Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship 2026-27: up to ₹2 lakh, apply by 5 October
One of India's largest private undergraduate scholarships — up to 5,000 students a year, each getting up to ₹2 lakh spread over their degree. You must be in the FIRST year of a regular, full-time UG degree started in 2026-27, have passed Class 12 with at least 60%, and have a household income of ₹15 lakh or less (preference below ₹2.5 lakh). Any stream. There is a compulsory online aptitude test, and it is free. Last date 5 October 2026, and the Foundation says no extensions will be given.
Reliance Foundation supports up to 5,000 undergraduate students a year on a merit-cum-means basis, and the 2026-27 applications are open. The grant is up to ₹2 lakh over the duration of the degree, paid as an annual grant rather than a lump sum.
This is one of the larger private scholarships in the country, and the eligibility rule that catches most people is not the income line — it is the year of study.
The first-year rule, which decides most applications
You must be enrolled in the FIRST year of a regular, full-time undergraduate degree programme in the academic year 2026-27.
If you started your programme in 2025-26 or earlier — that is, you are in second year or above — you are not eligible. There is no second chance at this scholarship later in your degree, so if you have just started college this year, this is your year to apply.
Who can apply
- Indian citizen residing in India
- Passed Class 12 with a minimum of 60% marks
- Enrolled in the first year (academic year 2026-27) of a regular, full-time undergraduate degree in any stream
- Household income of ₹15 lakh or less a year, counting only your parents' income. Preference goes to applicants with household income below ₹2.5 lakh
- Studying at a NAAC-accredited or UGC-recognised institution in India
There is no age limit, provided you meet everything else.
That ₹15 lakh ceiling is unusually high for a means-tested scholarship in India, so families who are used to being just over the ₹2.5 lakh or ₹8 lakh lines elsewhere are often inside this one. The ₹2.5 lakh figure still matters, but as a preference rather than a cut-off.
Who is not eligible
The Foundation lists these plainly, and they are worth checking before you spend an evening on the form:
- Students in the second year or above of their undergraduate programme
- Anyone studying through online, distance, remote or any other non-regular mode
- Students enrolled in a two-year or a six-year undergraduate degree programme
- Anyone who does not attempt the mandatory Aptitude Test, is found cheating during it, or attempts it more than once
The aptitude test, which is compulsory and free
Your application is not complete until you have both submitted the form and taken the test. The structure is published:
- Verbal Ability — 20 multiple-choice questions, 20 minutes, 20 marks
- Analytical and Logical Ability — 20 questions, 20 minutes, 20 marks
- Numerical Ability — 20 questions, 20 minutes, 20 marks
- Total — 60 questions, 60 minutes, 60 marks
Students with disabilities receive an additional 30 minutes, making it 90 minutes, and can indicate the support they need while submitting the application.
There is no fee to take the test. Every applicant gets access to a mock test beforehand, and the Foundation recommends attempting it to get used to the platform. You choose your test date and time slot from the available options before you submit your application, so pick a slot you can actually keep.
What you get, and what you can spend it on
Selected scholars receive a grant of up to ₹2 lakh over the duration of the undergraduate degree. It is awarded as an annual grant and may be used for academic expenses including tuition fees, hostel fees, a laptop, academic books, and educational courses and learning resources.
You are not required to submit bills or receipts. You will have to submit an Annual Scholar Report along with a Statement of Utilisation confirming the money went to academic purposes.
Beyond the money, scholars get leadership and soft-skills workshops, expert interactions and mentoring, volunteering opportunities and scholar events, and join the Reliance Foundation Scholar and Alumni Community — at no additional cost.
The two dates to write down
- Application deadline — 11:59 PM IST on Monday, 5 October 2026. The Foundation states that requests for extensions will not be considered.
- Bank account and PAN details — 18 October 2026. This section only becomes active after you submit your application, so it is easy to forget. If you miss it, your application is treated as incomplete and you may be disqualified. If you do not have a PAN card, you must apply for one and submit the details by the same date; a valid Instant e-PAN is accepted.
Results are announced to all applicants by the end of December 2026.
How to apply
Apply on the Reliance Foundation scholarship portal, linked from scholarships.reliancefoundation.org. Applications are only accepted online — paper applications are not accepted.
The Foundation recommends submitting well before the deadline rather than on the last evening, which is ordinary advice until you remember that a missed aptitude-test slot cannot be retaken.
There is no fee to apply, and nobody needs to be paid to fill this form for you.
Dates checked on 14 August 2026. Deadlines in India move without notice, so confirm on the official portal linked above before you apply.
Published 14 Aug 2026. Dates change without warning, so check the official site before you apply. We never take your application, your documents or your money. You apply directly, always.