The Top Class Education Scholarship for Students with Benchmark Disabilities is one of the six components of the central Scheme of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities run by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It pays for graduate and postgraduate degree or diploma courses taken in the Institutes of Excellence notified by the department.
The support is wide. It reimburses the full admission and tuition fee up to Rs 1.90 lakh a year, gives a one-time grant of Rs 45,000 for a laptop or computer and a one-time grant of Rs 30,000 for aids and assistive devices related to the disability, pays a monthly maintenance allowance, a monthly special allowance for reader, escort or helper support, and a yearly book allowance.
Applications are accepted only online on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). For the 2026-27 session the portal opened on 1 June 2026 and the last date for the student application is 31 October 2026.
Top Class Education Scholarship for Students with Disabilities: quick facts
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment |
| Scholarship value | Tuition and admission fee up to Rs 1.90 lakh a year, plus a monthly maintenance allowance, laptop grant, aids grant and book allowance |
| Who can apply | Indian students with a benchmark disability of 40% or more who are studying a graduate or postgraduate degree or diploma course |
| Income limit | Family income up to Rs 8 lakh per year |
| Courses covered | Graduate and postgraduate degree or diploma courses in the institutes notified by DEPwD |
| Last date to apply | 31 October 2026 (student application on the National Scholarship Portal) |
| Official website | scholarships.gov.in – National Scholarship Portal scheme list |
How much financial assistance do you get?
The scheme pays the following amounts every year, except the laptop and aids grants which are one-time payments in the first year of the course:
| Admission and tuition fee | Up to Rs 1.90 lakh per year (subject to the actual amount paid) |
| Library, sports, medical examination and other compulsory fees | Up to Rs 10,000 per year (subject to actual) |
| Computer or laptop with accessories | Rs 45,000 as a one-time grant in the first year (bills or receipts required) |
| Aids and assistive devices for the disability | Rs 30,000 as a one-time grant in the first year (bills or vouchers required) |
| Maintenance allowance | Rs 3,000 per month for hostellers, Rs 1,500 per month for day-scholars |
| Special allowance (reader, escort or helper) | Rs 2,000 per month |
| Book allowance | Rs 5,000 per year |
The aids and assistive devices grant follows the government’s approved list of aids for each disability. A student who has already taken assistance under the ADIP scheme in the last three years cannot claim this grant.
Eligibility criteria
- The applicant must be an Indian national.
- The student must have a benchmark disability of 40% or more as defined under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
- Admission must be in a graduate or postgraduate degree or diploma course in an institute notified as an Institute of Excellence by DEPwD.
- Family income must not be more than Rs 8 lakh per year.
- Distance learning, part-time and week-end courses are not admissible.
- The award is given only once. A student who has already received this component cannot get it a second time or for a second course.
- A total of 300 slots are available every year including renewal cases, and 50% of the slots are reserved for female candidates. Fresh cases are considered only against the slots left after all renewal cases are processed.
Which institutes are covered?
Only institutes notified by DEPwD as Institutes of Excellence in Education are covered. The notified list runs to several hundred institutions and includes the Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the National School of Drama, the Film and Television Institute of India and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. The department can add or remove institutes from the list, and the current list is printed in the scheme guidelines.
How are candidates selected?
Selection is made on the percentage of disability shown in the disability certificate. For specific learning disability, where no exact percentage is printed, the disability percentage is taken as 40% for the merit list. If two candidates have the same disability percentage, the older candidate gets preference. Slots are then distributed state-wise on the basis of each state’s share of persons with disabilities and the number of eligible applications received from that state.
How to apply for the scholarship
- Register and apply online on the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) before the last date.
- Upload the photograph, proof of age, disability certificate, income certificate of the parent or guardian, tuition fee receipt and the certificate of the last academic qualification.
- The institute where you are studying must also be registered on NSP and must verify your details online.
- The nodal officer nominated by the State Government processes the application and digitally signs the final list in the Public Finance Management System (PFMS).
- If you are a permanent resident of one state but studying in another state, the application must be recommended by the education or welfare department of the state of which you are a permanent resident.
- The scholarship amount is credited directly into the bank account linked with Aadhaar through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Important dates for 2026-27
- Scheme open for applications: 1 June 2026
- Last date for the student application on NSP: 31 October 2026
- Verification of defective applications: 15 November 2026
- Verification by the institute: 15 November 2026
- Verification by DNO, SNO and MNO: 30 November 2026
Frequently asked questions
An Indian student with a benchmark disability of 40% or more, whose family income is up to Rs 8 lakh a year, and who is studying a graduate or postgraduate degree or diploma course in an institute notified by DEPwD.
It reimburses the admission fee and tuition fee up to Rs 1.90 lakh per year, subject to the actual amount paid to the institute or university.
No. The Rs 45,000 grant for a computer or laptop with accessories is a one-time payment made in the first year of the course, and the student has to submit the bill or receipt of purchase.
No. The scholarship is not admissible for distance learning, part-time or week-end courses under any stream.
No. The award under this component can be given only once, so a student who has already received it cannot apply again for a second course.
The last date for the student application on the National Scholarship Portal is 31 October 2026. Institute verification closes on 15 November 2026 and DNO, SNO and MNO verification on 30 November 2026.
Official links
- National Scholarship Portal – full scheme list with dates
- DEPwD – Scheme of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities, official guidelines (PDF)
- Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
Related reading: National Scholarships
Graduation Scholarships
Post Graduation Scholarships
Related scholarship posts
- Post Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities 2026-27
- Pre Matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities 2026-27
- Top Class Scholarship for SC Students 2026-27