Compiled 10 August 2026. NSP deadlines are extended in some years and not in others. Confirm the operative date on scholarships.gov.in before relying on it — and do not plan around an extension.
There are two separate scholarship systems a Bihar student can apply through, and confusing them costs people money every year.
- Bihar's own state portals — pmsonline.bihar.gov.in and scstpmsonline.bihar.gov.in, for the state Post Matric Scholarship.
- The National Scholarship Portal (NSP) — scholarships.gov.in, for centrally-sponsored and central-sector schemes.
Different portals, different schemes, different deadlines, different income ceilings. This page is about the second one.
The deadlines — one is very close
| Application | Reported deadline |
|---|---|
| Portal opened for 2026-27 | 1 June 2026 |
| Pre-matric scholarships | 31 August 2026 |
| Post-matric scholarships | 31 October 2026 |
Start with OTR
NSP requires One Time Registration (OTR) before you can fill an application. This is a separate step, and it is where most late applicants get stuck.
OTR creates a permanent registration linked to your identity, which you then use for applications across years. Complete it early. The portal experiences very heavy traffic close to the deadlines — particularly in the last week of October — and an OTR you cannot complete on 30 October is an application you cannot make.
What is available through NSP
NSP is an umbrella. Through it you can reach central government, state government, UGC and AICTE schemes, broadly in two families:
- Pre-matric — students up to class 10.
- Post-matric — students beyond class 10, including higher and professional education.
Individual schemes carry their own eligibility conditions, income ceilings and documentation. Read the scheme page rather than assuming the conditions match Bihar's state scholarship.
NSP or the Bihar state portal — which do I use?
This is the question that matters most, and the honest answer is: it depends on the scheme, and you must not assume you can take both.
Bihar's Post Matric Scholarship rules bar you from availing another scholarship for the same course in the same academic session. That bar can apply to a parallel NSP scholarship. Applying to both and accepting both is a route to having your state scholarship rejected.
Before applying on both systems for the same year, confirm your specific combination with your institution's scholarship nodal officer. Get it in writing if you can.
Read the Bihar Post Matric Scholarship guide →
Documents
Requirements vary by scheme, but you will generally need:
- Aadhaar, and a bank account in your own name that is Aadhaar-seeded for DBT.
- Income certificate for the current financial year.
- Caste or category certificate where the scheme is category-specific.
- Previous year marksheet.
- Bonafide certificate or institution details, with fee particulars.
If your income certificate is from a previous financial year, get a new one before you start.
How to get your income, caste and residence certificate →
Common reasons NSP applications fail
- OTR not completed, or completed too late to submit the application.
- Institution does not verify the application before the institute-level deadline. NSP applications require your school or college to verify — an application the institution never touches simply lapses.
- Bank account not DBT-seeded, so payment fails after sanction.
- Name mismatch across Aadhaar, marksheet and bank records.
- Duplicate benefit — holding another scholarship for the same course and session.
Frequently asked questions
What is the last date for NSP scholarship 2026-27?
Reported deadlines are 31 August 2026 for pre-matric scholarships and 31 October 2026 for post-matric scholarships, with the portal having opened on 1 June 2026. Confirm on scholarships.gov.in, and do not plan around an extension.
What is OTR on the National Scholarship Portal?
One Time Registration is a separate step you must complete before you can fill an application. It creates a permanent registration used across years. Complete it early, because portal traffic is heavy near deadlines.
Can I apply on NSP and the Bihar state scholarship portal both?
Not safely without checking. Bihar's Post Matric Scholarship bars availing another scholarship for the same course in the same academic session, and that can include an NSP scholarship. Confirm your specific combination with your institution before applying to both.
Is there a fee to apply on NSP?
No. Application is free. A cyber café may charge its own service fee for filling the form, but there is no government fee and nobody can guarantee a scholarship.
My NSP application is submitted but nothing is happening. Why?
NSP applications must be verified by your school or college before they progress. If the institution has not verified it, the application simply lapses. Go to the office in person and confirm it has been forwarded.
The bottom line
If a pre-matric application applies to anyone in your household, deal with it this week — 31 August is close. For post-matric, complete OTR now even if you fill the application later, because OTR is the step that fails under deadline load.
And before you apply on both NSP and the state portal, check whether you are allowed to. The downside of getting that wrong is losing the scholarship you were most likely to receive.
Has a deadline moved? Tell us — we correct these pages quickly.