Photo: Harsha K R, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Central Government’s National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) helps Scheduled Caste students do a Master’s or PhD abroad. It is a scheme of the MSJE. It covers full tuition fees and a maintenance allowance of $15,400 a year in the USA and other countries — £9,900 a year in the UK. Every year, 125 scholarships are given, of which 115 are for SC students. It is for students who have got admission in a top-500 QS-ranked university abroad.
How much money is given
Under NOS, the full tuition fee charged by the foreign university is paid. A yearly maintenance allowance is also given: $15,400 a year in the USA and other countries, and £9,900 a year in the UK. A contingency allowance for books and study material is also given — $1,500 a year in the USA and £1,100 a year in the UK. Airfare, visa fees and health insurance costs are also covered. The scholarship is given for a maximum of 3 years for a Master’s degree and 4 years for a PhD. In one year, the total support can be ₹15–25 lakh — it depends on the country and the fees.
Who can apply
For the NOS Scholarship, the applicant must belong to the Scheduled Castes (SC), Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNT), Landless Agricultural Labourers or Traditional Artisans communities. The applicant must have at least 60% marks in the qualifying examination — a Bachelor’s degree for a Master’s course and a Master’s degree for a PhD. The applicant’s age must be below 35 years as on 1 April of the selection year. The total family income must not exceed ₹8 lakh a year. The applicant must hold an unconditional offer of admission from a foreign university — in the first round, the university must be in the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings. Note: there is a separate NOS-ST scheme for ST students, run by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs — it is different from this scheme.
How to apply
Applications are made online on the NOS portal, nosmsje.gov.in. First, get admission in a foreign university — without admission, no application can be made. Register and upload the caste certificate, income certificate, marksheet, admission offer letter and passport. The application cycle usually opens every year in February–April and runs for about 40 days — check the latest dates on nosmsje.gov.in. Never pay anyone for applying. Selection is based on merit and income, and the final list is published on the MSJE website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How much money is given under the National Overseas Scholarship? A: Full tuition fees, a $15,400 yearly allowance (£9,900 in the UK), a $1,500 yearly contingency allowance, airfare and visa costs.
Q2: How many scholarships are given every year? A: 125 scholarships — 115 for SC, 6 for DNT and 4 for landless agricultural labourers/traditional artisans.
Q3: Who can apply? A: SC/DNT students with 60% marks, age below 35 years, income up to ₹8 lakh a year, and admission in a top-500 university.
Q4: Where do I apply? A: Online on the NOS portal nosmsje.gov.in; the cycle usually opens in February–April.
Useful links
- NOS Official Portal: https://nosmsje.gov.in/
- NOS on MyScheme: https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/nos-sc
- Also see the AICTE PG Scholarship (SC/ST): https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/central-government-pg-scholarship-professional-courses-sc-st-haryana/
- Next Action: see all 726 Central Government schemes — https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/kendra-sarkar-ki-yojnayen-2/
