General Category Scholarship 2026: 12 Best Scholarships for EWS & Poor General Students Without OBC/SC/ST Certificate - Rs 75,000 All India

General Category Scholarship 2026: 12 Best Scholarships for EWS & Poor General Students Without OBC/SC/ST Certificate - Rs 75,000 All India Introduction: Are You From General Category and Worried About Scholarship? If you are from General Category (UR), you must have felt this - Every scholarship asks for OBC certificate, SC certificate, ST certificate. You have no certificate, so you get no scholarship. You feel left out. But the truth is, there are more than 20 scholarships in India that are ONLY for General Category poor students and EWS students. They don't need OBC/SC/ST, they need only Income Certificate or EWS Certificate. Because no one tells you about them, you miss them every year. Today we will tell you 12 such best and unique scholarships that are for General Category and EWS students from all over India - West Bengal, Bihar, UP, MP, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, everywhere. If your family income is less than Rs. 8 Lakh per year and you are from General Category, this article is for you. What is General Category Scholarship? Who is Eligible? General Category Scholarship means scholarship that is open to all, or specially reserved for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) among General Category. EWS means Economically Weaker Section in General Category. If your family income is less than Rs. 8 Lakh per year and you don't have OBC/SC/ST reservation, you are EWS. You are eligible if: 1. You are from General Category (Brahmin, Kayastha, Kshatriya, Rajput, Bhumihar, Maratha General, etc.) 2. You DON'T have OBC, SC, ST certificate 3. Your family income is less than Rs. 8 Lakh per year (for EWS) or less than Rs. 2.5 to 5 Lakh for private scholarships 4. You have EWS Certificate OR Income Certificate 5. You are studying in Class 9 to Post Graduation Even if you don't have EWS certificate yet, you can apply with income certificate for many private scholarships. 12 Best Scholarships for General Category Poor Students 2026 - All India 1. Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS) by MHRD - Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 20,000 [BEST FOR GENERAL] This is 100% central government scholarship and it is ONLY on merit, no caste. Eligibility: - Must be in top 20% percentile in your Class 12 board exam (West Bengal HS, Bihar Board, UP Board, CBSE, ICSE all eligible) - Family income < Rs. 4.5 Lakh per year - Must be pursuing regular graduation (B.A, B.Sc, B.Com, B.Tech, Medical) - Must be from General Category also eligible, in fact 50% seats are for General Amount: Graduation: Rs. 12,000 per year for 3 years Post Graduation: Rs. 20,000 per year for 2 years Total: Rs. 76,000 for 5 years Why unique? No caste certificate needed, only merit and income. This is the biggest central scholarship for General students. Apply at: scholarships.gov.in (NSP Portal) -> Central Sector Scheme Last Date: 31st Oct 2026 2. EWS Scholarship by State Governments - Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 Almost every state now gives EWS Scholarship to General Category poor students. Examples: West Bengal: West Bengal EWS Scholarship - Rs. 10,000 per year for General students with EWS certificate in Class 11 to PG. Apply at wbmdfcscholarship.org Bihar: Bihar EWS Scholarship - Rs. 15,000 for General poor students UP: UP General Category Scholarship (Dashmottar) - Rs. 20,000 for General EWS Rajasthan: Rajasthan EWS Scholarship - Rs. 25,000 Maharashtra: Maharashtra EWS Rajarshi Shahu Scholarship - Rs. 20,000 Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu EWS Scholarship - Rs. 15,000 You just need EWS certificate from SDO/BDO office. 3. PM YASASVI Scholarship for EWS Students - Rs. 75,000 (Highest for General) PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India (YASASVI) gives Rs. 75,000 to EWS students. Eligibility: - Must be from EWS, OBC, DNT category - Must be in Class 9 or Class 11 - Must give entrance exam (YASASVI Entrance Test) - Family income < 2.5 Lakh Amount: Rs. 75,000 for Class 9-10, Rs. 1,25,000 for Class 11-12 This is central government scholarship, all India valid. 4. Sitaram Jindal Foundation Scholarship - Rs. 3,200 Per Month - Open to All Including General Sitaram Jindal is best private scholarship that does NOT ask caste, only income and marks. Eligibility: - 65% marks for boys, 60% for girls in previous exam - Family income < 4 Lakh - Any category - General also 100% eligible Amount: Class 11-12: Rs. 500 per month ITI: Rs. 800 per month Diploma: Rs. 1,000 per month Graduation: Rs. 1,400 per month (Arts) to Rs. 2,000 per month (Science/Medical) Engineering/Medical: Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,200 per month This is for all India students. 5. LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship - Rs. 20,000 for General Poor Students LIC gives 20% seats reserved for General Category poor students. Eligibility: - 60% marks in 10th and 12th - Family income < 2.5 Lakh - General category can apply Amount: Rs. 20,000 per year for graduation 6. G.P. Birla Scholarship - Rs. 50,000 Per Year for General Meritorious Students Founded by industrialist G.P. Birla, only for students who score 80%+ in 12th. Eligibility: - 80%+ in Class 12 from any board - Family income < 3 Lakh - General category students get priority because it is merit based, not caste based Amount: Rs. 50,000 per year for 4 years = Rs. 2,00,000 total Best for General students who scored high but are poor. 7. Tata Trusts Means Grant - 50% to 100% Fees for General EWS Students Tata Trusts gives Means Grant to poor students from any category, including General, if they have financial problem. Amount: Full tuition fees paid to college + Rs. 20,000 hostel fees Eligibility: Family income < 4 Lakh, must have good marks This is available for all India, apply at Tata Trusts portal. 8. Foundation for Excellence (FFE) Scholarship - Rs. 50,000 for General Engineering/Medical Students FFE gives scholarship to meritorious poor students in Engineering and MBBS, no caste restriction. Eligibility: - Must have good rank in JEE/NEET - Family income < 3 Lakh - General category eligible Amount: Rs. 50,000 per year till course completion This is for all India students. 9. Kotak Kanya Scholarship - For General Category Girls - Rs. 1.5 Lakh Per Year If you are a girl from General Category and family income < 3.2 Lakh, Kotak gives Rs. 1.5 Lakh per year for professional courses. Eligibility: Girls after 12th, 75% marks, General EWS This is best scholarship for General girls. 10. HDFC Bank Parivartan Scholarship - For General Poor Students - Up to Rs. 75,000 HDFC Bank gives scholarship to poor students from any category, including General. Amount: Class 11-12: Rs. 15,000 Graduation: Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 75,000 Eligibility: 55% marks, income < 2.5 Lakh, General eligible Apply at Buddy4Study. 11. Reliance Foundation Scholarship - Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 2 Lakh for General Students Reliance Foundation gives 5,000 scholarships every year to graduation students, no caste asked, only merit and income. Amount: Rs. 40,000 per year for graduation, Rs. 2 Lakh for PG Eligibility: 60% marks, income < 15 Lakh (so General middle class also eligible) This is all India. 12. Local Temple/Mosque/Church Trust Scholarships for General Students Every city has trusts that give scholarship to General Category poor students: - Kolkata: Birla Temple Trust, Marwari Relief Society gives Rs. 20,000 to General poor students - Delhi: Jain Trust, Punjabi Samaj gives Rs. 25,000 - Mumbai: Zoroastrian Trust, Gujarati Samaj gives Rs. 30,000 - Patna: Brahmin Samaj, Bhumihar Samaj gives Rs. 15,000 How to find? Go to your local temple/mosque committee and ask for "Education Scholarship for Poor Students". They give without caste. How to Make EWS Certificate? Step by Step EWS Certificate is most important for General Category scholarship. Eligibility for EWS: 1. You must be from General Category (No OBC/SC/ST) 2. Family income < Rs. 8 Lakh per year from all sources 3. Family should not have more than 5 acre agricultural land 4. Family should not have flat more than 1000 sq ft 5. Family should not have residential plot more than 100 sq yards in municipality or 200 sq yards outside municipality Steps to make EWS Certificate: Step 1: Go to SDO/BDO/DM office in your district Step 2: Ask for EWS Certificate Form (Form 16) Step 3: Fill form with income details, attach Aadhaar, income certificate, land affidavit, passport photo Step 4: Get it verified by Revenue Officer or Tehsildar Step 5: You will get EWS certificate within 15 days, valid for 1 year Fees: Rs. 20 to Rs. 50 only. Documents for General Category Scholarship 1. EWS Certificate OR Income Certificate (Rs. 2.5 Lakh to 8 Lakh) 2. Aadhaar Card 3. Marksheet of last exam (60%+ for most) 4. Bank Passbook in student's name 5. Bonafide Certificate from college 6. Domicile Certificate 7. Photo Tips to Get 100% Selection for General Students Tip 1: Always apply for CSSS (Central Sector) - This is only scholarship where General students get 50% reservation. Tip 2: Write in application - "I am from General Category, I have no OBC/SC/ST certificate, I belong to EWS poor family, my father earns Rs. 15,000 per month as small shopkeeper, so I need scholarship." Tip 3: Apply for 5 scholarships together - CSSS + Sitaram Jindal + LIC + HDFC + Tata = You will get at least 2. Tip 4: Get good marks - General scholarships are mostly merit based, so 75%+ marks gives you high chance. Common Mistakes Mistake 1: Thinking no scholarship for General. Wrong, there are 20+ scholarships. Mistake 2: Not making EWS certificate. Many General students don't make EWS because they don't know. Make it today. Mistake 3: Applying only on NSP and missing private scholarships like Jindal, Tata, HDFC which give more money and are easy to get for General. Success Story Priya Sharma from Patna, Bihar - General Category (Brahmin), father is small tea shop owner earning Rs. 10,000 per month. No OBC/SC/ST. She scored 85% in 12th. She applied for CSSS + G.P. Birla + LIC Golden Jubilee with EWS certificate. She got CSSS Rs. 12,000 + G.P. Birla Rs. 50,000 per year = Total Rs. 62,000 per year. Now she studies B.Com in Patna University for free. You can be next. FAQs Q1. Is there any scholarship for General Category students? Yes, CSSS, EWS Scholarship, Sitaram Jindal, LIC, G.P. Birla, Tata, HDFC, Reliance all give for General. Q2. Can General Category students apply for NSP scholarship? Yes, under Central Sector Scheme (CSSS) and Merit-cum-Means on NSP, General EWS can apply. Q3. What is income limit for General scholarship? Rs. 2.5 Lakh to Rs. 8 Lakh depending on scholarship. EWS limit is Rs. 8 Lakh. Q4. Do I need EWS certificate for General scholarship? For government EWS scholarship yes, but for private like Jindal, Tata, HDFC only income certificate is enough. Q5. How much can General student get? Up to Rs. 75,000 per year (PM YASASVI Rs. 75,000, Kotak Rs. 1.5 Lakh for girls). Final Words Being from General Category does not mean you will not get scholarship. Government and private trusts have made special EWS and merit scholarships for poor General students. Make your EWS certificate today and apply for at least 3 scholarships from this list. You will definitely get Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 75,000 per year. Share this article with all General Category friends who think there is no scholarship for them. Disclaimer: Information based on NSP, MHRD, Sitaram Jindal Foundation, LIC, Tata Trusts official portals as of Oct 2026. Amount and last date may change. Check official website before applying.