PM Scholarship Railways 2026-27: RPF Wards Only

How many scholarships, and how much?

There are 150 fresh scholarships a year under the Railways route — 75 for boys and 75 for girls. The two quotas are separate; unused seats in one group do not transfer to the other. The amount is ₹2,500 per month for male students and ₹3,000 per month for female students, paid into the student's bank account, generally as an annual payment through Direct Benefit Transfer.

A girl who wins the award for a four-year B.Tech course receives ₹3,000 a month through the course — ₹36,000 a year, ₹1,44,000 across the four years, provided she keeps renewing (see the renewal rules below). That is meaningful support, but not full fee coverage at most private colleges. Plan finances on that basis.

Who can apply

You are eligible to apply if all of the following are true:

• You are a dependent ward (a family can nominate up to two wards) or a widow of serving, retired or deceased RPF/RPSF personnel below Gazetted rank.
• You have scored at least 60% marks in your minimum entry qualification — Class 12, a diploma, or graduation, depending on the course you are entering.
• You are taking admission, in the current academic year, to a full-time professional or technical course such as B.Tech/B.E., MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BCA, BBA, MBA, B.Pharma, B.Sc. (Nursing) or similar recognised programmes, at an institution that is recognised and holds an AISHE code. Applications from institutions without AISHE registration are not accepted.
• The scheme gives priority in a fixed order: first, wards and widows of personnel killed in action; then those of personnel who died in service; then wards of retired personnel; and finally wards of serving personnel. Within each priority category, selection is by merit in the entry qualification.

Note what is not covered: general degree courses like a plain B.A., B.Com. or B.Sc. are outside this scheme, because PMSS is designed for first professional degree courses. Students already in the middle of a course who did not apply in their first year cannot normally enter as fresh applicants later — the fresh application belongs to the year of admission.

Dates for 2026–27

The National Scholarship Portal opened for the academic year 2026–27 on 1 June 2026, and applications for this scheme are taken through the portal during the NSP application season. NSP application windows for major schemes in 2026–27 close in the autumn, and students should log in, open the scheme list, and confirm the exact closing date displayed against "Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for RPF/RPSF" rather than relying on any date printed on a third-party website — including this one. Do not wait for the last week: your application still has to be verified by your institute and then by the nodal officers, and a defect found after the student deadline can kill an otherwise valid application.

How to apply, step by step

1. Complete One Time Registration (OTR) on NSP.From AY 2024–25 onwards, an OTR number — generated using Aadhaar or an Aadhaar enrolment ID, via the portal or the NSP OTR app with face authentication — is compulsory before you can apply for any scheme. A mobile number is mandatory for registration, because the OTP is sent to it, and a maximum of two registrations can be made with one mobile number.
2. Log in and choose the scheme.In the scheme list, select the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for RPF/RPSF under the Ministry of Railways, and fill in course, institute and bank details exactly as they appear on your documents. Confirm your institute's AISHE code with the college office before submitting.
3. Upload the service document for your category.Serving personnel's wards upload the service certificate issued by the respective office; wards and widows of retired or deceased personnel upload a copy of the PPO or discharge certificate/book, as applicable to their category.
4. Upload your mark sheet.A scanned copy of the mark sheet or grade card of your minimum entry qualification (Class 12, diploma or graduation) is mandatory.
5. Submit and track verification.After submission, ask your institute to verify the application promptly, and keep checking the application status on NSP until it clears institute and district/state-level verification. Save the application ID — you will need the same ID for renewals.

Renewal rules students forget

The scholarship is not automatic after the first year. To renew, you must apply again on NSP every academic year using your original application ID, score at least 50% marks in the previous year's annual examination, and submit your latest mark sheet along with a continuation certificate from your institution. A year in which you skip the renewal application, or fall below 50%, ends the award.

Common mistakes

The most frequent rejections have nothing to do with merit. They come from applying under the wrong PMSS route (there are separate routes for ex-servicemen through the Kendriya Sainik Board, and for CAPF, Assam Rifles and State Police wards through NSP — your parent's force decides your route, and you cannot choose), from institutes that lack an AISHE code, from a name or bank-account mismatch between the application and Aadhaar, and from missing the institute verification step because the student assumed that submitting the form was the end of the process. If your parent is RPF or RPSF, apply early, upload the correct service document for your category, and chase the verification — that is what decides whether a meritorious application survives.

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