Scholarship Calendar September 2026 India: Every Deadline, Renewal Window and New Portal This Month

September 2026 is a crowded scholarship month. The Legrand Empowering Scholarship Program closes on September 7, Karnataka's SSP pre-matric window shuts on September 30, Kerala's e-Grantz portal has two separate scheme-wise deadlines inside the month, and NSP fresh and renewal applications continue through October 31. The Reliance Foundation Scholarship 2026-27, which opened on August 14, also stays live right through this month before closing on October 5. If you only check one scholarship calendar this month, this is the one to bookmark.

Quick View: September 2026 Scholarship Deadlines

Legrand Empowering Scholarship Program: Closes September 7

The Legrand Empowering Scholarship Program supports meritorious girl students, along with differently-abled, LGBTQ+, single-parent and Covid-affected applicants, pursuing undergraduate degrees in Engineering, Architecture, Finance or Science. General category students receive 60% of their annual course fee up to INR 60,000 per year, while special category applicants receive 80% up to INR 1,00,000 per year. For the 2026-27 cycle, Scholarlify is the implementation partner handling applications and disbursement.

Applications for this cycle are scheduled to close on September 7, 2026. Because this is Legrand's own confirmed cycle date rather than a government notification, students should treat it as the working deadline and apply well before the window shuts rather than waiting for a last-day extension.

Reliance Foundation Scholarship 2026-27: Still Open, Closes October 5

The Reliance Foundation Scholarship for first-year undergraduate and postgraduate students opened on August 14, 2026, and stays open right through September before closing on October 5, 2026. Undergraduate scholars can receive up to INR 2 lakh over the course of their degree, and postgraduate scholars up to INR 6 lakh. Roughly 5,100 students are selected each year across the UG and PG categories.

All applicants must clear a 60-minute online aptitude test covering verbal, analytical and numerical reasoning. Postgraduate applicants have an additional requirement: both letters of recommendation must be submitted by October 12, 2026, even though the main application closes a week earlier. Since September is the last full month before the October 5 cutoff, this is the window to finish the aptitude test and gather PG reference letters without rushing.

Karnataka SSP: Pre-Matric Closes September 30

Karnataka's unified State Scholarship Portal (SSP) covers both pre-matric (Classes 1 to 10) and post-matric (PUC and above) applicants across departments including Social Welfare, Tribal Welfare, Backward Classes Welfare and Minorities Welfare. For 2026-27, pre-matric applications close on September 30, 2026 across most sponsoring departments.

Post-matric deadlines are staggered by department rather than falling on a single date: Backward Classes Welfare and Tribal Welfare Department schemes close August 31, 2026, Minorities Welfare closes September 30, 2026, and the Social Welfare Department scheme runs until January 31, 2027. Students moving from Class 10 into PUC need to apply fresh on the post-matric portal since a pre-matric SATS ID history does not automatically carry forward. For a state-by-state view of scholarship deadlines beyond Karnataka, Scholarlify's state scholarship deadline guide tracks Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and other major states alongside Karnataka's SSP timeline.

Kerala e-Grantz: Two Separate September Deadlines

Kerala's e-Grantz 3.0 portal, run jointly by the SC, ST and OBC Development Departments, has more than one deadline landing inside September for the 2026-27 cycle rather than a single portal-wide date. The Kedavilakku Scholarship Scheme for OBC students in Classes 1 to 8 requires the school to complete e-Grantz data entry by September 30, 2026, though the student-facing form is due at the school earlier, by August 31. Separately, a special financial assistance scheme for OBC girl students in medical and medical-allied courses who have lost one or both parents closes around September 15, 2026.

Broader e-Grantz fresh registration for post-matric SC, ST and OBC students is expected to extend into October, so students outside these two specific schemes should treat mid-September as a caution point rather than a confirmed universal cutoff, and check the exact date shown against their own scheme on the portal. Scholarlify's guide to SC and ST scholarships in India explains how Kerala's e-Grantz system fits alongside the National Scholarship Portal for reserved-category students.

NSP: Fresh and Renewal Applications Continue Through October 31

The National Scholarship Portal remains open through September for both fresh and renewal applications, with most of its schemes closing on October 31, 2026. One notable exception is the PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS), which closes earlier on September 30, 2026, for renewal applicants; fresh applications are not accepted under this scheme for the current session.

Students who received an NSP scholarship last year should not register afresh. Using the existing OTR number and selecting the renewal option is mandatory, since a fresh registration under an already-registered OTR is typically rejected. September is a good window to complete renewal before the October rush, when the portal historically sees heavier traffic and slower response times. Scholarlify's scholarship renewal guide walks through the NSP renewal steps alongside state portal renewal processes.

What Else Is Happening This Month

September 2026 also carries a few dates worth noting even though they are not scholarship deadlines themselves. Teachers' Day falls on September 5, and Ganesh Chaturthi coincides with Hindi Diwas on September 14, both of which typically slow down institutional verification at colleges for a day or two. Engineers' Day on September 15 is a natural moment for engineering students specifically to check pending SSP, NSP or Reliance Foundation applications before the mid-month crunch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What scholarship deadline is closest right now in September 2026? The Legrand Empowering Scholarship Program closes first, on September 7, 2026, followed by Kerala's e-Grantz special OBC medical scheme around September 15.

Is the Reliance Foundation Scholarship still open in September 2026? Yes. It opened on August 14, 2026, and stays open through all of September before closing on October 5, 2026, giving applicants the full month to complete the aptitude test and documentation.

Do I need to reapply for NSP if I already have an OTR number? No. Students with an existing OTR number from a previous year should log in and choose the renewal option rather than registering as a fresh applicant, since a duplicate fresh registration is usually rejected.

What is the Karnataka SSP pre-matric last date for 2026-27? September 30, 2026, across most sponsoring departments including Social Welfare, Tribal Welfare, Backward Classes Welfare and Minorities Welfare.

Is there one single e-Grantz deadline for Kerala students in September? No. e-Grantz deadlines vary by scheme this cycle. The Kedavilakku scheme's school-level data entry closes September 30, while the special assistance scheme for OBC medical-course girl students closes around September 15. Students should confirm the exact date against their specific scheme on the portal.

Which NSP scheme closes earlier than the general October 31 deadline? The PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS) closes on September 30, 2026, for renewal applicants, ahead of the October 31 deadline that applies to most other NSP schemes.

Want a scheme-by-scheme match instead of tracking every portal yourself? Browse Scholarlify's scholarship finder to filter open scholarships by state, category and course level, or see the fuller 2026 scholarship list for schemes beyond this month's deadlines.