In today’s world, students of all socioeconomic levels have the opportunity to study abroad. Particularly, scholarships provide meritorious assistance to students planning to study abroad. It is possible to pursue higher education through lucrative schemes such as the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS).
Indian students can apply for this funding scheme, which is administered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The NOS scholarship is intended to assist low-income students in their pursuit of an overseas education. It is necessary to meet specific criteria in order to qualify for the National Overseas Scholarship for Indian students. Moreover, it is applicable to students who are pursuing education at specific levels. To know more about this overseas scholarship, get in touch with expert consultants.
NOS Scholarship Eligibility
Before applying for scholarships, it is imperative to ensure that you are eligible. The following requirements must be met in order to qualify for the NOS scholarship:
Scholarship applicants should successfully meet the following minimum qualifications:
- For Master’s Degree – An average of 55% in the relevant Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent degree. There is a preference for candidates with at least two years’ work experience in the concerned field.
- For PhD – A minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade in an appropriate Master’s degree. Applicants with 2 years of teaching/research/professional/M.Phil. degree experience will be given preference.
- For Post-Doctoral – A minimum of 55% marks in the relevant Master’s Degree and a PhD with 5 years of research, teaching, or professional experience in the concerned field is desirable as preference will be given to candidates with relevant experience.
The following are some essential qualifications that every candidate must meet:
- There is an age restriction of 35 years, which will be determined on 1st July of the selection year.
- In total, a family’s income should not exceed Rs. 6,00,000.
- The scholarship can be awarded to a minimum of two children from the same family.
- It is also important that applicants meet the minimum scores required by tests such as IELTS, PTE, GMAT, GRE, etc., as well as the minimum ELP and other test scores required by each university.
National Overseas Scholarship Rewards
Students selected for the program may pursue higher education in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and others. Within one year of receiving notification from the ministry, eligible candidates should take advantage of the national overseas scholarship rewards. Should they fail to respond within the stipulated time frame, the national scholarship awards will be automatically canceled. Those selected for the NOS scholarship will be reimbursed for the following expenses:
- For US students, a maintenance allowance of 15,400 US dollars per year is provided, while for UK students, a maintenance allowance of 9,900 GBP per year is provided.
- Tuition fees
- Contingency allowance
- Visa fees
- Poll tax
- Medical insurance
- Incidental travel and equipment allowance of 20 US Dollars
- Air flight tickets (economy class)
- Local travel
- Candidates pursuing a master’s degree are eligible to receive a three-year reward under the national scheme implemented by the Indian government.
- PhD students will receive a four-year national scholarship benefit.
Note: Candidates should apply for a visa at the embassy. For students seeking a scholarship to study in the United States, the national overseas scholarship will accept only a J1 visa. Nevertheless, the government does not offer assistance to candidates in obtaining visas.
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Eligible Subjects
Under the National Overseas Scholarship scheme, students can study in the following study abroad programs:
- Engineering and Management (32 seats)
- Humanities and Social Sciences (17 seats)
- Pure Sciences and Applied Sciences (17 seats)
- International Commerce Accounting and Finance (17 seats)
- Agricultural Sciences and Medicine (17 seats)
Documents Necessary for the National Overseas Scholarship
To minimize last-minute hassles during the application process, it is imperative to plan in advance. Students should prepare hard copies and soft copies of the required documents. For the NOS scholarship, the following documents are required:
- 10th standard board certificate
- Address proof (current and permanent)
- Photo
- Caste certificate
- ITR acceptance
- Employer’s NOC (if applicable)
- Qualifying degree proof
- Foreign university admission proof
- Scanned signature
- Income documents of the entire family
Following selection, candidates are required to submit copies of their passports, attestation forms, and other self-declarations. A visit to the ministry is an essential part of the application process.
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How to Apply for a National Overseas Scholarship?
Below is an overview of the NOS scholarship application process:
- To apply for this program for the first time, students must first register on the National Overseas Portal.
- Complete the registration form for students. An email will be sent to the registered address following a successful login.
- The status of the award can be checked by logging in again and entering the award number and password provided. Under the option ‘Check Your Status’, your application status will be indicated as “Pending” or “Submitted”.
- Upon receiving confirmation of acceptance into a foreign educational institution and receiving the appropriate visa, the candidate should notify the Ministry. A confirmation award letter will be issued to the concerned candidate following verification of the admission letter and visa, along with other required documents. This letter will contain details of the study abroad programs, educational institutions, and so on.
Selection Process
Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria for the National Overseas Scholarship are awarded the scholarship impartially by the Scholarship Selection Committee. Below are a few other things the NOS scholarship panel looks at:
- Applications must be submitted before the deadline to be considered.
- Priority will be given to students who have already been accepted into a university in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, etc. Students who have not yet been accepted into a university in an international country will also be considered, but on a conditional basis.
- Applicants who are most qualified will be given preference for the vacant female slots.
- Upon determining whether there are any remaining slots, the oldest candidate will be given the first slot, followed by subsequent candidates in descending order.
- Interviews and group discussions will not be conducted in the future.
Generally, the selection process is greatly influenced by the admission offer a candidate receives from a reputable foreign university.
Several initiatives have been implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to ensure that socially oppressed classes have the opportunity to study abroad as well. After completing their studies, students are expected to return to India and serve the country for at least five years in a government office. While the National Overseas Scholarship is accepted by the majority of universities in Australia, the US, Germany, Canada, etc., applicants are advised to check the same prior to beginning the application process.
