Uttar Pradesh Scholarships: The Complete Guide (2026)

Uttar Pradesh runs its scholarships through one main website, but that website hosts many different forms — and picking the wrong one is a common, avoidable mistake. This guide explains how UP organizes its scholarships, so you land on the right form the first time.

One website, many forms

Almost all UP scholarships are on scholarship.up.gov.in. But within that one site, forms are split two ways: by your category group, and by your class stage.

Category groups:

• General, SC, and ST — combined into one form. This is different from most states, which usually give SC and ST their own separate forms.
• OBC — a separate form.
• Minority (Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain) — a separate form.

Class stages:

• Pre-Matric — Class 1 to Class 10.
• Post-Matric Intermediate — Class 11 and Class 12.
• Post-Matric Other-than-Intermediate — undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and professional courses.

What this means for you: Combine your category group with your class stage to find the right form. A General category student in Class 12 needs a different form from a General category student in college, even though both are "General" category.

Studying outside UP? There's a specific form for that

If you hold UP domicile but are studying in a different state, UP has a specific Outside State Post-Matric scholarship option. Use this instead of the regular in-state form.

Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana works differently

This is a benefit scheme for girl children, not a typical yearly scholarship. Money is released at different life stages — from birth through higher education — rather than through a single yearly application. It runs on its own separate portal, mksy.up.gov.in, not the main UP scholarship portal. If you are researching this scheme, treat it as a separate, long-term benefit.

AKTU students have their own welfare fund

If you study at a college affiliated with AKTU (Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University), there is a separate AKTU Student Welfare Fund you may be able to apply for, in addition to the regular UP scholarships.

Beyond the main portal: 6 more schemes worth checking

The Pre-Matric/Post-Matric system isn't the only source of UP scholarship money. Several other departments run their own schemes, each with its own eligibility and portal:

• UP Divyangjan Post-Matric Scholarship & Fee Reimbursement — for students with 40%+ disability (valid UDID card required), Class 11 through PhD, worth up to ₹50,000 plus a monthly stipend. Run by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, separate from the main Social Welfare Department schemes.
• UP Sanskrit Education Scholarship — for students studying Sanskrit from Class 6 up to Acharya/postgraduate level. The scheme recently removed its ₹50,000 family income cap, so more students now qualify.
• UP Chief Minister (CM) Fellowship Programme — a postgraduate/PhD research fellowship from the Planning Department, worth up to ₹4,80,000 a year (monthly stipend plus field travel allowance), for scholars with 60%+ in their postgraduate degree.
• UP CST Junior Research Assistantship (JRA) — a PhD-track research assistantship from the Council of Science & Technology, worth up to ₹3,36,000 a year.
• Lucknow University Chhatra Kalyan Scholarship — a Student Welfare Fund grant of up to ₹15,000 for Lucknow University undergraduate and postgraduate students under an income ceiling of ₹3 lakh.
• UP Purva Sainik Kalyan Educational Scholarship — for children of ex-servicemen who top their Class 10 or Class 12 boards, worth up to ₹40,000, run by the UP Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam (UPPSKNL).

What this means for you: Don't stop at the main scholarship.up.gov.in forms. If you have a disability, study Sanskrit, are a research scholar, attend Lucknow University, or your parent served in the armed forces, one of these separate schemes may apply on top of your regular scholarship.

Documents UP almost always asks for

1. Aadhaar Card, linked to your mobile number and bank account.
2. Uttar Pradesh Domicile / Resident Certificate.
3. Caste Certificate, for SC, ST, OBC, or Minority applicants.
4. Income Certificate — usually under ₹2 lakh or ₹2.5 lakh depending on the exact scheme.
5. Fee receipt and admission registration number.
6. Previous year's marksheet.
7. Bank passbook seeded with Aadhaar, for payment through PFMS (Public Financial Management System).

How to find the right form — step by step

1. Figure out your category group first: General/SC/ST (combined), OBC, or Minority.
2. Figure out your class stage: Pre-Matric, Post-Matric Intermediate, or Post-Matric Other-than-Intermediate.
3. Check if you study outside UP — use the Outside State form if so.
4. If you are a girl student, also look into Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana as a separate, long-term benefit.
5. Check if a department-specific scheme applies to you — disability, Sanskrit studies, research, Lucknow University, or ex-servicemen's children — since these run separately from the main portal and are easy to miss.
6. Keep your Aadhaar-bank link current, since PFMS payment failures are one of the most common reasons scholarship money doesn't arrive on time.