Government Schemes for Students Beyond Scholarships: Internships, Loans, Skills and Free Courses

What government schemes are there for students, apart from scholarships?

Scholarships get most of the attention, but they are only one kind of help. The government also pays for internships, makes education loans easier and cheaper, offers free courses with certificates, pays a stipend during apprenticeships, and, in some states, gives student credit cards and an allowance for unemployed graduates. This guide covers those. For scholarships themselves, use our scholarship finder.

Student schemes at a glance

PM Internship Scheme: eligibility and stipend

The PM Internship Scheme places young people in 12-month internships with leading companies. You get ₹5,000 a month, a one-time grant of ₹6,000 and insurance cover. You can apply if you are 21 to 24, not in full-time education or a full-time job (online or distance learners may apply), your family income is up to ₹8 lakh a year, and no family member has a permanent government job.

Graduates of IITs, IIMs and similar institutes, and CA, CMA and MBBS holders, are not eligible. Applications open in rounds on pminternship.mca.gov.in, where you pick internships up to the allowed number.

Watch outThe PM Internship Scheme is free. Any website or caller asking for a registration fee, “processing charge” or deposit to get you an internship is a scam. Our guide to the part-time job scam shows the common tricks.

Education loan without collateral: PM Vidyalaxmi and state student credit cards

PM Vidyalaxmi gives collateral-free, guarantor-free education loans to students admitted to listed quality institutions (based on NIRF rankings). If your family income is up to ₹8 lakh a year, you get 3% interest subvention on loans up to ₹10 lakh. You apply on the PM Vidyalaxmi portal, which sends your application to banks. Check first that your college is on the list.

Some states run their own loan schemes:

• West Bengal Student Credit Card: collateral-free loans up to ₹10 lakh at about 4% simple interest, from class 10 to doctorate, repayable over up to 15 years, for those living in the state for 10 years or more and aged 40 or below.
• Bihar Student Credit Card: education loans up to ₹4 lakh for higher studies after class 12, at a low or nil rate; register on the 7 Nischay portal and visit your District Registration and Counselling Centre.

Free courses and skill training with a certificate

SWAYAM has free online courses from IITs, IIMs and universities. The course is free; the certificate needs a small exam fee, and credits can count towards your degree. Skill India Digital Hub lists free PMKVY 4.0 courses at centres near you, including new-age courses. Students from SC, OBC, EBC, denotified tribe and sanitation worker families aged 18 to 45 can also look at PM-DAKSH, which gives free skill training with a stipend for eligible courses.

Apprenticeships under NAPS are the most direct route from study to a paid job: you register on apprenticeshipindia.gov.in, apply to openings near you, earn a monthly stipend (partly reimbursed to the employer by the government) and finish with a national certificate.

Students ke liye sarkari yojana mein apply kaise kare?

1. Open the scheme finder, choose “student”, and add your age, state and family income.
2. Check scholarships separately in the scholarship finder; many students qualify for both.
3. Open each scheme page, read the conditions and keep Aadhaar, a bank account in your name, marksheets and an income certificate ready.
4. Apply only on the official portal named on the scheme page. Note your application or registration number.
5. For schemes with rounds (PM Internship, state loans), check the portal for the next round if one is closed.

Recent graduates in Karnataka can also check Yuva Nidhi: ₹3,000 a month for unemployed graduates and ₹1,500 for diploma holders who passed in 2022-23 or later, for up to two years, with a monthly self-declaration on Seva Sindhu.