, income limits, document formats, opening and closing dates, and verification deadlines on scholarships.gov.in and depwd.gov.in.

DeshSeva’s milestone table above lists workflow dates for planning. Opening and closing windows are decided by the DBT Mission, Cabinet Secretariat and shown on NSP.

2024 revision

The September 2024 O.M. approves modifications to the umbrella guidelines with immediate effect. Rates, slot counts, income ceilings and procedures—including PFMS and DBT—are defined in the consolidated guideline PDF on the portal.

1. Policy foundations

Article 41 and Article 46 of the Constitution (Directive Principles) support state action for education and weaker sections; Article 38(2) speaks to reducing inequalities. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016: Section 31(1) affirms education rights for children with benchmark disability; Section 17(h) contemplates scholarships in appropriate cases. DEPwD implements the umbrella scheme with six components; Top Class Education (component iii) covers graduate and post-graduate degree/diploma in notified institutes of excellence (Annexure‑I), with a parental/guardian income ceiling of Rs. 8 lakh per annum—distinct from Pre-Matric (classes IX–X, Rs. 2.5 lakh) and Post-Matric (class XI through PG in recognised institutions broadly, Rs. 2.5 lakh).

2. Broad features (Top Class row)

The guidelines’ summary table states that Top Class applies to graduate and post-graduate degree/diploma in institutes notified by DEPwD (listed at Annexure‑I). 300 slots (including renewal cases), parental/guardian income ceiling Rs. 8 lakh per annum, 50% reservation of slots for female candidates (unutilised female slots may go to eligible male candidates if sufficient female candidates are not available).

Slots: Fresh applications are considered only against leftover slots after all renewal cases are processed—meeting eligibility does not guarantee an award. DEPwD may interchange slots among Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Top Class subject to approved outlay and approval of the Secretary, DEPwD.

Top Class scheme summary from DEPD guidelines
Item	Top Class (guidelines)
Courses	Graduate and post-graduate degree/diploma in institutes notified by DEPwD (Annexure‑I)
Slots	300 (including renewals)
Income ceiling	Rs. 8 lakh p.a. (parent/guardian, all sources)
Female reservation	50% of slots (subject to availability of eligible women)

3. General conditions of eligibility (all NSP-onboarded DEPD streams)

Indian nationals only.
Benchmark disability (40% or more under RPwD, 2016), valid disability certificate, Aadhaar biometric authentication, UDID or UDID enrolment as required.
Not more than two children with disabilities of the same parents—if the second child is a twin, both twins may receive benefits.
Scholarship for a given class/year: one year only; repeating a class disqualifies that year.
No other scholarship/stipend; if another award is taken, this scholarship stops—choose the more beneficial award and inform through the head of institution (per FAQ).

4. Top Class eligibility (guidelines §6.1)

This component is admissible only for pursuing graduate and post-graduate degree/diploma courses in Institutes of Excellence in Education as notified by DEPwD. The list of premier institutions is at Annexure‑I of the guidelines; additions or deletions are notified by DEPwD, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, as required.

Not distance, part-time or week-end: Scholarship is not admissible for distance-learning, part-time or week-end courses under any stream.
One award per individual under this component: The award under Top Class cannot be considered for a second or subsequent time—the individual can be awarded only once under this component.

The NSP FAQ refers to study in notified institutes as listed in the scheme guidelines; for the authoritative institute list, use Annexure‑I in DEPDGuidelines_1.pdf (not reproduced in full on this page).

5. Quantum of financial assistance (Top Class)

Top Class scholarship components and rates
Component	Financial assistance (guidelines)
Reimbursement of admission fee and tuition fee (paid/payable)	Up to Rs. 1,90,000 per annum (subject to actual amount)
Miscellaneous fee (library, sports, medical examination and similar fees compulsorily payable)	Up to Rs. 10,000 per annum (subject to actual amount)
Computer / laptop with accessories (one-time, first year of course)	Rs. 45,000 as a one-time grant; bill/receipt as proof of purchase of laptop/computer required
Aids and assistive devices relating to the particular disability (one-time, first year)	Rs. 30,000 as a one-time grant; reimbursement based on bills/vouchers. The approved Comprehensive List of Aids and Assistive Devices (Government of India, O.M. Z-11012/3/2020-DD-I dated 09.07.2024 and subsequent notifications) applies; beneficiary must not have claimed assistance under ADIP in the last three years.
Maintenance allowance	Rs. 3,000 per month (hostellers); Rs. 1,500 per month (day-scholars)
Special allowances (reader, escort, helper, etc.)	Rs. 2,000 per month
Book allowance	Rs. 5,000 per annum

6. Application and selection (guidelines §7)

Applications through NSP (scholarships.gov.in), by the last prescribed date, with documents such as photograph, age proof, disability certificate, parental income certificate, tuition fee receipt, last qualification certificate, as required for upload.
Institutes register on NSP and verify student details; state nodal oversight and digital sign-off in PFMS for disbursement.
Permanent resident of State A, studying in State B: application should be recommended by the Education/Welfare Department of the state of permanent residence.
State-wise slots: Eligible applications and state-wise population share of persons with disabilities feed into slot distribution (per guideline formula).
Merit: Percentage of disability on the certificate; for Specific Learning Disability where the certificate shows 40% or above without a specific percentage, use 40% for merit.
Tie-breaker: Older candidate preferred.

If your institute does not appear in the NSP drop-down, the FAQ directs you to contact the institute and state nodal officer so the institute can be registered when eligible.

7. Duration and renewal (guidelines §8)

Award continues to completion of the course subject to good conduct and attendance; renewed year to year if promoted to the next higher class within the continuous course duration.
Post-Matric rule on failure: If a student fails for the first time, the award may be renewed; for second and subsequent failures, the student bears expenses until promoted to the next higher class.
Unable to appear in the annual exam (illness or unforeseen events): renewal may be allowed with medical certificate and head of institution certification that the scholar would have passed.
Regulation-based promotion without passing lower exams: scholarship for the class to which promoted if otherwise eligible.

8. Other conditions (maintenance, internship, conduct)

False statements: Cancellation, recovery, blacklisting, permanent debarment.
Subject/course change from the awarded course may cancel the scholarship.
Discontinuation: Refund of scholarship may be required at DEPwD discretion.
Maintenance from 1 April or month of admission (whichever is later) to the month examinations end (including holidays); if admission is after the 20th of a month, payment from the following month. Renewals: from the month after the last-paid month if the course is continuous.
No scholarship during M.B.B.S. internship/housemanship or practical training in other courses if the student receives remuneration or stipend/allowance during that period.
Conduct/progress: Cancellation or withholding if the head of institution reports unsatisfactory progress or misconduct (e.g. strikes without permission, irregular attendance).

9. Income proof (NOTE 2)

Self-employed parents/guardians: income certificate from Revenue Officers authorised by the State/UT. Employed parents/guardians: consolidated certificate from the Revenue Officer for any additional source of income beyond salary. The FAQ states Form 16 is not acceptable as the parental income certificate—use the revenue-authority certificate the scheme requires.

10. Disbursal: NSP, DBT, PFMS

Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Top Class amounts are credited to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts via DBT through NSP. After state verification, PFMS validates bank details (IFSC, account number); incorrect details block payment until corrected on NSP where permitted.

11. Monitoring and verification

DEPwD monitors via NSP. States maintain district-wise and category-wise beneficiary lists. At least 10% of units undergo physical verification (blocks/district/state), randomly selected.

12. DEPD FAQ themes (Top Class–relevant)

Courses: Top Class is for degree/diploma in institutes notified in the scheme guidelines (Annexure‑I). Distance/correspondence is not eligible for Top Class—SwDs are eligible for correspondence only under Post-Matric among these three NSP schemes (FAQ Q3).

Income: Top Class parental/guardian income from all sources not above Rs. 8 lakh per annum (FAQ Q4).

Documents: If total scholarship is below Rs. 50,000, students may not need to upload documents on the portal but must submit listed items to the institution; above Rs. 50,000, upload photograph, income certificate, Aadhaar, disability certificate, marksheet, fee receipt, bank passbook/cancelled cheque, and for Top Class receipt of purchase of computer and aids and assistive device when applicable (FAQ Q13). PDF or JPEG, each file ≤ 200 KB, readable.

Fresh vs renewal, defects, PFMS tracking—same portal mechanics as other DEPD NSP schemes; use “Check your Status” and PFMS “Track NSP Payment” as in the FAQ.

13. Practical checklist (non-exhaustive)

Confirm admission is in an Annexure‑I institute and course is full-time graduate/PG (not distance/part-time/week-end).
Benchmark disability certificate, UDID/Aadhaar as required.
Income certificate from the correct revenue authority; Rs. 8 lakh ceiling for Top Class.
Fee receipts and documentation for tuition and miscellaneous fee reimbursement.
Preserve bills for laptop/computer and aids/assistive devices for first-year one-time grants.
Institute registered on NSP; coordinate verification before deadlines.
Bank account Aadhaar-verified; update IFSC if bank merged.
Declare other scholarships; remember Top Class is a one-time award under this component per guidelines.

Official PDFs and portal

DEPDGuidelines_1.pdf — umbrella guidelines including Top Class rates, Annexure‑I and procedures.
DEPDFAQ.pdf — NSP frequently asked questions.
National Scholarship Portal — apply and confirm live dates.
depwd.gov.in — department notices.

This reference summarises official documents for readability. For authoritative wording, tables and Annexure‑I, use the PDFs above.

Frequently asked questions

What are the general conditions of eligibility?: a. A citizen of India. b. A person with disability having not less than 40% disability and having a disability certificate issued by the competent medical authority. c. Not more than two disabled children of the same parents will be entitled to receive benefits of the scheme. In case if the second child is a twin, the scholarship under these schemes will be admissible to both twins. d. Scholarship for studying in any class will be available for only one year. If a student has to repeat a class, he/she would not get scholarship for a second (or subsequent) year. e. A scholarship holder under these schemes will not hold any other scholarship/stipend. If awarded any other scholarship/stipend, the student can exercise his/her option for either of the two scholarships/stipends, which is more beneficial to him/her and should inform the awarding authority through the Head of the Institution about the option exercised.
For which course is the Top Class Education scheme for students with disabilities available?: Scholarships for Top Class Education for SwDs: Students eligible for Post-graduation Degree/Diploma in 240 notified Institutes as given in the Scheme guidelines. The consolidated DEPD guidelines (September 2024) state that Top Class is for graduate and post-graduate degree/diploma in institutes of excellence notified by DEPwD (Annexure-I); scholarship is not admissible for distance-learning, part-time or week-end courses, and the award under this component cannot be considered a second time for the same individual.
Whether students pursuing studies through correspondence or distance education are eligible for the Top Class scholarship?: SwDs are eligible only in case of Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for correspondence/distance education. Top Class is not admissible for distance-learning, part-time or week-end courses under the guidelines.
What is the parental income limit for the Top Class scheme?: For Pre-Matric Scheme- The parental/guardian income from all sources should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh per annum. For Post-Matric Scheme- The parental/guardian income from all sources should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh per annum. For Top-Class scheme- The parental/guardian income from all sources should not exceed Rs.8.00 lakh per annum.
How can I apply online for the scholarship?: The Pre-Matric, Post Matric and Top Class Scholarship Schemes for Disabilities are online schemes which are on-boarded on National Scholarship Portal. One can apply for scholarship under these schemes (both Fresh and Renewal), please visit the website through URL www.scholarships.gov.in.
What is the last date for submitting applications online?: Opening and Closing dates for acceptance of applications are decided by the DBT Mission, Cabinet Secretariat and are available in National Scholarship Portal, www.scholarships.gov.in.
How do I submit the online application? What is the difference between Fresh and Renewal?: Fresh: Students Applying for the first time must register as a fresh in the portal through the option "Student Registration", on the home page of NSP then have to fill up all the mandatory fields correctly as per the instructions given on the portal. After saving the application, student will get "Application ID and Password" which will be required each time to open the application till final submission and further to check the application status after final submission. The application ID will be conveyed to the student through SMS also, which will be required to apply for Renewal scholarship (if eligible) next year. Renewal: Students who had been selected for scholarship last year through NSP and the same course is continuing in current year will be considered as renewal. For renewal of application, student need to login on the portal with previous year Application Id and Password then have to update only minimal details i.e. fee details, previous year marks etc. in the existing application. In case, student has forgotten the password to apply for Renewal, he/she may use "Forgot Password" option to reset the password.
What is the remedy for the error "Invalid User Name" while login for Renewal with the previous year Application ID?: Under the "Forgot Application ID" option, student may recover the correct ID by using the option "Search by Bank Account Number" and "Search by Mobile Number".
What are the documents required to upload on the portal?: Students with less Rs. 50,000/- scholarship amount, no documents are required to be uploaded on the Portal. Students have to submit the required documents to their respective school/institutions. The list of documents to be submitted to the college/institution/school: i. Aadhaar ID or if not available Aadhaar enrollment receipt. ii. Disability certificate issued by the competent authority designated by the District Medical officer/civil surgeon of a govt. Hospital. iii. Parental income certificate issued by the designated authority as per scheme (duly signed by revenue authority, form 16 is not acceptable). iv. Copy of previous year mark sheet. v. Tuition fee receipt. Students with more than Rs. 50,000/- scholarship amount need to upload the following documents in the portal before final submission: i. Student photograph; ii. Scanned copy of parental income certificate (duly signed by revenue authority/tehsildar; form 16 is not acceptable); iii. Scanned copy of Aadhaar card/Aadhaar enrollment no.; iv. Scanned copy of disability certificate; v. Scanned copy of previous year mark sheet; vi. Tuition fee receipt of current course year; vii. Scanned copy of bank passbook/cancelled cheque leaf; viii. Receipt of purchase of computer and aids and assistive device to be uploaded (only in case of top-class scholarship scheme for SwDs). Please note that the document should be in PDF or JEPG format only. The size of each document should not exceed 200kb. The documents uploaded must be in readable mode otherwise application is liable to be rejected.
What should I do, if I do not find my institute name in the drop-down menu?: You should immediately approach the institute to contact with the nodal officer of the State where the institute is located. You can also approach the Nodal Officer of that State directly through e-mail under intimation to the Ministry. If your institute is an eligible institution, the State Government concerned would register the Institute online through portal and then you can apply.
What is the meaning of verification in the scholarship process?: The process of verification is essentially meant to check whether the particulars given in the scholarship form are correct as per the documents enclosed. The verification is done in two steps namely School/college/Institute verification and State verification. School/Institute Verification: The Institute Nodal Officer has been mandated to verify the documents submitted/uploaded by the students against the entries made in the application form online. If all the entries are found correct, the Institute Nodal Officer would accept and forward the application to State level for verification by the appointed Officer or by the State Nodal Officer. State Verification: The Verification officer appointed by State Nodal Officer or himself verifies the application as per the documents uploaded by each student and as per the verification done by the Institutes. If found eligible, the SNO would accept the application for scholarship and after completion of Bank validation on PFMS, the SNO would digitally sign the same and send it to the concerned Ministry for further processing.
Why is the application sent for Bank Validation after State verification?: After completion of verification by SNO, the application moves forward to PFMS for bank validation. In this process, PFMS verifies whether the bank account details of the student i.e. IFSC code, Account No. etc. are correct/valid. If the bank details are found incorrect/invalid, the application would be rejected by PFMS. In this case, the payment process may be completed only after account correction in the application, if correction provision is available on NSP.
How do I check the status of my application?: Student can check the status of Online Application by submitting his/her Application ID and Date Of Birth/Password under the link "Check your Status" on the home page of NSP.
Are the milestone dates on this DeshSeva page the official deadlines?: We publish NSP workflow milestone dates for planning. Opening/closing and verification dates are decided by the competent authorities and shown on www.scholarships.gov.in; always confirm live dates and scheme status there.
Whom should I contact for technical issues on NSP?: You may register your complaint on the home page of NSP. You may also raise the issue through the Helpline number and email ID available on the portal.