What this scheme offers
The Nagaland State Merit Scholarship is a state-funded scholarship for students in post-matric courses, handled by the Higher Education Department and applied for on the Nagaland State Common Scholarship Portal. The portal lists a Merit scheme with an application window from 1 August to 31 October 2026, and says amounts and detailed eligibility are in the guideline that can be downloaded from the scheme's listing. Third-party listings describe a minimum of 80% in the last qualifying exam for Class 11 and undergraduate courses and 70% for B.Ed and postgraduate courses, and give an amount of about ₹30,000 a year. These sources disagree on whether the scholarship is only for Scheduled Tribe students, so the guideline should be read first.
Who is eligible
- A student from Nagaland pursuing a post-matric course at a recognised institution.
- Marks in the last qualifying exam at or above the guideline's cut-off — third-party listings say 80% for Class 11 and degree courses and 70% for B.Ed and PG.
- Not a repeater, no study gap of more than two years, and not a government or semi-government employee, according to third-party listings.
- Not receiving another major scholarship; the portal allows only one scholarship application at a time.
Documents required
- Aadhaar card, with Aadhaar authentication through DigiLocker
- Aadhaar-seeded bank account in the student's name
- Marksheet of the last qualifying exam
- Proof of Nagaland residence and, if asked, a community certificate
- Admission or enrolment proof from the institution
How to apply
- Open the Nagaland State Common Scholarship Portal and register with your Aadhaar details.
- Download the Merit scheme's guideline and check the eligibility and amount.
- Fill in the application and upload your documents; names and dates must match Aadhaar exactly.
- Submit before 31 October 2026 — a submitted application cannot be edited.
- Contact the scheme's nodal officer, listed on the portal, about eligibility, documents or status.