Scholarship Season October 2026: Documents, File Size, Checklist
Scholarship season is on: the National Scholarship Portal has been open for academic year 2026-27 since 1 June 2026, and PM-USP renewals close on 31 October 2026. Keep clear PDF or JPEG scans ready. NSP's DEPwD scheme FAQ sets 200KB per document; other schemes may differ, so check your scheme's guidelines before you upload.
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Scholarship season is on for many central and state schemes across India. The National Scholarship Portal says it has been open for academic year 2026-27 since 1 June 2026, and the PM-USP renewal window for students closes on 31 October 2026 (NSP home page, checked 3 October 2026). Whether you are applying through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), a state portal, or directly to a ministry or college, the documents you need to upload follow a similar pattern: a photograph, certificates, proof of income and identity, all kept under a file size limit and in a specific format. Getting these ready early means you can submit without a last-day rush.
What documents scholarships typically ask for
Most scholarship schemes on NSP and state portals ask for the same core set of uploads, though the exact list varies by scheme and ministry. Start by photographing or scanning these documents in good light:
- Student photograph (latest, with plain background)
- Aadhaar card or enrolment number
- Income certificate or proof of family income (Form 16, salary slip or government issue)
- Caste certificate (if you are claiming reserved category or SC/ST/OBC benefit)
- Last year's or latest marksheet (school or college)
- Fee receipt of the current course
- Bank passbook or cancelled cheque leaf
- Disability certificate (if applicable)
Photograph these documents on a flat surface in daylight or under bright, even light. Hold the phone camera perpendicular to the document, keeping every edge in frame. Do not photograph on a bed or cloth, which creates shadows and glare.
File formats and size limits: what NSP says
The one NSP size rule we could confirm is in the FAQ for DEPwD (disability) schemes: documents must be PDF or JPEG, each not more than 200KB, and readable or the application can be rejected. NSP's general student FAQ gives no size. Treat 200KB as a safe target, and confirm the limit on your own scheme's upload screen.
| Document type | Format | File size (KB) | Other rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | PDF or JPEG | Up to 200KB (DEPwD FAQ) | Latest photo, clear face, plain background (check your scheme) |
| Aadhaar card | PDF or JPEG | Up to 200KB | Check whether your scheme asks for the number only or a copy |
| Income certificate | PDF or JPEG | Up to 200KB | Issued by the competent authority; check the validity your scheme asks for |
| Caste certificate | PDF or JPEG | Up to 200KB | Check the validity your scheme asks for |
| Marksheet | PDF or JPEG | Up to 200KB | Clear scan of the original |
| Fee receipt | PDF or JPEG | Up to 200KB | Of the current academic year |
| Bank proof | PDF or JPEG | Up to 200KB | Passbook front page or cancelled cheque |
Source: National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in), "FAQs for applying Scholarships" for DEPwD schemes (checked October 2026): PDF or JPEG, 200KB each. The 200KB figure is from that scheme FAQ only. Other schemes and state portals may set a different limit, and the document list varies by scheme.
Compress documents over 200KB with the PDF compressor or image compressor. Both FixDoks tools are free and aim to keep text and numbers readable. Downloading the result needs a free Google sign-in.
Compress PDF to 200KB
Set to 200KB, the DEPwD scheme figure in this guide. If your scheme's upload screen shows a different limit, follow that.
Files are uploaded over HTTPS, processed and deleted from our server straight after. Open the full Compress PDF to 200 KB page
Step by step: prepare your files before applications open
- Photograph each document in daylight on a flat surface, keeping the entire page in frame.
- Convert photographed documents from JPEG to PDF if the portal form requires PDF. Use JPG to PDF to combine multiple pages into a single file.
- Check each file's size: if over 200KB, compress it with the PDF compressor or image compressor depending on format.
- Open each compressed file on your phone and zoom in on numbers, dates and signatures to confirm they are still readable.
- Save every compressed file in a folder on your phone or computer with a clear name (e.g., "aadhaar.pdf", "income_cert.pdf").
- When applications open, upload each file to its correct field in the portal.
- After submission, take a screenshot of the acknowledgement and save copies of every file you uploaded.
Why readable matters more than the smallest possible size
NSP's FAQ warns that applications with unreadable documents are liable to be rejected, even if they meet the file size limit. A certificate scan compressed to 200KB but too blurry to read will be flagged. Start with a clear, well-lit photograph, convert to the right format, compress, and then zoom in to check that numbers, dates and signatures are still legible. If heavy compression makes a file too blurry, re-scan at a slightly higher quality and compress again.
Do not photograph documents at an angle. Tilt, shadows and glare make the portal reject them at verification, even if they upload successfully. Take a straight-on photo with the document flat, then crop it to just the page if needed.
State portals may differ slightly from NSP
State scholarship portals (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, for example) run separately from the National Scholarship Portal, and each can set its own file size limit and document list. Do not assume the NSP 200KB figure applies there. Check your scheme's notification or the portal's own FAQ before uploading, and if the form or a help page asks for a different limit, follow that.
Some portals may let you fetch certificates from DigiLocker instead of uploading scans. If yours shows that option, follow the portal's instructions.
What to do after you upload
Once you submit the application, most portals show a confirmation or tracking number. Take a screenshot of this screen. Then, keep copies of every file you uploaded somewhere safe, such as a Google Drive folder or a backup on your computer. Many scholarships go through multiple rounds of verification, and officials may ask you to re-upload a file or confirm a detail. Having your original scans and the verification screenshots makes this much faster.
This is general document guidance, not advice on eligibility. Confirm scheme rules and dates on the official portal.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Uploading a document at an angle, with shadows or glare, making numbers or signatures unreadable.
- Compressing a file so heavily that dates and official seals become blurry.
- Forgetting to check individual scheme requirements before uploading: some schemes ask for extra documents like a disability certificate or fee receipt.
- Uploading documents in the wrong format (PNG or screenshot instead of PDF or JPEG).
- Submitting without keeping a copy of every file you uploaded or a screenshot of the acknowledgement.
- Using an old income or caste certificate without checking how recent your scheme requires it to be.
Tools for this
Frequently asked questions
What is the file size limit for NSP and state scholarship portals?
The National Scholarship Portal's FAQ for DEPwD schemes says each document must be PDF or JPEG and not exceed 200KB. NSP's general student FAQ gives no size, and state portals set their own limits, so check your scheme's guidelines or the upload screen.
Can I upload a PNG or screenshot instead of PDF or JPEG?
The NSP DEPwD FAQ says documents must be in PDF or JPEG format only. Other portals may differ, so check the upload screen. If you have a PNG or screenshot, convert it to JPEG or PDF first, or photograph the original document again.
My document is over 200KB. How do I make it smaller?
Use the PDF compressor if it is a PDF, or the image compressor if it is a JPEG or PNG. After compressing, open it on your phone and zoom in to check that numbers and dates are still readable.
What if a scholarship portal asks for a different file size limit?
Follow the limit stated on that portal or in the scheme's official guidelines. The 200KB figure comes from one NSP scheme FAQ and is not a universal rule, so a state portal or another scheme can ask for a smaller or larger limit.
Can I use DigiLocker certificates instead of uploading scans?
Some portals offer DigiLocker as a way to fetch documents instead of uploading scans. Whether yours does depends on the scheme and portal, so look for a DigiLocker option on the upload screen and follow the portal's instructions.
When do scholarship applications open?
It depends on the scheme. NSP says its portal has been open for academic year 2026-27 since 1 June 2026, and the PM-USP renewal window for students closes on 31-10-2026. Always read the dates on your scheme's page on scholarships.gov.in or your state portal.
Sources
- National Scholarship Portal, FAQs for applying Scholarships (DEPwD) (checked 2026-10)
- National Scholarship Portal, NSP 2.0 Students FAQ (checked 2026-10)
- National Scholarship Portal, home page (checked 2026-10)
Rules and limits change. Always check the latest official notification or portal before you submit a form.