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The National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) is a scholarship scheme launched by the Indian government. The scholarship is available to the Scheduled Casts, Semi Nomadic Tribes, Traditional Artisans, and Agricultural Labourers. This financial aid aims to assist people in these categories to undertake their Master’s or PhD courses abroad. Thus, improving their economic and social status. This blog covers everything you need to know about the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme by the Indian government.
This Blog Includes:
- An Overview of the NOS Scholarship
- Who is Eligible for a National Overseas Scholarship?
- Benefits of the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme
- NOS Scholarship Duration
- NOS Scholarship Documentation Requirements
- How to Apply for the National Overseas Scholarship 2024-25?
- What is the Last Date for the National Overseas Scholarship in 2024?
- FAQs
An Overview of the NOS Scholarship
The National Overseas Scholarship is granted to a total of 125 selected students. Out of the total applicants, 115 seats are reserved for the SC community, 4 for Landless Agricultural Labourers, and 6 for Nomadic, De-notified, and Semi Nomadic Tribes. Moreover, 30% of the scholarships are granted to female students. The scholarship selection process is based on the merit and financial need of the applicant. So far, the Indian government has given this scholarship 412 to study abroad.
| Category | Number of Scholarship Availability |
| Denotified, Nomadic and SemiNomadic Tribes | 6 |
| Traditional Artisans, and Landless Agricultural Labourers | 4 |
| Scheduled Castes | 115 |
| Total Slots | 125 |
Who is Eligible for a National Overseas Scholarship?
The National Overseas Scholarship Scheme has a set of eligibility criteria. You need to meet the same to receive the scholarship. The eligibility requirements are as follows:
- You must secure at least 60% marks in your Bachelor’s for the Masters course. Similarly, you need to secure a minimum of 60% marks in your Master’s to get admission to a PhD programme.
- Bachelor of Engineering students who have completed their diplomas can demonstrate the marks they obtained during their bachelor’s for the PhD programme.
- You need to meet the age requirement as well. That is, you must not be above 35 years of age.
- You must have an unconditional offer letter from any 1 of the QS Working Rankings top 500 Universities.
- Moreover, your family income should not exceed INR 8 lakh per annum
- For income determination for married women, the income of their in-laws and their children below the age of 18 is considered. For other people, the income of parents, siblings, and children below the age of 18 is considered.
- Up to 2 children of the same parents (i.e siblings) can receive the scholarship
- However, the NOS scholarship is given only once to one person.
Benefits of the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme
The benefits of the national overseas scholarship scheme by the Indian government are many. They are provided in detail below:
| Financial Assistance Type | UK | USA and other countries except UK |
| Tuition Fees | The exact tuition fee is covered | The exact tuition fee is covered |
| Annual Maintenance Allowance | GBP 9900 | USD 15400 |
| Annual ContingencyAllowance | GBP 1100 | USD 1500 |
| Visa Fees | As charged | As charged |
| Incidental JourneyAllowance & EquipmentAllowance | USD 20 or its equivalent in rupees | USD 20 or its equivalent in rupees |
| Air Passage | To and from your study abroad destination | To and from your study abroad destination |
This is the National overseas scholarship amount. You can supplement your allowance by working as a research or teaching assistant in the country you are going to study.
NOS Scholarship Duration
The duration of the National Overseas Scholarships is provided below
| Level of Education | Duration of Award |
| Master’s Degree | 3 years |
| PhD | 4 years |
Note: the scholarship is given as per your course duration. That is, if your course duration is less you will be awarded a scholarship only for that period.
NOS Scholarship Documentation Requirements
The National Overseas Scholarships require you to present several documents for the application process. The relevant documentation are provided below:
Application Stage
The following documents are required for the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme at the application stage:
- 10th class board examination certification
- Your photo, caste certificate, aadhar card, and scanned signature
- Current or permanent address proof
- Your professional certification or qualifying degree certificate
- You also need to present a mark sheet for the qualifying examination
- Registration, application or admission-related document as proof of admission to a university abroad
- All family members’ income documents
- If you are employed you need to present a NOC certificate from your employer
- If you have a gap of more than 6 months, you need to get a Gap certificate as well
- ITR acceptance letter
Selection Stage
The following documents are required for the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme by the Indian Government at the time of selection. You must have received a Provisional Award Letter to consider yourself selected for the scholarship.
- Undertaking Regarding the income of your family or self-declaration
- Attestation form, and passport copy
- Self-declaration regarding any case or non-conviction of offence
After verification of documents, you will receive a confirmation letter for the award. Later on, you are required to submit the following documents:
- 2 bonds of at least INR 100 (non-judicial stamp paper)
- Health certificate, and copies of visa and passport
- Solvency certificates (for both guarantees)
- A declaration or undertaking on a non judicial stamp paper that you have not acquired the qualification for which you are applying to study, and you have not received any other scholarship for your studies.
- You also need to provide the date of commencement of your studies
- Visit the ministry on working days and submit the documents. Also, present the PDF of all the relevant documents by email.
Download the national overseas scholarship scheme for sc 2024-25 pdf (guidelines)
How to Apply for the National Overseas Scholarship 2024-25?
The application process for the NOS scholarship is provided below:
- First, visit the official website of the National Overseas Scholarships
- Next, on the home page (top bar) click on the register option
- A registration form will appear, and you need to fill in the same
- Log in to your account, and start the application process
- You will have to fill in the details and upload the relevant documents (application stage).
- Finally, submit your application form.
- If you want to check the status of your NOS scholarship application, you can go to the homepage and click on the application status. Thereafter, you can enter your application number to view the status of your application.
To learn more about the NOS scholarship application process, watch the video below
Credit: @IGNOU_BABA
What is the Last Date for the National Overseas Scholarship in 2024?
It is important to know the deadline for the National Overseas scholarships. The reason is, that applications beyond this date are not acceptable. Therefore, the deadline for the scholarship is provided below:
| Scholarship Name | National Overseas Scholarships |
| Application Opening Date | 15 February 2024 |
| Application Closing Date | 31 March 2024 |
Note: the NOS scholarship application is not yet open for the academic year 2025.
Apply for the Leverage Edu Scholarships to Study Abroad
FAQs
A scholarship can be fully funded or partially funded. A fully funded scholarship is 100% free. It means almost all of your expenses are covered. For example, NOS scholarship. A partial scholarship on the other hand only covers a percentage of your expenses. For example, a scholarship that covers 20% or 50% of your tuition fees would be considered as a partial scholarship.
Yes. You can study abroad for free of cost. For this, you need to secure a fully funded scholarship. The government, universities, and other external organisations provide such scholarships.
Decide the scholarship you want to apply for and ensure you meet the eligibility criteria. After that, you can apply for the same. You can find out the popular overseas scholarships at the Indian Ministry of Education, GoI website.
Yes. The Indian government provides several scholarships for Indian students to study in a foreign university, One such scholarship scheme is the national overseas scholarship scheme.
This was all about the NOS Scholarship. Want to know more about scholarships? Consult the study abroad experts at Leverage Edu.
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