The Central Government’s SHREYAS scheme is an umbrella of 4 scholarships for SC and OBC students in higher education. The full name is — Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme. It is run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E). Its 4 parts are: Free Coaching, Top Class Education, National Overseas Scholarship and National Fellowship. The family income limit is ₹8 lakh a year. From 2014-15 to 2025-26, ₹3,509.39 crore was spent on the scheme and 1,18,248 students benefited.
What are the 4 parts
The 4 parts of SHREYAS serve different needs. Free Coaching gives free coaching to SC and OBC students for competitive exams. Top Class Education pays the full fees of SC students in reputed institutions. The National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) sends SC students abroad for masters and PhD. The National Fellowship (NFSC) gives fellowships to SC students for M.Phil and PhD. Each part has different eligibility and amounts — the details of each part are given below. Full details of Top Class Education are also in our separate guide (https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/central-government-top-class-education-sc-haryana/).
Free Coaching and Top Class Education
Free Coaching has 3,500 slots every year — SC:OBC ratio 70:30 and 30% of the slots for women. The coaching is for UPSC, state PSC, bank, SSC and other competitive exams. Under Top Class Education, the full tuition fee and non-refundable charges of SC students are paid — with a ceiling of ₹2 lakh a year in private institutions. An academic allowance is also given — ₹86,000 in the first year and ₹41,000 a year in later years. So far, 35,237 students have got ₹703.44 crore under Top Class and 23,208 students have got ₹145.10 crore under Free Coaching.
Overseas Scholarship and National Fellowship
Under the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS), 115 SC, 6 DNT and 4 landless agricultural labourer/traditional artisan students are sent abroad every year for masters and PhD. Under the National Fellowship (NFSC), 2,000 new fellowships are given every year — 500 in science and 1,500 in humanities/social sciences. The NFSC amount is equal to the UGC-NET fellowship. So far, 59,039 students have got ₹2,199.28 crore under NFSC. For NOS, admission in a foreign university is needed; for NFSC, passing UGC-NET is needed.
How to apply
The application process is different for the four parts. For Free Coaching and Top Class Education, apply on the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in). For the National Overseas Scholarship, also apply on NSP. For the National Fellowship (NFSC), apply on the UGC website (ugc.gov.in). Check the latest dates and process on the NSP or UGC website — never pay anyone for applying. Before applying, keep your caste, income and marks certificates ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How many parts does the SHREYAS scheme have? A: 4 parts — Free Coaching, Top Class Education, National Overseas Scholarship and National Fellowship.
Q2: What is the income limit? A: Family income must be below ₹8 lakh a year.
Q3: How many slots are there in Free Coaching? A: 3,500 slots every year — SC:OBC ratio 70:30, 30% of the slots for women.
Q4: Where do I apply? A: On NSP for Free Coaching, Top Class and NOS; on the UGC website for NFSC.
Useful links
- National Scholarship Portal (NSP): https://scholarships.gov.in/
- SHREYAS Scheme on MyScheme: https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/shreyas
- Next Action: see all 726 Central Government schemes — https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/kendra-sarkar-ki-yojnayen-2/
