MCM Scholarship is a merit cum means scholarship that offers monetary support to meritorious and needy students so that they could achieve their academic dreams without facing any financial hurdles. An MCM scholarship assists those bright students who lack funds to finance their education. These merit cum means scholarships are offered by both government and private institutions so that no talent goes to waste due to lack of money.
This article lists both – government merit cum means scholarships and private MCM scholarships along with their key details.
MCM Scholarship – Government-funded Scholarships
An MCM Scholarship which is funded by the Central Government caters to the financial needs of those students who reside anywhere in India. Those MCM scholarships that are funded by the State Government provide monetary help to the students of the respective States.
Find below the list of the most popular MCM scholarships offered by the Central and State Governments.
Government-funded MCM Scholarship
| Scholarship Name | Provider’s Name |
| Merit cum Means Scholarship for BPL students, Kerala | Directorate of Higher Secondary Education (DHSE), Government of Kerala |
| Merit Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC/ Minority Students, Delhi | Department for the Welfare of SC/ST/OBC, Government of NCT of Delhi |
| Open Merit Scholarships for EBC Students, Maharashtra | School Education Department, Government of Maharashtra |
| Eklavya Scholarship, Maharashtra | Department of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra |
| Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students | University Grants Commission (UGC) |
| National Means Cum Merit Scholarship | Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India |
| Swami Vivekananda Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Minorities, West Bengal | Government of West Bengal |
| Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students | Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India |
| Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities) | Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India |
| AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Girls | AICTE, Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) |
| Mukhya Mantri Hamari Beti Yojna, Rajasthan | Directorate of Secondary Education, Rajasthan |
| Merit-cum-Means Minority Scholarship Scheme, Haryana | Department of Higher Education, Government of Haryana |
Now, check the important details of each MCM scholarship mentioned in the above table.
Merit cum Means Scholarship for BPL students, Kerala
Offered by the State Government of Kerala, this MCM scholarship is a state scholarship which is meant for those meritorious and needy students of Kerala who live below the poverty line. Under this merit cum means scholarship scheme, the selected students receive financial assistance to complete their studies. Scholarship registration can be done by obtaining the scholarship application form from the Principals of their respective schools to apply.
Eligibility: The applicant must be studying in a government and government-aided higher secondary school and belong to the BPL category; must have scored high grades in secondary school or equivalent; the attendance percentage must be at least 70%; in case of a disabled candidate, his/her disability should be at least 40%.
Award: INR 5,000
Application period: January
Merit Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC/Minority Students, Delhi
This MCM scholarship is a state government scholarship started to financially support bright students who belong to the underprivileged class. The selected students receive maintenance allowance and other benefits to complete their higher studies. The scholarship registration can be done online through the E-district portal of the Delhi Government.
Eligibility: The applicants must be the domiciles of Delhi and belong to the SC/ST/OBC/Minority category; must be pursuing UG/PG courses from recognised educational institutions and have scored at least 60% marks in the previous academic exam; annual family income must not exceed INR 2 Lakh.
Award: Up to INR 1,860 as maintenance allowance as per the level of study and other benefits
Application period: January-February
Open Merit Scholarships for EBC Students, Maharashtra
The main objective of this merit cum means scholarship provided by the Government of Maharashtra is to financially help meritorious and economically backward students to complete their education. Interested candidates can apply online for this state scholarship through Maharashtra Government’s official portal, MahaDBT.
Eligibility: The applicants must have passed the SSC exam with at least 50% marks in a single attempt; annual family income must not be more than INR 30,000 from all sources.
Award: A scholarship amount of up to INR 1,600 per annum
Application period: December-January
Eklavya Scholarship, Maharashtra
Eklavya scholarship is a government scholarship which offers monetary support to graduate students of Maharashtra so that they could complete their education. The eligible candidates can do scholarship registration online through the official website of MahaDBT.
Eligibility: The candidate must belong to Maharashtra and have secured admission to a PG programme; must have scored at least 60% (Arts/Commerce/Law) or 70% (Science) in graduation; annual family income must not exceed INR 75,000.
Award: INR 5,000
Application period: December-January
To know more about this merit cum means scholarship, read Eklavya Scholarship 2022-23, Maharashtra
Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students
Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students is a UGC initiative that offers financial assistance to meritorious and needy students to help them pursue higher studies such as MPhil and PhD. Eligible candidates can do scholarship registration online for this national scholarship through the official site of UGC.
Eligibility: The applicants must have cleared CBSE/NTA-UGC-NET/ CSIR-NET examination; they must belong to minority communities that include Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian and Jain; must be registered in MPhil/PhD courses as regular & full-time student; annual family income must not be more than INR 6 Lakh.
Award: Stipend up to INR 28,000 and other benefits
Application period: January
National Means Cum Merit Scholarship
Offered by the Department of School Education & Literacy under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, this MCM scholarship is meant for those brilliant students who come from economically weaker sections of society. This national scholarship aims to encourage them to continue their education at the secondary level so as to reduce the dropout rate. Also, the students need to appear for the selection test conducted in each State/UT. Scholarship registration can be done online through the National Scholarship Portal.
Eligibility: The applicant must be a student of Class 9 and have secured at least 55% marks in Class 8 and Class 7 (5% marks relaxation for SC/ST); annual family income must not exceed INR 1.5 Lakh.
Award: INR 6,000 per annum
Application period: November-December
To know more about this MCM scholarship, read NSP National Means Cum Merit Scholarship Scheme 2022-23
Swami Vivekananda Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Minorities, West Bengal
This MCM scholarship is meant for those meritorious students of West Bengal who belong to the underprivileged class of society. A monthly financial assistance of up to INR 8,000 is provided to the selected candidates under this state scholarship scheme. Interested candidates can register online for this merit cum means scholarship through the official website of West Bengal Minorities Development & Finance Corporation.
Eligibility: Applicants must have domicile of West Bengal and are studying in WB only; must have acquired at least 75% marks in class 10/12 in case studying at higher secondary level/diploma/UG level or at least 53% marks in graduation if pursuing PG course; annual income must not exceed INR 2.5 Lakh.
Award: A scholarship amount of up to INR 8,000
Application period: October-November
To get detailed information about this merit cum means scholarship, read ‘Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – A Merit-cum-means based scheme’.
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students
Offered by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, this national scholarship supports those meritorious students who come from economically weaker sections of society, thus, requiring financial assistance to pursue higher education. Interested candidates can apply online for this MCM scholarship through the National Scholarship Portal.
Eligibility: The applicant must be a regular student studying engineering/medical courses; must be above the 80th percentile of successful students in a relevant stream in Class 12 for exam board or equivalent; annual family income must not exceed INR 8 Lakh.
Award: INR 10,000 to INR 20,000 per annum till the completion of the course
Application period: July-October
To get more information about this merit cum means scholarship, read NSP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students 2022-23
Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Professional and Technical Courses CS (Minorities)
This MCM scholarship comes under the ambit of MOMA Scholarships which are provided by the Ministry of Minority. Under this national scholarship scheme, poor but meritorious students belonging to minority communities get monetary support to complete their studies. Scholarship registration can be done online through the National Scholarship Portal, a government scholarship portal.
Eligibility: The candidates who have secured admission to technical/professional courses at UG/PG level; must have secured at least 50% marks in the previous final exam; annual family income must not exceed INR 2.5 Lakh.
Award: A scholarship amount of up to INR 20,000 per annum
Application period: September-October
Read ‘Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for Minorities: All about this MOMA scholarship’ to get to know more about this national scholarship.
AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Girls
Initiated to encourage girl students to take up technical courses, this national scholarship offers a scholarship of up to INR 30,000 to eligible girl candidates. This AICTE scholarship is generally active during the months of September and October. A total of 4,000 scholarships are disbursed every year under this scholarship scheme. Candidates who wish to apply for this scholarship can do so online through the official website of AICTE.
Eligibility: Girl candidates who have secured admission in the 1st year of the Diploma/Degree programme of an AICTE-approved institution during the current academic year; annual family income must not exceed INR 8 lakh.
Award: A tuition fee of INR 30,000 or the actual tuition fee amount, whichever is less
Application period: September-October
Read ‘Pragati Scholarship: AICTE-Scholarship Scheme for Girl Child’ to get detailed information about this AICTE scholarship.
Mukhya Mantri Hamari Beti Yojna, Rajasthan
Offered by the Government of Rajasthan, this state scholarship is meant for meritorious and needy girl students who belong to Rajasthan state. Under this MCM scholarship, three brilliant candidates from each district of Rajasthan are selected to receive financial assistance to pursue higher studies.
Eligibility: Girl students having the domicile of Rajasthan and belonging to a BPL family can apply; must be enrolled in a government school and have secured 75% marks in the Class 10 exam; can be the first rank holder in her district.
Award: A scholarship amount of up to INR 25,000
Application period: September-October
Merit-cum-Means Minority Scholarship Scheme, Haryana
This merit cum means scholarship assists students of minority communities with financial support so that they could pursue a professional/technical course. Starting with the objective to help meritorious and needy students, 257 scholarships are disbursed every year to eligible students. The scholarship registration can be done through the state scholarship portal.
Eligibility: The applicant must be from a minority community; have taken admission in a professional/technical course at a recognised university/institution; annual family income must not be more than INR 2.5 Lakh.
Award: Financial assistance
Application period: February
To know more about the available scholarships in Haryana, read ‘Top scholarships for students in Haryana’.
* The application period mentioned above is tentative and subject to change at the discretion of scholarship providers.
MCM Scholarship – Private-funded Scholarships
Those scholarships which are funded by private companies, corporations, Trusts, NGOs and other organisations come under the ambit of private-funded scholarships. These organisations, sometimes, cover PAN-India to offer MCM scholarships while some offer certain area-specific merit cum means scholarships.
Find below the complete detail about these scholarships.
Private-funded Means Scholarship
| Scholarship Name | Provider’s Name |
| Bhajan Lal Scholarship | Bhajan Global Impact Foundation |
| CCL Ke Lal and CCL Ki Laadli Scholarship, Jharkhand | Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) |
| Sarla Devi Scholarship | Dharampal Satyapal Charitable Trust |
| Foundation for Excellence Scholarship | Foundation For Excellence (FFE) |
| Nurture Merit cum Means Scholarship | Buddy4Study |
| South Indian Bank (SIB) Scholarship Scheme | South Indian Bank Ltd |
| Muthoot M George Higher Education Scholarship | The Muthoot Group |
| Yashad-Sumedha Scholarship Programme | Sumedha and Hindustan Zinc Limited, Udaipur |
| Vijayalakshmi R.L. Jalappa Scholarship | Smt. Vijayalakshmi R.L. Jalappa Education Foundation |
| Nirankari Rajmata Scholarship Scheme | Sant Nirankari Charitable Foundation |
| IndusInd Foundation Merit-cum-Means Scholarship | IndusInd Foundation |
| North South Foundation (NSF) Scholarship | North South Foundation based in Illinois, US |
Now, find below the key details of each of the MCM scholarships listed in the above table.
Bhajan Lal Scholarship
Started by the Bhajan Global Impact Foundation (BGIF), this merit cum means scholarship is a national scholarship that offers financial support to meritorious and needy students so as to help them fund their education. This scholarship can be applied online through the official website of Bhajan Global Impact Foundation.
Eligibility: The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree in Environment or related subjects; must have an offer of admission at a recognised university in India/abroad in a discipline related to Environment.
Award: Full/partial tuition fee, living, travel and research expenses
Application period: January-March
CCL Ke Lal and CCL Ki Laadli Scholarship, Jharkhand
Offered by Central Coalfields Limited, a Miniratna company, CCL Ke Lal and CCL Ki Laadli Scholarship of Jharkhand provides educational assistance to deserving and needy students. This MCM scholarship offers free boarding, lodging, schooling and coaching as scholarship benefits to eligible candidates. The application for this scholarship can be downloaded from the official site of Central Coalfields Limited and submitted at the CCL office after completion.
Eligibility: The applicants must be residents of Jharkhand and have passed class 10 in the current academic year with at least 80% marks from CBSE/ICSE or 70% from JAC board; annual family income must not exceed INR 6 Lakh; the applicants must be residing within 25 kilometres of CCL command area.
Award: Free boarding, lodging, schooling and coaching, etc.
Application deadline: January
Sarla Devi Scholarship
Sarla Devi is a state scholarship which is meant for meritorious students of Delhi NCR who belong to the economically underprivileged class. This scholarship allows students to continue their education in subjects of their choice. For scholarship registration, visit the Sarla Devi Scholarship application link through the Buddy4Study website.
Eligibility: Applicants who are pursuing MBBS/Engineering/Nursing must have secured 75% marks in class 12 (Science stream) & have an annual family income not more than INR 4.5 Lakh; those who are studying a degree in LLB, Psychology or Mass communication must have scored at least 75% marks in class 12 (Arts/Commerce/Science stream) and have annual family income not more than INR 4.5 Lakh; those students studying CA/CS must have obtained 80% marks in class 12 (Arts/Commerce/Science stream) and have annual family income not more than INR 4.5 lakh; those drop-out students who wish to pursue a vocational course for employability and have an annual family income of INR 4.5 Lakh.
Award: A scholarship amount of up to INR 75,000
Application period: January-March
Foundation for Excellence Scholarship
This national scholarship offers monetary help to those meritorious and needy students who enrolled on medical/engineering courses. Interested candidates can do online scholarship registration through the official website of the Foundation for Excellence.
Eligibility: The applicants must have taken admission through general/open merit rank of state/national level entrance examination in 1st year of BE, B.Tech, MBBS or 5-year Integrated M.Tech dual degree program in the current academic year; must have scored at least 70% marks in class 12; annual family income must not exceed INR 2.5 Lakh.
Award: Financial assistance and other benefits as per the need of the selected students
Application period: October-December
Nurture Merit cum Means Scholarship
This scholarship is provided to brilliant and underprivileged students who are pursuing graduation. Under this MCM scholarship, students receive financial help to complete their studies without worrying about monetary constraints. Eligible students can do scholarship registration for this national scholarship through the official website of Buddy4Study.
Eligibility: Applicants must be pursuing graduation and score at least 75% or above in the last exam taken; annual family income must not exceed INR 2 lakh.
Award: Financial assistance as per the need of the students
Application period: June-December
South Indian Bank (SIB) Scholarship Scheme
This state scholarship is announced every year during the month of November or December. It is meant for those disadvantaged students of Kerala who despite having merit are not able to continue their education due to financial constraints. This scholarship can be applied online through the official scholarship page of South Indian Bank.
Eligibility: The interested candidates must have passed class 12 from a government higher secondary school in Kerala with a score of at least 85%; must have taken admission in UG course in Kerala; annual family income must not be more than INR 1 Lakh.
Award: Reimbursement of 100% of the tuition fee and a monthly allowance of INR 4000 towards hostel/subsistence expenses
Application period: November-December
Muthoot M George Higher Education Scholarship
Muthoot is a national scholarship that aims to encourage meritorious students by providing financial help to pursue higher education without worrying about monetary hurdles. Students can do scholarship registration through the official scholarship page of the Muthoot M George Higher Education Scholarship.
Eligibility: The applicant must be a college-level student pursuing MBBS, B Tech, B Com or BSc Nursing course by qualifying relevant entrance exams; must have scored at least 80% marks in class 12; annual family income must not be more than INR 2 Lakh.
Award: Financial assistance as per the merit and need of the candidate
Application period: November
Yashad-Sumedha Scholarship Programme
This is a merit cum means scholarship which offers a scholarship amount of INR 20,000 per annum to students of Rajasthan. Under this scholarship scheme, selected students receive the benefits until they graduate, provided they maintain first-division marks. Scholarship registration can be done by submitting the completed form to the office of Sumedha in Rajasthan.
Eligibility: Students must be studying in 1st semester of B.Tech. degree of a government college must be a permanent resident of Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara and Ajmer districts of Rajasthan, must have secured at least 75% marks in senior secondary exam, annual family income must not exceed INR 2.5 Lakh.
Award: INR 20,000 per annum till four years of B.Tech. programme
Application period: August-September
To get complete details about this state scholarship, read Yashad-Sumedha Scholarship Programme 2022
Vijayalakshmi R.L. Jalappa Scholarship
Offered by a Bengaluru-based Trust, the main objective of this scholarship is to provide monetary help to meritorious and needy students so that they can pursue higher education. This scholarship is mostly for those students who live in and around Bengaluru. Interested candidates can apply by submitting the completed application form to the Secretary of Smt. Vijayalakshmi R L Jalappa Education Foundation.
Eligibility: The candidate must be from Arya Idiga community and reside in Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Ramanagara, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajnagara, Hassan, Chitradurga, Davanagere or Bellary district; must be pursuing PUC, Diploma, ITI, graduation and post-graduation and have scored at least 60% cut off percentage; family must BPL card holder.
Award: Financial assistance until the completion of the course
Application period: September
Nirankari Rajmata Scholarship Scheme
This is a merit cum means scholarship which offers a scholarship amount of up to INR 50,000 to class 12 passed needy and meritorious students. Interested candidates can apply by downloading the application form, filling it and submitting the completed form through email or post at the office of Sant Nirankari Charitable Foundation.
Eligibility: The candidate must have scored at least 90% marks in class 12 and have secured admission as a regular student in a government-recognised institution through a competitive exam; annual family income must not exceed INR 3.5 Lakh.
Award: Tuition fee up to INR 50,000 or actual tuition fee (whichever is less)
Application period: August-September
To know more about this scholarship, read Nirankari Rajmata Scholarship Scheme 2023-24
IndusInd Foundation Merit-cum-Means Scholarship
This scholarship is a national scholarship which offers an amount of up to INR 1500 per month to needy meritorious students who have passed class 12 and have secured admission to a regular degree programme. Scholarship registration can be done by submitting the completed scholarship form at the office of the IndusInd Foundation.
Eligibility: Students who have passed class 12 in the current academic year with a minimum of 85% marks (aggregate), must have secured admission in a regular degree course of a recognised university in India.
Award: Up to INR 1,500 per month
Application period: August-September
North South Foundation (NSF) Scholarship
North South Foundation (NSF) Scholarship offers a scholarship amount of up to INR 25,000 to meritorious students who have passed class 12. Under this scholarship scheme, those students who want to pursue a career in engineering, medicine or a 3-year polytechnic diploma in engineering can avail of scholarship benefits. Interested candidates can apply online through the official scholarship page of the North South Foundation.
Eligibility: Students among the top 100% in Classes 10 & 12 & CET/JET ranking in their respective states, must have secured admission into a professional course like Engineering, Medical, Dental, Polytechnic, B.Sc (Agriculture), B.V.Sc, etc., of a government or government-aided college, the annual family income must not exceed INR 90,000
Award: An annual scholarship of up to INR 25,000
Application period: October
To get detailed information about this scholarship, read North South Foundation (NSF) Scholarship 2023
Also, read ‘Merit Scholarships – All You Need to Know’ to gather more information about other merit scholarships.
To know more about those scholarships which are for underprivileged students, read ‘Means Scholarship – All You Need to Know’.
* The application period mentioned is tentative and subject to change at the discretion of the scholarship providers.