The government has extended the application deadline for an important scholarship scheme aimed at helping the children of certain categories of workers continue their education. Students whose parents work in the Beedi, Cinema or specified mining industries can apply for financial assistance under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for the 2026-27 academic year.

According to the latest government notification, eligible students can now submit their applications through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) until September 30, 2026.

Who Is This Scholarship For?

The scheme provides educational assistance to the children or wards of workers employed in specified sectors. These include:

• Beedi workers

• Cinema workers

• Iron ore, manganese and chrome ore mine workers

• Limestone and dolomite mine workers

The objective is to provide financial support to children from eligible worker families so that financial difficulties do not force them to discontinue their schooling.

Application Deadline Extended

The government has revised the schedule for the 2026-27 academic year.

The last date for students to submit their online applications is September 30, 2026. After this, applications will go through different verification stages.

The revised verification schedule is:

• Student application: September 30, 2026

• Institute Nodal Officer verification: October 15, 2026

• District/State Nodal Officer verification: October 31, 2026

The government has advised eligible applicants to complete both the application and verification process within the prescribed timelines.

Application Will Be Submitted Online

Students who meet the eligibility requirements need to apply through the National Scholarship Portal. The portal provides a single platform for various scholarship schemes run by the government.

Applicants should carefully enter their personal, academic and parent/worker details while filling out the form. They should also ensure that the required information and documents are correct before submitting the application.

Why This Scheme Is Important

Education expenses can become a significant burden for families working in financially vulnerable sectors. Scholarships such as this can help students meet some of their educational needs and encourage them to remain in school.

The assistance is particularly important for families where income depends on labour-intensive or low-income occupations, as even routine school expenses can sometimes become difficult to manage.

Don't Wait Until the Last Date

Since the deadline has now been extended only up to September 30, eligible students should avoid waiting until the final day to submit their applications.

Applicants should also remember that submitting the form is not necessarily the end of the process. The application must pass the required verification stages, so students should keep checking the status of their application on the scholarship portal.

Check Eligibility Before Applying

Not every student whose parent works in a related occupation will automatically qualify. Eligibility depends on the specific provisions of the scholarship scheme and the category of worker involved.

Therefore, students and parents should check the official scheme details on the National Scholarship Portal before submitting an application.

With the deadline extended to September 30, eligible students still have an opportunity to apply for financial assistance for the 2026-27 academic year.