Odisha Scholarship Portal: PRERANA & Other Schemes

The main scheme: PRERANA Post-Matric Scholarship 2026–27

PRERANA (Post-Matric Students' Scholarship Registration Application & Network Automation) is the portal's post-matric flagship — full name: Post-Matric Scholarship for SC, ST, OBC/SEBC and EBC students of Odisha. It pays the course fee plus a maintenance allowance to eligible students pursuing any recognised post-matriculation course, from +2 and ITI through +3 degrees, PG, engineering, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law, management and other professional courses (grouped under Groups I to IV in the scheme rules).

Who is eligible

• You are a permanent resident of Odisha.
• You belong to the SC, ST, OBC, SEBC or EBC community.
• You are pursuing a post-matric course at a government or government-recognised private institution.
• Your annual family income from all sources does not exceed ₹2.5 lakh.
• Your caste certificate must be issued by a Revenue Officer of Odisha not below the rank of Tahasildar or Additional Tahasildar.
• For EBC applicants, a self-declaration of caste is to be uploaded on the portal.
• For OBC, SEBC and EBC applicants there is an academic bar: you must have secured more than 50% marks in the qualifying examination, and continuing students must also secure more than 50% in the previous academic year.

Dates for 2026–27

The application window for the 2026–27 post-matric schemes opened on 29 July 2026. The original closing date of 29 September was extended to 30 October 2026 for both fresh and renewal applications, covering SC, ST, OBC, SEBC and EBC candidates, by order of the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department. Educational institutions have until 10 November 2026 to verify and forward applications, and final approval by the designated authority is fixed for 30 November 2026. Department officials have indicated that no further extension should be expected — if you have not applied by 30 October, you should assume the window is closed.

What you get

The scholarship is disbursed by Direct Benefit Transfer into the student's bank account and covers the course fee plus a maintenance allowance, with the exact amount depending on the course group and your category. Payments follow after the approval stage.

Other schemes on the portal

Because the portal aggregates many departments, its scheme deadlines differ from one another. The 2026–27 schedule as currently listed includes, among others: the Bidesh Sikhyabruti (closing 31 August 2026), the Pre-Matric Scholarship for Classes 9–10 (closing 9 October 2026), the Junior Merit Scholarship for Classes 11–12 (25 October 2026), the Pathani Samanta Mathematics Talent Scholarship (25 October 2026), the Nirman Shramik Kalyan Yojana education support for construction workers' families (31 October 2026) and the Banishree disability scholarship (30 November 2026). Read those dates against today: as of 20 October 2026, the Bidesh Sikhyabruti (31 August) and Pre-Matric (9 October) windows have already closed for this cycle; the Junior Merit, Pathani Samanta, Nirman Shramik and Banishree dates are still ahead. The Higher Education Department's schemes include e-Medhabruti (technical, professional and UG merit), the Biju Yuba Sashaktikaran Yojana (laptop DBT), Gopabandhu Sikhya Sahayata, Kalinga Sikhya Sathi and the Vyasakabi Fakirmohan Bhasabruti; School & Mass Education runs the Junior and Primary merit and NRTS scholarships; Agriculture runs the KALIA scholarship. Because each scheme posts its own date, always open the scheme's own page on the portal before applying — a deadline remembered from last year will not protect you this year.

How to apply, step by step

• Go to scholarship.odisha.gov.in and register with your Aadhaar number and mobile number.
• Log in and select the exact scheme you are eligible for — check its name, department and closing date on its scheme page.
• Fill in personal, academic, income, caste and bank details carefully.
• Upload clear, readable documents (listed below).
• Submit, print the application and, where the scheme requires it, submit the signed hard copy through your institution.
• Track verification, sanction and payment on the portal with your login.

Documents you will need

• Aadhaar number and a recent photograph
• Income certificate and caste certificate (from the correct authority)
• Residence certificate
• Matriculation certificate and previous examination certificate/marksheet
• First page of the bank passbook showing the student name, account number and IFSC
• Disability certificate where applicable

Common mistakes

The recurring failures are unglamorous but decisive: a caste certificate from an officer below the required rank; the income ceiling misunderstood as per-head instead of per-family; an OBC/SEBC/EBC applicant below the 50% marks bar in the qualifying exam; a blurry or cropped passbook page that fails the bank-detail check; and — the biggest one — assuming one deadline applies to every scheme on the portal. The portal is the deadline; read it per scheme, per year.

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