The National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students is a central scheme run by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It helps Scheduled Tribe (ST) students study at higher levels. It has two parts. The fellowship pays a monthly stipend to ST students doing an M.Phil or PhD. The scholarship pays for prescribed courses at notified premier institutes.
Only ST students can apply. Fellowship applicants need 55% or more in their postgraduate degree, plus a pass in UGC-NET or Joint UGC-CSIR NET. Scholarship applicants need a family income within Rs. 6 lakh a year and admission on merit to a notified institute.
What you get
The government listing on UMANG, the government app portal, gives these fellowship rates. The Ph.D rate is not shown in the part of the listing I could read.
| Part | Course | Stipend | Contingency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fellowship | M.Phil, humanities and social sciences | Rs. 31,000 a month | Rs. 10,000 a year |
| Fellowship | M.Phil, science and engineering | Rs. 31,000 a month for the first two years, then Rs. 35,000 for the remaining three | Rs. 25,000 a year |
| Scholarship | Prescribed courses at notified institutes | Tuition, admission and other fees, plus a stipend and allowances for books and a computer | - |
The Ministry’s own scheme page still shows Rs. 25,000 a month for M.Phil and Rs. 28,000 a month for Ph.D. Those figures look older than the rates above, so check the latest notification on the portal before you plan a budget. Fellows also receive house rent allowance at UGC rates, which the listing gives as 8%, 16% or 24% depending on the city.
The scholarship covers tuition and other fees, a stipend, and allowances for books and a computer. The official pages I could read do not give a monthly stipend figure for the scholarship.
Who can apply
- Fellowship: a Master’s degree with 55% or more marks, a qualifying UGC-NET or Joint UGC-CSIR NET result, and admission to a covered institution. The maximum age is 36 years.
- Fellowship institutions include universities recognised under UGC rules, deemed universities, institutions funded by the Centre or a state, and institutes of national importance.
- Scholarship: family income from all sources must not exceed Rs. 6 lakh a year.
- Scholarship: admission on merit to one of the 265 notified premier institutes. Fresh and renewal applicants both apply in the 2026-27 round.
- Girls, Divyangjan and PVTG students get preference in both parts.
- Students admitted to a notified institute cannot also apply under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry.
How to apply
Use the portal for the part you want. The fellowship and the scholarship have separate portals.
- For the fellowship, open the National Tribal Fellowship Portal at fellowship.tribal.gov.in.
- Register with a valid email ID. The portal makes registration with an email ID mandatory.
- Submit your application in the window. The portal generally opens on 1 July and closes on 30 September.
- For the scholarship, open the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in.
- Apply under the Ministry’s Top Class scholarship for 2026-27. Follow the portal’s on-screen steps, because the official text I could read does not list them.
Documents you need
The official pages I could read do not publish a full document list. For the fellowship, the Ministry says release of money depends on a joining report, a linked bank account and a continuation certificate.
How students are selected
For the fellowship, the Ministry ranks candidates on their Master’s marks. It then uploads the merit list of 750 selected candidates after verification. For the scholarship, eligible students who secure admission to a notified institute are awarded it.
Renewal
- Scholarship: it continues for the full length of the course, subject to satisfactory performance as assessed by the institute.
- Fellowship: 750 fellowships are given each year for a period of five years. Money is released only after the required compliance, including the continuation certificate.
Important dates
- Scholarship, 2026-27: the National Scholarship Portal opened for fresh and renewal applications in June 2026. Ministry verification of applications closes on 30 November 2026. The official text I could read does not give the student closing date, so check the portal now.
- Fellowship: the Ministry said in August 2026 that the portal generally opens on 1 July and closes on 30 September. I could not find a 2026-27 fellowship notice in the official text I read, so check the portal before you assume a window is open.
Scholarship queries can go to the grievance module at tribal.nic.in/grievance. Fellowship queries can go through the grievance module inside the fellowship portal.
