National Overseas Scholarship 2025, Submit NOS Application form by SC, ST, OBC & Minority Students

National Overseas Scholarship 2025 for SC, ST, OBC and Minority Students and submit NOS application at National Overseas Scholarship Portal, https://nosmsje.gov.in/.

The National Overseas Scholarship facilitates low-income students’ obtaining higher education, viz., Master’s or Ph.D. courses, by studying abroad, thereby improving their economic and Social status.

The NOS Scheme provides financial assistance to selected candidates for pursuing Master’s level courses and Ph.D. abroad in accredited Institutions/Universities by an authorized body of that country in any field of study.

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment invites applications for National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for SC 2025-25. 

The scholarship aims to support the overseas higher education of low-income students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribe, Landless Agricultural Labourer and Traditional Artisan categories.

Financial assistance is offered to students pursuing a Master’s degree or PhD abroad to help improve their economic and social status. The scholarship recipients will receive an annual maintenance allowance of USD 15,400 and other benefits.

Selection Criteria: The eligible candidates’ online applications shall be submitted to the Selection and Screening Committee for their recommendations on selection and ranking of the eligible candidates for the scholarship.

Minimum Qualification: In order to be eligible for the scholarship, at least 60% of marks or equivalent grade in the qualifying examination would be required. In the case of Ph. D courses, the qualifying exam would be a Master’s Degree and for Master’s Degree courses, the qualifying examination would be a Bachelor’s Degree.

Age Limit: Not more than 35 (Thirty-Five) years, as on the first day of April 2025.
Income Ceiling: Total family income from all sources shall not exceed Rs. 8.00 lakh per annum in the preceding year, i.e., 2025-25.

Duration of Award with Financial Assistance: The prescribed financial assistance will be provided up to completion of the course/research or the following period, whichever is earlier:

• Ph.D: 04 years (Four years)
• Master’s Degree: 03 years (Three years)

Application Deadline: See on the web portal

NOS Financial Assistance

Overseas Scholarship

Benefits: The selected applicants will receive the following benefits:

For studies in the USA and other countries except for UK-

• The annual maintenance allowance of USD 15,400 
• Contingency allowance of USD 1,500
• Tuition fees (actual as charged)
• Visa fees (actual visa fees)
• Medical Insurance Premium
• Incidental Journey Allowance and Equipment Allowance
• Poll Tax
• Air passage

For studies in the UK

• The annual maintenance allowance of GBP 9,900
• Contingency allowance of GBP 1,100
• Tuition fees (actual as charged)
• Visa fees (actual visa fees)
• Medical Insurance Premium
• Incidental Journey Allowance and Equipment Allowance
• Poll Tax
• Air passage

National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) Scheme for SC etc. candidates

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, India: The National Overseas Scholarship is an Indian scholarship provided by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, India. Students from socially and economically backward classes can benefit from this scheme and get an opportunity to study abroad in an accredited and recognized university.

• 30% of the total National Overseas Scholarships are available for female students.
• The National Overseas Scholarship is available for master’s and Ph.D. programs in the US, UK, Germany, etc.
• The scheme covers the cost of attendance, medical insurance, travel expenses, and other miscellaneous expenses.
• Students must obtain scores for all the tests required to study abroad at institutions such as Boston University, Harvard University, the University of Iowa, etc.
• The portal will open on January 1, 2021, and close on January 31, 2021, for the remaining scholarship slots.

Eligibility Criteria

As mentioned earlier, the National Overseas Scholarship is valid at various universities in Canada, Germany, the US, etc. In addition to fulfilling the admission requirements of the chosen university, applicants must fulfill the eligibility criteria established for the scholarship scheme.

SC, ST, and OBC candidates applying for the National Overseas Scholarship must fulfill the requirements given below:

Educational Qualification:

• For Masters: Minimum 55% or it’s equivalent at the undergraduate level.
• For Doctorate: Minimum 55% or it’s equivalent at the master’s level

Applicants must note that preference will be given to candidates with relevant experience.

• Maximum Age Limit: Applicants must be below 35 years as of April 1, 2020.
• Maximum Permissible Income Limit: Total family income should not exceed 6,00,000 INR.
• Children Criteria: Only two children from the same parent can benefit from the National Overseas Scholarship.

Along with fulfilling these requirements, it is significant that the applicants meet the minimum score requirements of tests like IELTS, PTE, GMAT, GRE, etc. Every university has its own minimum ELP and other test score requirements.

Selection Process

The Selection Committee for the National Overseas Scholarship considers all applications impartially. The selection for the scholarship award is given to the candidates who fulfill the eligibility criteria.

Along with that, the National Overseas Scholarship panel focuses on the following factors:

• Only applications submitted before the deadline will be considered.
• Preference will be given to those who have already secured admission at a university in the UK, Germany, Canada, etc.
• Students yet to secure admission to an international university will also be considered on a conditional basis.

In case of a tie, between two or more applicants, the following procedure will be followed:

• First of all, available unfilled slots earmarked for female applicants will be given to the most eligible candidates.
• Next, the remaining slots will be filled up by the eligible applicants exceeding the age limit, i.e., the first available slot will be given to the oldest candidate and subsequent slots in the descending order.

Note: Applicants must remember that NO additional interviews or group discussions will take place.

Grant Details

The National Overseas Scholarship covers the following expenses which a student might incur during their period of studying in a foreign country. The expenses covered under the scholarship are mentioned below:

• Maintenance Allowance
• Contingency Allowance
• Poll Tax
• Incidental Journey and Equipment Allowance
• Visa Fees
• Tuition Fees
• Medical Insurance Premium
• Air Passage
• Local Travel

Students are also allowed to supplement these allowances by taking up Teaching/ Research Assistantship jobs. For 2022-2025, the organization is going to allocate 100 slots for scholarships to eligible students. the distribution of these slots are mentioned above

Number of Slots

Field of Study covered by the National Overseas Scholarship:

• Engineering and Management (32 seats)
• Pure Sciences and Applied Sciences (17 seats)
• Agricultural Sciences and Medicine (17 seats)
• International Commerce Accounting and Finance (17 seats)
• Humanities and Social Sciences (17 seats)

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has implemented this scheme for the benefit of socially oppressed classes so that they can study abroad. The scheme also expects, under normal circumstances, that the students return to India after concluding their studies and serve the country in a government office for a minimum of five years.

Necessary Documents

• Caste/Category certificate
• Date of birth certificate
• Photo
• Scanned signature
• Current address proof
• Permanent address proof
• Qualifying mark sheet/Degree
• Valid document for marks
• Valid document regarding admission in Foreign University 
• Income certificate of all family members contributing to the household
• Employer’s NOC certificate (if the applicant is employed)

Application Process

The application form for the National Overseas Scholarship will be available on the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s official website from the first week of April.

Students must submit the completed application and necessary documents within the established deadline. The Ministry requires all the students to submit self-attested copies of the following documents:

• Proof of Date of Birth
• All Degree/ Diploma/ Certificate along with mark sheets
• Income Certificate of Family
• Offer Letter College/ University

Note: Offer of admission from the chosen university in Germany, Canada, US is mandatory. 

Steps to Apply for Foreign Scholarship :

To apply under this Scheme, the applicant should first visit its official website, social justice.nic.in Or nosmsje.gov.in. The Scheme will then have to be selected under the “What New” section appearing here.

For more information about this scheme, you can click on the “National Overseas Scholarship Scheme Available Here” advertisement.

Doing this will give you all the information as a PDF file.

Before applying for this scheme, you should read all the guidelines and rules carefully. Then, if you want to fill out the form, you should download the form available here.

Now, all the necessary information in this form should be filled out correctly, and a printout should be taken. A photo of it should then be copied and posted to the given address.

Under this National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) Scheme, students who have applied for post-graduation will be given a 3-year scholarship. And those who have applied for research will be given a scholarship of 4 years. Students who have not yet enrolled in any university can apply in this scheme. And after getting your offer letter, they will start getting scholarship benefits.

NOS 2025 to ST Students:

National Overseas Scholarship: This is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and every year, 20 fresh ST students are given scholarships to pursue Master’s, Ph.D., or Post-Doctoral courses abroad.

Applications are invited online on the National Overseas Portal. The detailed scheme guidelines, Instruction manual, and all information required for filling out the application are available on the NOS Portal. Registered students can upload their queries and grievances on the portal.

How to Apply?: Interested applicants can apply for the scholarship through the official link

• Visit the website and register to create a login account to apply.
• Log in with the username and password to start the application.
• Provide personal details, address, foreign university details, etc.
• Provide educational and employment details, visa details, etc
• Submit the form online.

National Overseas Scholarship is a benefit for poor students who can’t afford to pursue higher studies abroad. The scheme’s implementation procedure is totally transparent. The students are selected based on the authenticity of their documents and the eligibility conditions prescribed by the department.

NOS scheme provides financial assistance to students pursuing higher studies abroad, such as Master’s, Ph.D., and Post-Doctoral Courses, in prestigious foreign universities.

Students who opt to pursue higher studies abroad in prestigious foreign Universities after their degree course are provided with a National Overseas Scholarship by the Government at the above-mentioned rate for a two-year course only.

FAQs on National Overseas Scholarship

What is the National Overseas Scholarship?

The National Overseas Scholarship Program provides financial aid to students from disadvantaged social groups to pursue advanced degrees abroad. It offers scholarships for Master’s and Ph.D. programs at recognized institutions. Around 125 scholarships are awarded annually, with 30% reserved for female candidates.

Who can apply for the National Overseas Scholarship?

Following target groups are eligible to apply under the Scheme: i) Scheduled Castes ii) Denotified Tribes & Semi-Nomadic Tribes iii) Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans

What is the eligibility criterion?

The important eligibility criterion is as follows: (i) Age below 35 as on 1st April of every Selection Year. (ii) Family Income less than Rs. 8,00,000 (Rs. Eight lakh per annum).

How many slots are available in each year?

100 slots are available in each Financial Year.

Is scholarship available for graduation-level courses?

No, Under the Scheme Scholarship is provided for Master and Ph.D courses only.

What are the main subjects/ Streams under which scholarship is provided?

Candidate can apply in any stream of study

What is the minimum Qualification Required?

In case of Scholarship for Masters Degree abroad, minimum required qualification is Graduation Degree whereas for Ph.D, the minimum qualification requirement is Masters Degree

What is the minimum percentage of marks required?

A minimum 60% of marks are required for availing scholarship. In case of CGPA score also, the equivalent marks should not be less than 60%.

Can my brother/sister also apply for the Scholarship?

Not more than two children of the same parents/ guardians will be eligible and to this effect a self-certification will be required from the candidate. An awardee cannot be considered for the award on a subsequent occasion as the award can be given only once. The second child of the same parents/guardians will be considered only if the slots are still available for the year

How many awards are earmarked for Scheduled Castes/ Denotified Tribes & Semi-Nomadic Tribes / Landless Agricultural Labourers & Traditional Artisans ?

Following number of slots are earmarked for different target groups i) Scheduled Castes – 90 ii) Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes – 06 iii) Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans – 04

What is the procedure for applying?

Applicant can apply for scholarship through the online portal only. The address of the portal is as http://nosmsje.gov.in/

What is the duration of the Scholarship?

A Maximum 3 year for Master’s Degree & 4 Years for Ph.D. course

How much financial assistance is provided?

Under the scheme following assistance is provided: i) Tuition Fees ii) Maintenance allowance (US Dollars 15,400/- Annually except UK. Great Britain Pound 9,900/- Annually in UK) iii) Contingency Allowance iv) Poll Fee v) Visa fees vi) Equipment allowance vii) Fees and medical insurance premium viii) Air Passage of economy class ix) Local Travel For details refer to scheme guideline 2019-20 available in the Portal.

Who gives the assistance?

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provides financial assistance for the admissible expenditure incurred in India and the expenditure incurred abroad on the awardees and is met by the concerned Indian Missions. Consequent upon final selection of a candidate for award under the scheme, the candidate is issued a provisional award letter by this Ministry, which also includes a certificate giving therein the details of financial entitlements under the scheme.

How to seek admission abroad?

Selected candidates are required to themselves arrange for their admission in foreign accredited educational institutions/universities as per the scheme guidelines.

How to get visa?

The candidate may approach the Embassy for getting an appropriate visa. In the USA, only J1 visas will be accepted. The Government of India does not assist candidates in obtaining visas.

What are the formalities to be completed before proceeding for studies abroad?

The selected candidates are required to furnish all such legal documents and other agreements before their departure abroad, as decided by Government of India from time to time. The candidates on reaching abroad are also required to immediately contact the concerned Indian Mission abroad and execute such necessary legal documents and other agreements, as decided by the Mission. In case of employed candidates, they are also required to executive such bonds, agreements etc.