NMMS Scholarship 2026-27: ₹12,000 a year, eligibility, exam date, apply and renewal

How much is the NMMS scholarship?

The guidelines fix the scholarship at ₹12,000 a year, at ₹1,000 a month. The scheme awards 1,00,000 fresh scholarships every year at Class 9 level, split into fixed state quotas. Gujarat's is 5,097, the figure in both the Ministry's table and the Gujarat notification.

It is payable for a maximum of four years, only for studies in India, and not for diploma or certificate courses. A student can hold only one central government scholarship.

NMMS eligibility: who can apply

Under the Ministry's guidelines and Gujarat's 2026-27 notification:

• Class: you must be a regular student in Class 8 in the year you sit the exam.
• School type: government, government-aided or local body schools only. In Gujarat that means government primary schools, local body schools (district panchayat, municipal corporation or municipality schools) and grant-in-aid primary schools.
• Not eligible: students of private or self-financed schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, and residential schools run by the Centre or a state where boarding, lodging and education are provided.
• Marks in Class 7: the Ministry sets a minimum of 55% or equivalent grade, relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students. Gujarat's notification states 55% for General and OBC and 50% for SC and ST.
• Income: parental income from all sources not more than ₹3,50,000 a year. The Ministry raised this from ₹1,50,000 in its March 2022 revision.
• Class 8 result: at selection you must also have at least 55% in Class 8 (5% relaxation for SC/ST) and be promoted to Class 9.

NMMS exam pattern: MAT and SAT

Each state runs its own selection test in Class 8. The guidelines name two papers:

The MAT tests verbal and non-verbal reasoning: analogy, classification, number series, pattern perception and hidden figures. The SAT covers science, social studies and mathematics as taught in Classes 7 and 8. In Gujarat, Class 7 questions come from last year's syllabus and Class 8 questions from the first term of the current year.

Gujarat's notification adds that questions are competency based, every question carries one mark and there is no negative marking. The paper is in Gujarati or English, as you choose. Students writing with a scribe get an extra 50 minutes. Exam centres are set up at taluka level.

Qualifying marks: you must pass both tests with at least 40% marks in aggregate (32% for SC/ST). Only students inside the district-wise, category-wise quota on merit are selected.

NMMS exam date 2026: Gujarat and other states

Each state announces its own date, so there is no single national NMMS exam date. The guidelines say the test is held in November, but the date is the state's call.

Gujarat (NMMS Gujarat 2026-27): all dates below are from the State Examination Board's notification dated 12 October 2026.

For other states, check your own state examination board or education department. We have not confirmed any other state's 2026-27 dates from an official page, so we do not list them. Our news story has the Gujarat dates: Gujarat NMMS 2026-27 application and exam date.

How to apply for NMMS in Gujarat

The notification says schools are responsible for filling the forms online, but parents should know the steps:

1. Go to sebexam.org and click Apply online.
2. Choose "National means cum merit Scholarship Scheme (STD-8)" and click Apply Now.
3. Fill the whole form in English. Write the student's name exactly as on the Aadhaar card, enter the Aadhaar number and upload both sides of the Aadhaar. Other details are filled using the U-DISE number, and the school's DISE number is needed for the school details.
4. On submit, an application number is generated. Keep it safe.
5. Upload the photo and signature (JPG, under 15 KB) using your application number and date of birth.
6. SC, ST and PH students must enter the certificate number, date and income details and upload the certificate and the income certificate.
7. Confirm the application, then print the application and the fee challan.
8. Pay the exam fee online by card, net banking, UPI or wallet. An application counts only after the fee is paid.

Exam fee: ₹70 for General, EWS and OBC students; ₹50 for PH, SC and ST students. A service charge is extra and the fee is not refunded in any case.

Documents to attach to the printout: the fee challan (board copy), the Aadhaar copy, a certified income certificate, the Class 7 marksheet, and a caste certificate and disability certificate if applicable. Income certificates from the Mamlatdar, Taluka Development Officer, Talati-cum-Mantri or Chief Officer are accepted.

Keep the name identical on Aadhaar, the form and the school's U-DISE record, or registration on the NSP can fail later.

After the exam: NSP registration and DBT payment

Passing the state exam does not itself release money. The guidelines say eligible students then apply on the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in), where NMMSS is listed as "National Means Cum Merit Scholarship (Merit Based Scheme)" under the Department of School Education and Literacy. The process:

1. Register on the NSP and get a One-Time Registration (OTR) number, which uses your mobile number and Aadhaar eKYC. The NSP then fetches your demographic details and photograph from the OTR.
2. Fill the NSP application for fresh scholarship (or renewal if you already hold it).
3. Upload two documents: the income certificate and the caste certificate (if applicable). Gujarat's notification also says a competent authority's income and caste certificates are mandatory at NSP registration.
4. Your school's nodal officer and the district nodal officer verify the application on the NSP. The final list verified at every level goes to the Ministry for sanction of funds.
5. The money is sent through the implementing bank (SBI) directly into your bank account by Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The guidelines say the account should preferably be in SBI, or in any public sector or scheduled bank with core banking.

NSP dates for 2026-27: the NSP scheme list on 21 October 2026 shows NMMSS open from 1 June 2026, with student applications until 31 October 2026, defective-application and institute verification until 15 November 2026, and district, state and ministry nodal officer verification until 30 November 2026. These dates fall before Gujarat's tentative 5 December exam, so they cannot be the window for Gujarat's fresh awardees. That window is not announced and we will not guess it. See our news story on the NMMSS deadline.

NMMS renewal rules: marks in Class 9 to 12

Scholarship continues year after year only if you keep meeting the conditions in the guidelines:

• Class 9 to 10: clear promotion from Class 9 to Class 10 in the first attempt.
• Class 10 marks: at least 60% in Class 10 (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST) to continue at the higher secondary stage.
• Class 11 to 12: clear promotion from Class 11 to Class 12 in the first attempt.
• Renewal every year: the scholarship is discontinued if you do not renew your application on the NSP within the stipulated time.
• School type: you must stay a regular, whole-time student in a government, government-aided or local body school, with good conduct certified by the head of the school.
• No gap year: a gap of one academic session discontinues the scholarship for good. Join the next class within three months of the previous result.

If your school holds no exam at the end of Class 9 or 11, a certificate from the head of the school lets the next year continue.

These are the March 2022 rules, approved for 2021-22 to 2025-26. The NSP still lists the scheme as open for 2026-27 and we found no newer guideline on the portal on 21 October 2026, so confirm with your school.

Other scholarships to look at

• Other central schemes on the NSP: our NSP scholarship 2026-27 guide.
• Gujarat students after Class 12: our MYSY scholarship guide.
• Class 9 to 12 private aid: the SBI Asha Scholarship guide.