Pursuing a medical degree in India can be quite expensive for a large number of aspirants. The qualifiers for the NEET examination can opt to study at different private and public institutes which have a diverse fee structure based on infrastructure, faculty, facilities, and the area in which the college is situated. Often academically well-performing students have to let go of their medical degrees when they face trouble submitting the tuition fees of their respective institutes. Recognizing this problem, state and central governments along with many other private institutions roll out numerous scholarships each year. It is advised that students lay extra emphasis on understanding the eligibility requirements for each scholarship that is offered by various governments and organizations. They can be class-specific, caste-specific, region or state-specific, etc.
Scholarships for NEET aspirants can be divided into two categories-
| Exam Based Scholarships | Merit/Need-Based Scholarships |
Exam Based Scholarship
All India Medical Scholarship Entrance Test-
The AIMSET examination is a national-level exam that is conducted each year by Aimset Educational Foundation (Ministry of Corporate Affairs of India). Students who have passed their senior secondary examinations or are appearing in class 12th can take this examination if they are planning to appear for the NEET examination. The AIMSET scholarship is applicable to all medical and private colleges that are approved by the government. A computer-based online exam is conducted where students are supposed to answer a total of 180 multiple-choice questions. The paper is divided into biology, chemistry, and physics and there are 60 questions from each of these subjects. Students will be awarded 4 marks for all the correct answers. However, there is a negative marking of 1 mark for every incorrect answer. This particular scholarship is awarded on the basis of marks obtained by the students in the AIMSET exam and covers Indian as well as selected International medical colleges. The scholarship benefits are as follows-
- Students who have scored 95% and above will have their full tuition fee paid for 4 years. For private colleges, tuition fees will be paid for one year. If applying abroad, you will receive a tuition fee waiver of US $2500.
- For students whose scores range between >85% to <95%, their tuition fee will be paid for the first year in government colleges only. For private colleges, a 50% tuition fee will be paid for the first years. If applying abroad, you will receive a tuition fee waiver of US $1500.
- Students who obtain marks between >75% to <85% will get a standard laptop.
Nationwide Education and Scholarship Test-
Conducted by SEMCI India, this test is conducted only in 65 major cities to find deserving candidates for medical scholarships. There is a minimum percentage requirement and the students should be students of MBBS, BAMS, BDS, or BHMS courses. The exam has to be applied for in the online method and is available for 3rd and 4th-year students as well. The first rank holder of this exam wins a prize amount of INR 100000. Other rewards of INR 50,000 are also given to candidates.
All India Youth Scholarship Entrance Examination–
It is a national-level scholarship entrance exam for admission into engineering and medical colleges. Ach year the exam is conducted in the month of April or May in the online mode. During the course of their studies, the AIYSEE-winning candidates also get additional support in the form of valuable mentorship and access to career counseling programs. The exclusive motive of the scheme is to financially support worthy students by covering their tuition fees and hostel expenses. There is an application fee of INR 1100 to sit for this examination. The applying candidates should have cleared their secondary and senior secondary examinations from recognized boards only. Moreover, their previous education should have physics, biology, and chemistry as the main subjects. Students cannot take the AIYSEE scholarship test if they do not appear for the NEET entrance test examination. The exam pattern follows a multiple choice questions approach where a total of 90 questions are asked over a period of 90 minutes. There are 30 questions each from chemistry, biology, and physics. For each correct answer, 1 mark is awarded and for each incorrect answer, 0.25 marks are deducted. For any scholarship benefit under this scheme, the students are expected to qualify with at least 55% marks. The scholarship details are as follows-
| Percentage of Marks | Scholarship Benefits |
| 99-100% | Full five-year scholarship |
| 98-98.99% | 4-year scholarship |
| 97-97.99% | 3-year scholarship |
| 96-96.99% | 2.5 year scholarship |
| 95-95.99% | 2 year scholarship |
| 94-94.99% | 1.5 year scholarship |
| 93-93.99% | 1 year scholarship |
| 92-92.99% | 1-semester scholarship |
| 91-91.99% | 3-month stipend |
| 90-90.99% | Rewards in the form of laptops, mobile and tablets |
All India Pre-Medical Scholarship Test-
It is one of the most pre-eminent national-level examinations conducted for candidates who seek admission into MBBS, BHMS, BAMS, BUMS, and BDS courses. The program prefers meritorious and financially weak students so as to help them with waivers and other rewards and gifts. They have collaborated with all medical colleges in India to provide financial assistance to deserving candidates whose sole aim is to pursue medical studies and find employment with good medical practicing hospitals. All students appearing for the NEET UG exam are eligible to take the AIPMST. They should have also completed their 10+2 studies with chemistry, physics, and biology as core subjects. The date of birth of the applicants should be on or after October 1, 1997. Unlike the previous two examinations, there are 200 questions in the MCQ-based exam pattern. It is a computer-based test that will have four prime sections of biology, chemistry, physics, and English & logical reasoning. Students will get 4 marks for all the questions that are answered correctly and will have to face a deduction of 1 mark for incorrect answers.
| S. No. | Number of Scholarships | Entrance examination marks | Scholarship Benefits |
| 1. | 1000 | >90% | Two-year tuition fee |
| 2. | 5000 | 80%-90% | One-year tuition fee |
| 3. | 10,000 | 70%-80% | Standard Laptop |
Merit/Need-Based Scholarships
Swami Vivekanand Merit-cum-means Scholarship-
This scholarship for NEET aspirants is reserved for students from West Bengal. The merit-cum-means criteria mean that financial aid is provided based on the score and monetary needs of the applicant. It majorly targets the economically weak sections of society. Although there is no entrance exam for this scholarship, the students are expected to have completed their senior-secondary education (11th and 12th class) in regular mode from a board that the state government recognizes. During all the years of their MBBS qualification, students are awarded INR 1500 each month. Other conditions that are to be fulfilled are-
-Cleared 11th and 12th classes with physics, chemistry, and biology as main subjects.
-An aggregate score of at least 60% at the 10+2 level.
-Annual family income should not exceed INR 2.5 lakhs.
Dr. Abdul Kalam Scholarship-
This scholarship is offered to students who want to study in the medical field and later aim to pursue a career too. It is crucial that the aspirants appear for the NEET examination as there are no other entrance exams conducted. An amount of INR 20,000 can be granted to students based on their NEET results and class 12 results which should not have an aggregate score of less than 55%. To add to this, if the family income of the candidate is beyond INR 6 lakh annually, then they will not be considered for this program.
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students-
It is a national scholarship offered by the Ministry of Education. There are no entrance examinations and the board prefers to support those students who come from financially deprived families. Students are expected to have a good academic record in their previous education as well. Annually, almost 82,000 scholarships are given so that students can cover their day-to-day expenses while completing higher education. Reserve categories can get special benefits under the Central Reservation Policy. Certain eligibilities that are to be met by the students are-
-You should be above the 80 percentile of successful candidates in a stream that is justifiable for an MBBS degree.
-Gross family income should not be more than INR 4.5 lakhs per annum.
-You should not be getting scholarship benefits from any other scheme.
FAEA Scholarship-
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited introduced the FAEA scholarships for students who originate from weak social and economic backgrounds. They promise to cover the entire tuition of the student’s MBBS course as well as fund their living expenses, study material, travel fare, or any other miscellaneous expenditure. Students who are currently pursuing their senior secondary school or those whose class 12th results are not declared yet are not eligible to apply for the benefits of this program. Significance is given to only those boards that are recognized in India such as ICSE, CBSE, NIOS, and other state boards. Major preference is given to candidates who belong to the SC, ST, or BPL group of people.
Combined Counselling Board Scholarship and Welfare Scheme–
It is one of the most financially rewarding scholarships for NEET aspirants who are academically bright and come from the EWS category. It facilitates career opportunities for higher education with up to 100% scholarships for deserving candidates. The board does not conduct any entrance exams and awards scholarships by considering the merit score and eligibility of the students. Based on the individual profile of the student and keeping into account their choice of medical college, an amount of INR 60,000 to 2.5 lakh rupees can be adjusted in your tuition fees. Applying candidates should have passed their 10+2 level of education from center-approved boards with physics, biology, and chemistry as their main subjects. Simultaneously, all three subjects should have minimum marks of at least 50%.
VAHANI Scholarships-
A non-profit organization called VAHANI sponsors the higher education of NEET aspirants who come from the poverty-stricken regions of India. Students with poor income sources are also considered eligible to apply for this scheme. With the help of documents, the students should be able to prove that they live below the poverty line. Some particular candidates can also get accommodation facilities, learning materials, and electronic devices.
Many attractive scholarships are offered by private companies, multi-national companies, and coveted trusts as well. It is best to do in-depth research about which scholarships for NEET aspirants can benefit you the most.
Conclusion
The average MBBS course fee of a government medical college can start from INR 2000 and can go up to 15-20,000. For the same course from a private institution, students can be asked to pay INR 10 lakhs to more than INR 1.5 cr. There are a limited number of seats for each category because of the reservation criteria which is why students have to face stiff competition each year to secure a seat that promises to give them quality education. There are innumerable government and private scholarship programs whose sole aim is to help such candidates who are willing to study well and become decent medical professionals in the country. All scholarships for NEET aspirants are designed keeping in mind the needs of students. Thus, it becomes the solemn duty of students too to do thorough research about schemes that can benefit them in their journey of medical education. To avail the benefits of any of the programs you will be required to submit substantial evidence in the form of government-approved documents such as mark sheets, identity cards, BPL certificates, ITR reports, etc. To avoid any troublesome unforeseen situation it is best to keep all your requirements handy. Further, the scholarships that mandate you to sit for a test have prescribed syllabi that can help you to prepare well for your scholarship as well as the NEET examination. To ease your way into understanding the NEET UG admissions process and find the most suitable colleges for you, you should get in touch with NEET consultants for counseling and guidance services. We, at Mediplor have been guiding students for more than 20 years. Therefore, get in touch with us to get scholarship advice and Neet consultancy services.
