IGNOU Scholarship 2026

Maidan Garhi, New DelhiOpen UniversityEstd 1985NAAC Grade A++

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Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is the largest open university in the world. The university offers more than 200 courses through Distance and Online Distance Mode. IGNOU Admissions are conducted twice in a year, i.e, January and July session. Admissions are offered on the basis of marks secured in the qualifying examination or entrance examination. Fees at IGNOU ranges from INR 3700 to 10800 per year. However, IGNOU provides fee exemptions, fee remission, and scholarships to students who belong to SC, ST categories and are physically challenged. Jail inmates, economically weak students are also eligible. IGNOU scholarship details like eligibility, amount, required document, and application process is discussed below in the article.

Table of Content

IGNOU Scholarship 2024
IGNOU Scholarship Amount
IGNOU Scholarship Eligibility Criteria
How to Apply for IGNOU Scholarships?
IGNOU Scholarship: Documents Required
IGNOU Scholarships Schemes Offered By Government
IGNOU Scholarship FAQs

IGNOU Scholarship 2024

IGNOU Scholarship is a financial assistance program offered to SC, ST, Jail Inmates, and Economically Weaker, and physically challenged students. Students from the Weaver community, transgender can also get the scholarship offered by the university. Every year, thousands of students apply for the IGNOU scholarship. The selection is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Students can get the scholarship form from their regional centres. They have to fill the scholarship form and get it certified by the concerned authorities. Then, submit it back in their regional offices to apply for IGNOU scholarships. Moreover, students must attach valid documents while applying. The list of documents includes birth certificate, ADHAAR card, academic mark sheets, income proof, caste certificate, and more. Ensure that the documents are clear and are not expired.

IGNOU Scholarship Amount

IGNOU scholarship amount varies as per the program and reservation criteria. For the M.Phil program, students will get a scholarship amount of INR 5000 per month. Meanwhile, PhD students will receive an amount of INR 8000 per month as a scholarship. Passing the eligibility criteria is a must in order to apply for the aid.

Courses	Eligibility	Scholarship Amount
M.Phil	Student has to be enrolled in the full-time M.Phil program Student has to be less than 35 years of age Should have a good academic background should belong from the reserved category (SC/ST) Should have a valid physically handicapped document proof (if applied under the category) They should not have any other scholarship in their name	INR 5000 per month
PhD	Student should pursue full-time Ph.D degree form IGNOU Should have a good academic background Should belong from the reserved category Student has to be less than 35 years of age Should have a valid physically handicapped document proof (if applied under the category) They should not have any other scholarship in their name	INR 8000 per month

Check More: IGNOU Courses & Fees

IGNOU Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for IGNOU Scholarship, students must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:

Student should not be more than 35 years of age.
Student must be a student of IGNOU.
Students from the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes can avail of this scholarship.
Furthermore, students who belong to the Weaver communities and are transgender, physically, handicappedn are equally eligible for financial aid.
Additionally, jail inmates with a zeal for learning are exempted from fee payments. It also includes the registration fee.
However, this comes with an exception that when the jail inmates are freed, they have to pay the fee wherever applicable. For instance, re-registration fee, examination fee, convocation registration fee, etc.
The yearly income of the applicant’s family should not be more than 2.5 lakhs INR per annum, including all resources.

How to Apply for IGNOU Scholarships?

Students applying for IGNOU Scholarship can follow the step by step process mentioned below:

Visit the official webite to apply for IGNOU Scholarship @ignou.ac.in or students can get the application form from the Directorate of Social Welfare or from their respective State Social Welfare Office.
Make sure you fill in the form with the correct details such as your name, date of birth, cast, father’s name, phone number, email ID etc.
You will be required to attach valid, up-to-date documents. These documents include the mark sheets of your academic background, the income certificate, an updated caste certificate and more.
As per the university notification, students need to get their IGNOU scholarship form certified by the Regional Director appointed at the regional centre of their program.
Thereafter, students should finally submit the duly completed form at the social welfare office or the directorate of social welfare in their respective states.
For the disabled learning community, you can reach out to the awarding authority directly, to apply for financial aid.
Make sure you read the IGNOU scholarship 2024 eligibility criteria before applying for the aid.

IGNOU Scholarship: Documents Required

Students applying for IGNOU Scholarship must submit the following documents:

ADHAAR card
Passport-sized photograph
Income certificate
Caste certificate
Date of Birth proof
Bank account details in the name of student
Academic marksheets
IGNOU student Identity card
Graduation certificate
Physically challenged certificate

These are the documents required to apply for IGNOU scholarships. students must ensure that they attach correct documents with no spelling errors. Moreover, note that the application form should be correctly filled and should have the Regional Directorate signatures on it.

IGNOU Scholarships Schemes Offered By Government

Students at IGNOU can also avail the various scholarship schemes offered by the government. However, students can get only one scholarship at a time and the approval of scholarship is solely based on fulfilling the eligibility criteria. In order to apply for these scholarships students must visit their regional centre to know the eligibility criteria and then apply through the official portal only. IGNOU Scholarships Schemes offered by the government are as follows:

Merit Cum Means Scholarship For Professional and Technical Courses CS

This scholarship is sponsored by the Indian Government for minority students. It is to grant them financial aid for their technical and professional courses. Moreover, it awards living expenses and covers the course fee.

Eligibility:
- The family income of the applicant should not exceed 2.5 lakhs per annum.
- So other students should have at least 50% of marks in the previous final examination.
Benefits:
- Scholarship worth 20,000 INR every year for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
- Maintenance allowance up to 1000 INR per month for hostlers and 500 INR per month for the day scholar.
Mode of applying

Students must apply for this scholarship online www.scholarships.gov.in. Fill the form online, attach the documents required and submit it.

Scholarships for Top Class Education for students with disabilities

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability - Government of India provides this scholarship to 300 students.

Eligibility Criteria:
- The specially abled student should have a valid certificate with more than 40% of physical disability.
- The family income should be six lakhs and not more than that.
- students should pursue an undergraduate or a PG course from any recognised university.
Benefits:
- The cost for books and stationary will be covered up to 5000 per year.
- Maintenance allowances will be covered. 3000 INR per month for a hostler and 1500 INR per month for a day scholar.
- Tuition fee will be covered up to 2 lakhs per annum. This amount is variable depending upon the fee of the course.
- 45,000 INR, a one time allowance will be given for devices used for studying (laptop/desktop)
- Other allowances such as helper or escort allowances will be covered for 2000 INR per month.
Documents required:
- Disability proof
- Birth certificate
- Course fee receipt
- Academic mark sheets of the previous education
- Proof of income, and more as per the requirements from the authorities .

Mode of application: the interested students can apply for this scholarship on the official website - scholarships.gov.in .
Top Class Education Scheme for SC students
Eligibility:

- Students have to be enrolled in a full-time course in a recognized university.
- They have to be an Indian citizen.
- They have gained admission under the general category seats of the college/university.
- Their family income should not exceed 8 lakhs per year. This number includes earnings from every sources
- In one family, only 2 siblings are allowed to enrol and benefit from this scholarship. It is because of the high competition.
- Candidates with a strong academic background with weaker economic conditions will be preferred.
- 30% reservations from the total scheme population is reserved for the SC girl child.

Benefits:

This scholarship is to uplift the less privileged section of the society by giving extra exposure. The students can take maximum benefit from the scheme once they get an approval on the application form

The salary per year is INR 3.72 Lakh in the case of enrollment in private flying clubs for commercial flight training and rating courses.

Additionally, it pays for up to INR 2,220 per month as the living costs for students to sustain themselves.

Books and stationery costs are also covered. Every awardee receives 3,000 per month to cover these costs.

The scholarship pays the full tuition for up to INR 2 lakh per year for students attending private institutions.

A one-time financial aid for a computer or laptop is also covered by the scholarship. This cost corresponds to a 45,000 compensation.

Mode of applying:

Candidates must go to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment's official website to submit an application. They must first log in and sign up as new applicants before filling out the application form, uploading all required files, and submitting it.

Check More: IGNOU Reviews

IGNOU Scholarship FAQs

Ques. Is there any IGNOU scholarship?

Ans. IGNOU offers a relieving opportunity for students to lift the burden of their education costs. The open university offers fee reimbursement and similar fee exemptions for deserving students.

Students from the Weaver community, transgender, physically, handicapped are eligible for the IGNOU scholarship. Moreover, SC and ST students can benefit from this too. Interested students should fall under the above-mentioned categories, and should not have any other scholarships.

Ques. What is the IGNOU scholarship amount?

Ans. The IGNOU scholarship amount ranges from INR 5,000 to 8,000 per month. Students enrolled in M.Philosophy will get INR 5000 per month. However, students enrolled in the PhD programme will get INR 8000 per month as IGNOU scholarship. Therefore, if you wish to get financial aid, you can fill the application form and duly submit it before the last date.

Ques. Who is eligible for IGNOU scholarship?

Ans. The eligibility of IGNOU scholarship is very simple. The student has to be less than 35 years of age. One has to be from the SC or ST, transgender, Weaver community or from the physically handicapped students. This monetary help is for the jail inmates as well. Moreover, the annual family income should be less than 2.5 lakhs INR. The academic background of the student should be above-average in order to have a better chance of getting the IGNOU scholarship.

Lastly, the students should not have any other scholarship at the time of applying. Students need to check updates everyday to keep up with the latest notifications.

Ques. What is the IGNOU scholarship for UG students?

Ans. Students from the ST/SC reserved castes, physically challenged, from the Weaver community and jail inmates are eligible for the IGNOU scholarship. IGNOU has not yet addressed the UG scholarships. The students enrolled in full-time M.Phil and Ph.D programs are eligible for the financial aid If you pass the eligibility criteria, you can follow the steps above to get the IGNOU scholarship.

Ques. What is the minimum IGNOU scholarship amount?

Ans. A student can get a minimum INR 5000 per month in the IGNOU scholarship M. Phil program. However, it is increased to INR 8000 per month in the PhD level. Needless to say, the IGNOU scholarship amount has helped students pursue their studies well.

Ques. How many IGNOU scholarship can a student get?

Ans. A student can get only one IGNOU scholarship at once. If any reserved category student is benefiting from one scholarship, they will not get the IGNOU scholarship on that. Therefore, read all the eligibility conditions before applying.

Ques. Who is not eligible for IGNOU scholarship?

Ans. Students who are above the age of 35, who are not a part of any IGNOU course are not eligible for the IGNOU scholarship. Moreover, well-off students with a family income, more than 2.5 lakhs per annum are not eligible as well. And most importantly, a good academic record is a must to get the IGNOU scholarship.

Ques. How to apply for IGNOU scholarship?

Ans. Below are the steps given to apply for IGNOU scholarship:

Get the scholarship form from the directorate of social welfare or the state social welfare office.
Ensure that you fill the form with correct and up to date details.
Do not forget to attach supporting documents to make your profile strong.
Now you need to get your form certified by the Regional Director at the Regional Centre.
After certification, you should submit the IGNOU scholarship form to the social welfare office of your respective states.
Moving forward to the disabled students, they can directly apply the financial led by reaching out to the awarding authority.
We recommend you to duly check the documents are up-to-date and acceptable while filling out the form.

Ques. Is IGNOU scholarship 100% free?

Ans. The financial aid is for the needs of the poor and needy. Hence, if your profile is convincing enough to let the authorities know about your needs, you might get a 100% IGNOU scholarship. Furthermore, your academic background should be good. Lastly, we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible to increase your chances.

Ques. What documents are required for IGNOU scholarship?

Ans. Documents required for the IGNOU scholarship are as follows:

Adhaar Card
Academic marksheets
10th grade marksheet
12th grade marksheet
Graduation scorecard
IGNOU student Identity card
Caste certificate (for SC/ST)
Birth certificate
Income proof

Ques. What is age limit for IGNOU scholarship?

Ans. A student’s age limit for IGNOU scholarship should be less than 35 years of age. And the family income should not exceed 2.5 lakhs INR per annum.

Ques. What percentage is required for IGNOU scholarship?

Ans. A student has to ensure a good academic record in the previous degrees to get the IGNOU scholarship. However, the minimum requirement is 55% in the previous final exams. Anything above that will be an advantage to the student.

Ques. Is IGNOU scholarship available for reserved category?

Ans. IGNOU scholarship is for the SC and ST category. Moreover, students who are physically handicapped and from the economically weaker section of the society can apply for financial help. IGNOU has gone beyond by taking care of the jail inmates as well. They can apply for fee exemptions and reimbursement for their desired course.

Ques. Is IGNOU scholarship available for general category?

Ans. The general category is not yet addressed by the IGNOU scholarship. However students from the general category can look into the scholarships provided by the government of India on the basis of merit. The Ministry of Education takes good care of the student population by introducing All India scholarships on the basis of merit.

Ques. Can blind students get IGNOU scholarship?

Ans. Yes, blind students can apply for IGNOU scholarship under the physically challenged category. They are eligible for fee reimbursements, and similar exemptions as well.

AI-Generated Summary based on 1695 Reviews

The review highlights that Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) offers affordable education with course fees typically ranging from INR 3,000 to INR 15,000 per year for various programs, making it accessible to a wide range of students. The total cost for courses like B.Com is approximately INR 12,600 for three years, while BCA fees are about INR 42,000 for the entire course.

Exam fees are generally INR 200 per subject. Scholarships are available primarily for SC/ST, OBC, and economically weaker sections, with amounts ranging from INR 10% to 75% off tuition. State scholarships and financial aid may also be accessible via the National Scholarship Portal. However, scholarship availability is limited, and campus job placements are rare due to the university's distance learning model.

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Steena Prijesh

2.4Helpful

B.Com, General

Reviewed on Mar 9, 2026(Enrolled 2025)

Campus life

Fees and Financial Aid:

The total fee for the compelete couesr is around 15000during admission i paid 4500 and 300 for registration fees there is no lab fee for most bcom subject and the fee structure is mostly fixed but it may slightly change during unversity development and IGNOU also offers scholarships suach as goverement merit com means schorship and 50% fee concession for eligibile SC/ST students

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akanksha

5.0

BA, General

Reviewed on Mar 2, 2026(Enrolled 2022)

Exceeded all my ecxpectations

Fees and Financial Aid:

so i had paid 15000 per annum fees and i was from general catorgy so i don't have received and scholership from university i have done my course in 2024 and paid 45000 fees for three year duration of course

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ARAYAN KUMAR CHOUBEY

4.0Helpful

BCA, General

Reviewed on Feb 25, 2026(Enrolled 2025)

"Convenient and recognised distance learning"

Fees and Financial Aid:

The fee structure at IGNOU is affordable and suitable for students from all financial backgrounds semester fifo my course is approximately rupees 8000 which makes they early fear on rupees 16000 for the total fee for the complete course remain quality economical compared to regular private colleges the fees mainly include tuition charges in station phase study material course and examination related expenses IGNOU keys it's fee structure is stable and their is generally increase in student can also apply for government is scholarship available for SC ST OBC and economically weaker section student throw up through National scholarship portal as per their eligibility some state scholarships are also applicable overall IGNOU provides quality education

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Shiva kumar

4.0

B.Sc

Reviewed on Jan 29, 2026(Enrolled 2025)

Best study centre of ignou

Fees and Financial Aid:

The course fees is only 6500? and the 1500? is for printed books i.e- 8000? this yearly fees the course is of minimum 3years and maximum 6 years the exam fees and lab practical fees is excluded from this 8000?.

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TESTvenky

4.6

M.Com, General

Reviewed on Jan 14, 2026(Enrolled 2017)

Excellent in Terms of Flexible Learning

Fees and Financial Aid:

One of the Best thing in the IGNOU was fee is only 11000 and we have to pay only 5000 per year and course was inculed Tution Fee, Book and Other Utilities fee was approx 1000 and Exam fee was 500 Per Year , Rest No Scholarhsip was for General and any SC ST will be get the Benifits form govt. Over all Expiricenee was Good as Flexibale Study and many other Utilitis Benifits

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Review Ninja

2.3Helpful

BCA, General

Reviewed on Jan 7, 2026(Enrolled 2022)

All about IGNOU

Fees and Financial Aid:

* fees for BCA programme is 16000 per year and 8000(per semester) and without books you can pay 6775 per semester. * examination fees is 200 per subject. * fees for complete course is 48000. * the fees is same for all candidates. * and it is not increased yet. fees for practical exam is also 200 per subject.

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Satyam Kumar Mehta

5.0Helpful

BA, General

Reviewed on Dec 25, 2025(Enrolled 2025)

Satyam Kumar

Fees and Financial Aid:

I am in first semester and there are 6 sem in 3 year i pay 5000 per sem for this course The fee structure for sc and st is less than general category person My batchmates paid same as i pay Did not get any scholarship

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Shipra Choudhary

3.2Helpful

M.A, English

Reviewed on Dec 15, 2025(Enrolled 2023)

What it feels like to study at India's biggest open university, IGNOU

Student Snaps:

Fees and Financial Aid:

The total fee of my course includes admission fee, examination fee, tution fee, study material fee only, which costs me around 7000-8000 per year. It is a two year program, so my total cost was near about 16000.

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Shivam Sharma

3.5Helpful

BA, General

Reviewed on Dec 2, 2025(Enrolled 2025)

UNIVERSITY IS GOOD BUT NEED MUCH IMPROVEMENT

Fees and Financial Aid:

Fee structure of my course is 5400 but I belong to SC student so I have discount 50 percent and I gave 3100 rs . The tution fees is 300 . And I don't know about my batchmates because I have taken a addmission in open Schooling so because I don't know my batchmates. I don't know about IGNOU SCHOLARSHIP

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manish kumar gupta

5.0Helpful

BCA, General

Reviewed on Dec 1, 2025(Enrolled 2017)

college life na milegi dobara.

Fees and Financial Aid:

registration fee 300 rupees when you register your self in portal + 150 rupees where you apply for like cyber-cafe stationary shop in regional center. fee structure and exam fee + assignment making cost also final year project cost. 1 semester - 6000 + exam fee(120*5=600) assignment making cost=200 2 semester - 6000+exam fee(120*7=840) assignment making cost = 360. 3 semester - 6000+exam fee( 120*7=840) assignment making cost 380+ tuition fee for programming language per month for regular 4 months * 1000rupees= 4000. 4 semester - 6000+exam fee(120*7=840) assignment making cost 400+ programming tuition fee 4000 5 semester - 6000+exam fee (150*7= 840) assignment making cost 400 + tuition fee 3000 6 semester - 6000+exam fee(150*4=600) assignment making cost 300 + complete last year project 8500 to built and tuition fee include. (if you not pass in any paper you can take retake another charge cost 150rupees.)

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