UP Scholarship 2026: Application Dates, Eligibility and Status Check

If you are studying in Uttar Pradesh and worried about fees, the UP Scholarship is made for you. Every year, lakhs of students pay for their education through this scheme — whether you are in Class 11, doing graduation, or pursuing an ITI or diploma course. In this article, we explain what UP Scholarship 2026 (session 2026-27) is, who can apply, what OTR means, how to apply, and how to check your status — everything based only on official government information.

What is UP Scholarship?

UP Scholarship is a scholarship scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government that gives financial help to students of the state so that no student has to stop studying because of money problems. It is run jointly by the Social Welfare Department, the Backward Classes Welfare Department, and the Minority Welfare Department of Uttar Pradesh.

Under this scheme, students get a scholarship along with fee reimbursement. This means you can get your tuition fees refunded and also receive a maintenance allowance for your study expenses. The complete process is online — from application to payment, everything happens through the official portal scholarship.up.gov.in. According to the official website of the Social Welfare Department, the scholarship amount is transferred directly to students’ bank accounts through PFMS (Public Financial Management System).

For the convenience of students, the scheme is divided into three levels. The first is Pre-Matric, for students of Class 9 and 10. The second is Post-Matric Intermediate, for students of Class 11 and 12. The third is Post-Matric Other Than Intermediate (Dashmottar), which covers graduation, post-graduation, diploma, ITI, polytechnic, and other recognised courses. The official portal has issued separate timetables for “Postmatric (2026-27)” and “Prematric (2026-27)”, and both include all categories — SC, ST, General, Minority, and OBC.

Key Points for Session 2026-27

The timetables for Post-Matric and Pre-Matric (2026-27) are published on the official scholarship portal scholarship.up.gov.in — check the “Timetables” section for your level (Pre-Matric, Post-Matric Intermediate, or Dashmottar). This means the application process for this session has officially begun.

The biggest highlight of this session is OTR (One Time Registration). The portal clearly states that OTR has been made mandatory on the Uttar Pradesh scholarship portal from the academic session 2025-26. In simple words, before applying online for the scholarship, you must complete OTR. Without OTR, you cannot fill the application form.

The second important point is Aadhaar seeding. The important information on the portal clearly instructs that all students who have not yet seeded Aadhaar in their bank accounts should immediately get Aadhaar seeding done in their operating bank account. Without this, the scholarship money cannot reach your account, because payment happens only through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) into an Aadhaar-linked bank account.

Who Can Apply? (Eligibility)

Eligibility for UP Scholarship depends on your category and your level of study. According to the official portal’s 2026-27 timetable, students of the following categories can apply:

Scheduled Caste (SC) students
Scheduled Tribe (ST) students
General category students
Minority community students
Other Backward Class (OBC) students

This is a scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government, so it is meant for students of the state. An important point is that the portal also provides “General Instructions for Outside State Institutions/Students” — meaning if you are a domicile of Uttar Pradesh but studying in a recognised institution outside the state, there is a provision for you too. Complete details are given in the download section of the portal.

Level-wise eligibility is as follows: Class 9-10 students apply for Pre-Matric, Class 11-12 students apply for Post-Matric Intermediate, and students doing graduation, post-graduation, diploma, ITI, polytechnic, or other recognised courses apply under the Post-Matric (Dashmottar) category. Your institution must be registered on the portal — confirm this with your college or school before applying.

Income Limit — Official Information

There is a fixed annual family income limit for the scholarship. According to the official website of the Social Welfare Department, Uttar Pradesh:

Post-Matric (Dashmottar) Scholarship — Scheduled Caste: the parent’s/guardian’s income limit is fixed at ₹2,50,000 (Rupees Two Lakh Fifty Thousand) per year per family.
Post-Matric (Dashmottar) Scholarship — General category: the parent’s/guardian’s income limit is fixed at ₹2,00,000 (Rupees Two Lakh) per year per family.
Pre-Matric Scholarship (Class 9-10) — SC/General category: the income limit is fixed at ₹2,50,000 per year per family.

For the exact income limits of ST, OBC, and Minority categories, please read the “Advertisement Session 2026-2027” and “General Instruction for Students” available on the portal, because different departments (Social Welfare, Backward Classes Welfare, Minority Welfare) apply their own rules for each category. The income certificate must be issued by the Tehsildar — that is the valid document.

What is OTR (One Time Registration)? Full Details

OTR means One Time Registration — a registration done once. According to the official portal, it is mandatory from the academic session 2025-26. This means before filling the scholarship form, you must complete OTR on the portal; only after that can you apply for the scholarship.

The purpose of OTR is to create a permanent record of every student. Once OTR is done, you will not have to fill all the information again next year — the same record will be used at the time of renewal. This also stops fraud and makes the process faster.

During OTR, you have to give your basic information — name, Aadhaar number, date of birth, category, mobile number, and so on. The most important thing here is that the name and date of birth you enter must exactly match your Aadhaar card and marksheet. Even a small spelling difference in the name can create problems during verification later. So do not hurry while filling the OTR form, and check every detail twice.

Why is Aadhaar Seeding Necessary?

Aadhaar seeding means linking your bank account with your Aadhaar number. UP Scholarship payment happens through DBT, which means the money goes directly into your Aadhaar-linked bank account. If Aadhaar seeding is not done in your account, the money can get stuck or go to the wrong account.

This is why the official portal repeatedly stresses that all students should get Aadhaar seeding done in their operating bank account. This work is done by visiting your bank branch — you have to fill the Aadhaar seeding form at the bank and submit it. Some banks also give the facility to do it online, but the surest way is to visit the branch. After seeding, confirm with the bank that Aadhaar has been linked to your account.

One more important thing — the account should be in your own name and in active condition. Money will not reach a closed or inactive account. If you have opened a new account, do not forget to get Aadhaar seeding done in it too.

Documents Required

At the time of application, you should keep some documents ready. The exact list of documents is given every year in the advertisement and in the “General Instruction for Students”, so before applying, read them from the download section of the portal. Generally, these documents are needed:

Aadhaar card
Income certificate (issued by the Tehsildar)
Caste certificate (for SC/ST/OBC/Minority category, wherever applicable)
Marksheet of the previous class
Fee receipt of the current year
Bank passbook (of the Aadhaar-linked account)
Passport-size photograph
Domicile certificate (wherever asked)

Scanned copies of documents should be clear and readable. A blurry or cut scan can get your form stuck in verification. Name, date of birth, and other details should be the same in all documents.

How to Apply on scholarship.up.gov.in?

The complete application process is online. The steps below follow the official portal’s system:

Step 1 — Complete OTR: First visit scholarship.up.gov.in and complete OTR (One Time Registration). It is mandatory — without OTR there is no application.

Step 2 — Select the correct category: After OTR, select the correct option according to your category (SC/ST/General/Minority/OBC) and your level of study (Pre-Matric, Post-Matric Intermediate, or Dashmottar). Selecting the wrong category can get your form rejected.

Step 3 — Choose Fresh or Renewal: If you are applying for the first time, choose “Fresh”. If you received the scholarship last year and are continuing in the same course, choose “Renewal”.

Step 4 — Fill the form: Fill personal details, academic details, income, and bank account details carefully. Recheck after filling every section.

Step 5 — Upload documents: Upload scanned copies of the required documents. Keep the file size and format as instructed on the portal.

Step 6 — Submit and print: After submitting the form, take a printout of it. This printout has to be submitted to your institution, from where the verification process moves forward.

Step 7 — Submit at your institution: Submit the hard copy of the filled form at your school/college. The institution verifies your documents and information and forwards the form ahead.

How to Check Application Status?

After submitting the form, the biggest question is — where has my form reached? The official portal has a system for this. On the main page of the portal, there is an option “click here to know your payment status”, through which you can check the status of your payment.

While checking status, you have to give information like your registration number/application number and date of birth. The status will show whether your form is pending at the institution level, has gone to the district level, has been approved, or payment has been made. If any deficiency is shown at any level, correct it in time.

Renewal Information

If you received the UP Scholarship in the last academic session and have moved to the next year of the same course (or are continuing your studies in the same course), you do not have to make a fresh application — you have to do a Renewal. For renewal, log in to the portal and update last year’s record — enter the new class, new marksheet, new fee receipt, and any changed information.

Note that for renewal also, the OTR record and Aadhaar seeding must remain updated. If your bank account has changed, get Aadhaar seeding done in the new account and update the information on the portal.

How Does Verification Work?

After your form is submitted, it is checked at three levels. First, your institution (school/college) verifies your admission, fees, attendance, and documents. After that, the form goes to the district-level officers. If everything is found correct, the scholarship is approved and the money is sent through PFMS to your Aadhaar-linked bank account.

This is why it is so important that every detail in the form is correct. Even a small mistake can get the form stuck and delay payment by months.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Every year, thousands of forms get stuck because of small mistakes. Keep these points in mind:

Name and date of birth in OTR must exactly match the Aadhaar card.
Get Aadhaar seeding in the bank account done in advance — do not leave it for the last moment.
The income certificate should be in the parent’s/guardian’s name and issued by the Tehsildar.
Select the correct category and correct level (Pre-Matric/Post-Matric/Dashmottar).
If applying for the first time, choose Fresh; if you received it earlier, choose Renewal — choosing the opposite will create problems.
Submit the hard copy of the form at your institution on time — only filling online is not enough.
Scanned copies of documents should be clear and complete.

Official Links

Scholarship portal: https://scholarship.up.gov.in/ — application, OTR, status, and timetable are all available here.
Social Welfare Department, Uttar Pradesh: https://samajkalyan.up.gov.in/ — scheme information, government orders, and guidelines.

For any information, always trust only these official websites. Do not pay any agent or middleman — the application process is completely free and online.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is OTR compulsory?

Yes. According to the official portal, OTR has been made mandatory from the academic session 2025-26. Before applying online for the scholarship, OTR must be done; only after that can the application be made.

Is Aadhaar seeding in the bank account necessary?

Yes. The portal clearly instructs all students to get Aadhaar seeding done in their operating bank account. Payment happens through DBT into the Aadhaar-linked account only, so without seeding the money will not reach you.

What is the income limit for Post-Matric scholarship?

According to the official information of the Social Welfare Department, for the Dashmottar (Post-Matric) scholarship the parent’s income limit is ₹2,50,000 per year per family for Scheduled Caste students and ₹2,00,000 per year per family for General category students. For other categories, see the official advertisement on the portal.

Where can I see the 2026-27 timetable?

In the “Timetables” section of the official portal scholarship.up.gov.in. Check the timetable for your level (Pre-Matric, Post-Matric Intermediate, or Dashmottar) for the exact application dates.

Application Type	Dates (2026-27)
Fresh Application (Dashmottar — UG/PG/Diploma/ITI)	15 September – 31 October 2026
Renewal Application (Dashmottar)	15 September – 15 October 2026

Note: Renewal students have only a few days left — the renewal window closes on 15 October 2026. Apply on scholarship.up.gov.in before the deadline.