4 days left: 10,000 Ishan Uday scholarships for North East students close Oct 31

If you are a first-year college student from the North East, you have four days left to claim one of the biggest scholarships made just for your region. The UGC Ishan Uday scholarship closes on October 31, 2026, and it offers 10,000 fresh scholarships every year to students starting an undergraduate degree.

The scheme is run by the University Grants Commission for students from the eight North Eastern states. It is meant to help students from weaker financial backgrounds stay in college after Class 12, instead of dropping out because of fees and living costs. Applications are open on the National Scholarship Portal for the 2026-27 session, and the window opened on September 16.

10,000 slots, and a scholarship that lasts your whole degree

Every year, 10,000 new students are picked under Ishan Uday. Most scholarships give a few hundred seats, and students from smaller states often lose out in national merit lists. Here, the competition is only among students from the North East.

The UGC scheme page puts the financial help at Rs 80,000 per year. The scholarship runs for three to five years, based on how long your degree course lasts. Selection is based on Class 12 merit, and there is no separate entrance test.

Who can apply, and who cannot

The rules are strict, so check them before you spend time on the form. You can apply if you meet all of these conditions:

You passed Class 12 or an equal exam from a school located in the North Eastern Region, through a recognised board.
You are now in the first year of a regular, full-time undergraduate degree in a recognised college or university.
Your parents earn less than Rs 4.5 lakh a year from all sources.
Your course is one of the degree programmes covered by the UGC scheme. For integrated or dual degree courses, the scholarship covers only the undergraduate part.

The eight states covered are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Some students cannot apply, even if they live in the region. Students in open universities, distance learning, part-time courses, diploma courses that do not lead to a degree, and students admitted through the management quota are left out. Students who already get another scholarship for the same undergraduate course are also not eligible. If any of these apply to you, do not submit a form that will be rejected at verification.

Ten thousand seats sound like a lot until you remember how many first-year students apply in the last week. Finish the form now, while you still have time to fix a wrong document.

How to apply on the National Scholarship Portal

The full process runs on the official portal, and you need a One-Time Registration before you can fill the form. Students who already have an OTR ID should use the same one. A second registration only creates confusion and delays.

Go to the National Scholarship Portal and finish your One-Time Registration with your Aadhaar details and mobile number.
Log in as a student and search for the Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme for the North Eastern Region for 2026-27.
Read the scheme instructions on the portal, then fill in your personal, academic, bank and course details exactly as they appear in your records.
Upload the documents asked for, check every field once more, and submit before October 31.
Save the acknowledgement, then contact your college nodal officer about verification. A form that is submitted but never verified does not move ahead.

Keep these papers ready before you start: Aadhaar details, Class 12 marksheet, income certificate, domicile proof, admission details, and bank account details. The name on your form must match your Aadhaar and your college record. Small spelling mismatches are one of the most common reasons forms get sent back.

Why this deadline is different from other NSP dates

October 31 is a busy date on the scholarship calendar. It is also the last date for many other schemes on the National Scholarship Portal, and the scholarships section has the full list of what closes that day. That shared deadline is exactly why you should not wait.

Portal traffic peaks in the last three days. OTPs get delayed, uploads fail, and college offices get crowded. Institute verification for NSP schemes closes on November 15, and the next level of checks ends on November 30, so a late form leaves your college very little time to verify it.

If you are also checking other options, read the guide to government scholarships for Indian college students to see which schemes you can combine and which ones you cannot.

For the official scheme details, check the UGC Ishan Uday scheme page before you apply. The portal and the UGC page are the final word on eligibility and dates, not social media posts or coaching centre notices.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date to apply for the Ishan Uday scholarship 2026-27? October 31, 2026. Applications are submitted online on the National Scholarship Portal, and students should finish well before the last day because portal traffic rises sharply in the final week.

Who can apply for the Ishan Uday scholarship? First-year undergraduate students who passed Class 12 from a school in the North Eastern Region, are studying full time in a recognised degree programme, and whose parents earn less than Rs 4.5 lakh a year.

How many Ishan Uday scholarships are given each year? 10,000 fresh scholarships are awarded every year. The scholarship runs for three to five years, depending on the length of the degree course.

Can I apply if I already get another scholarship? No. Students already receiving another scholarship for the same undergraduate programme are not eligible under the scheme rules. Check the official guidelines before you apply.