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If you have lost a parent, or a parent is critically ill, and you study at an AICTE-approved college, this scheme may be for you. It is merit-ranked and the paperwork is specific.
Who is eligible for the AICTE Swanath scholarship?
The current AICTE Swanath guidelines (May 2025) on the National Scholarship Portal say you must meet all four conditions below.
You fit one category: orphan; one or both parents died due to Covid-19; ward of Armed Forces or Central Paramilitary Forces personnel martyred in action (Shaheed); or a parent with a critical life-threatening disease such as cancer, or who died or was severely disabled (above 80%) in an accident.
Family income from all sources is not more than ₹8 lakh a year, shown on a valid income certificate from the State or UT government.
You are currently studying in an AICTE-approved institution and course, at degree or diploma level, in regular mode, in your 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th year.
You are not receiving any Central Government, State Government or AICTE-sponsored scholarship.
The fourth category, a parent with a critical illness or accident, is not in the October 2021 AICTE guidelines or the current AICTE Swanath FAQ, which list only the first three, so many websites miss it.
How much does the Swanath scholarship pay?
According to the AICTE guidelines, the scholarship is ₹50,000 per year of study, paid yearly by Direct Benefit Transfer, for fees, a computer, books or equipment; nothing extra is paid for hostel or medical costs. AICTE awards up to 2,000 scholarships a year: 1,000 for degree students and 1,000 for diploma students.
A degree student selected in first year can get up to 4 years and a diploma student up to 3; if you are first selected later, the years shrink.
B.Tech student, selected in 1st year and renewed every year: 4 × ₹50,000 = ₹2,00,000.
Same student, first selected in 3rd year: 2 × ₹50,000 = ₹1,00,000.
So apply in your first year if you qualify.
How is the Swanath merit list decided?
The guidelines rank degree students by Class 12 percentage (any five subjects), breaking ties by Class 10 percentage, then age (older first), then lower income. Diploma students are ranked by Class 10 percentage. Reservation follows Government of India norms. CGPA is multiplied by 9.5, so a Class 10 CGPA of 9.2 counts as 87.4%.
How do you apply for the Swanath scholarship on NSP?
The NSP scheme list shows two Swanath schemes for 2026-27, one for technical degree and one for technical diploma students. Student applications are open until 30 November 2026, and institute verification until 15 December 2026.
Register on NSP; our National Scholarship Portal application guide walks through it.
Pick the right scheme: degree or diploma.
Upload your documents (below).
Ask your college to verify your form in time; your State or UT Department of Education (DTE) then checks it.
Watch the AICTE website for the provisional list; queries about it are accepted for one month after it is published.
Renew every year with a promotion certificate and a bonafide certificate.
Documents by category, from the guidelines:
Orphan: death certificates of both parents, or a Tehsildar or SDM certificate in AICTE's format.
Covid-19: a death certificate that states Covid-19 as the cause; an income certificate if one parent is alive.
Ward of a martyr: death certificate, Shaheed certificate from the force, and an income certificate.
Everyone: bonafide certificate, Class 10 (and Class 12 for degree) mark sheets, and a category certificate if you claim SC, ST or OBC-NCL.
The guidelines do not list documents for the illness or accident category. For that, or any doubt, the AICTE Swanath FAQ gives a helpline: consultant2stdc@aicte-india.org and 011-29581118. Our scholarship documents checklist helps you get scans ready.
The same FAQ says money goes only to an Aadhaar-seeded savings account in your own name; joint and minor accounts are not accepted. Here is how to seed Aadhaar to your bank account.
What gets a Swanath application rejected?
The FAQ lists the common reasons:
the course or college is not AICTE-approved this year, or it is a dual-degree or postgraduate course
you already hold another scholarship
the income certificate is old or not signed by a competent authority
mark sheets are blurred, or the promotion certificate lacks the college stamp
Failing or dropping out also ends the scholarship, so keeping it means passing every year. If a first-year subject is slipping, Fermi's AI tutor can work out what you already know and build a plan for the session, and the Fermi Concept Library covers every concept in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and computing, each with its own lesson.
Filling in forms about a parent's death or illness is hard. Talk to someone you trust, or call Tele MANAS on 14416, the free 24x7 government mental health helpline listed by the Directorate General of Health Services.
Your next step: open NSP, find the Swanath scheme for your course, and ask your college office this week when they verify applications.
