NMMSS Application Date Extended to 15 November 2026

The Ministry of Education has given school students more time to apply for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for the academic year 2026-27. The last date for sending in an application now stands at 15 November 2026.

Why the date moved

The ministry said the extra days let eligible students finish their forms on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) and let the authorities concerned finish checking them without delay. The portal has been taking student applications since 1 June 2026. A student has to finish a One-Time Registration (OTR) on the portal before the scholarship form can be filled at all.

The reset calendar

• Sending in the application: 15 November 2026.
• Checking by the Institute Nodal Officer, called the L1 stage: 30 November 2026.
• Checking by the District Nodal Officer, the L2 stage: 15 December 2026.

A student who has already applied still has to see that the officer at the institute clears the form by 30 November and the officer at the district level clears it by 15 December 2026.

How many have applied

Counting up to 30 October 2026, the portal had taken in 90,483 fresh applications and 1,99,531 renewal applications.

What the scheme is for

NMMSS exists to keep able students from poorer homes in school: it supports them past Class VIII and on to Class XII. Each year one lakh fresh scholarships are given to Class IX students who clear a selection test conducted by their own State or Union Territory government. The award is then carried forward from Class X to Class XII through renewal, so long as the student keeps to the academic conditions set for it.

The money and who can apply

A chosen student in a state government school, a government-aided school or a school run by a local self government gets Rs 12,000 a year, sent straight to the bank account by DBT. For the selection test a candidate needs 55 per cent marks or an equal grade in Class VII, with a relaxation of five percentage points for SC and ST candidates, and the parents of the applicant must not earn more than Rs 3.50 lakh in a year.