Scholarships are also broadly categorized into means-based scholarships which are disbursed to students after considering their financial need. Yes, there are some scholarships in India that are specifically intended for students coming from economically backward classes. The major factor that determines whether or not a student is eligible for such scholarships is the annual family income of the family.
Explore some of the most popular means-based scholarships in the list provided below. This list can give you an awareness of what are the scholarships that fulfil your financial need in pursuit of education.
List of means-based scholarships in India
| S.No. | Scholarship Name | Applicable For | Application Period* |
| 1. | Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities | Students of class 1st to 10th | August to September |
| 2. | Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities | Students of Class 11th to PhD | August to September |
| 3. | HDFC Educational Crisis Scholarship | Students of class 6 to 12 / undergraduates/ postgraduates | June to August |
| 4. | Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Pre-Matric | Students of class 1st to 10th | August to October |
| 5. | Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Post-Matric | Class 11th to post-graduation including diploma | August to October |
| 6. | Dr. Ambedkar Post Matric Scholarship for Economically Backward Classes (EBC), Tripura | Class 11th to post-graduation | November to January |
| 7. | National Overseas Scholarship for SC Students | SC, Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans | April to May |
| 8. | AMP Higher Education Scholarship Fund | Muslim students pursuing graduation | May to July |
| 9. | SHDF Scholarships | Students pursuing diploma, degree or postgraduate degree | June to August |
| 10. | INSEAD Deepak & Sunita Gupta Endowed Scholarships | MBA applicants | June to August |
| 11. | IDFC First MBA Scholarship | 1st year MBA Students (India) | July |
| 12. | The G.S.B Scholarship | Students from class 5 to graduate level | July to October |
| 13. | Azim Premji University Undergraduate Scholarship | Bachelor’s degree applicants | March to April |
| 14. | Nurturing Talent Programme | Class 5th passed students | February to April |
| 15. | Joining Hands Higher Education Scholarship Program | Undergraduate and postgraduate applicants | March to April |
| 16. | Padala Charitable Trust Scholarship | Class 11th, 12th, diploma and graduate students | March to May |
| 17. | Kind Circle Meritorious Scholarship | Students studying in Class 9 to 12, Graduation or Vocational programs (all years) | January to March |
| 18. | Jauhar National Fellowship | Muslim minority students (UG and PG) | September to November |
| 19. | Harvard Need Blind Scholarship | Undergraduates of Harvard University | December to February |
| 20. | AICTE-Saksham Scholarship Scheme | Differently-abled students | October to December |
| 21. | Loan for Professional/Educational/Training Courses to Disabled Persons | Candidates with 40% or more disability | Runs all through the year |
| 22. | Dr. Radha Krishnan Scholarship, HP Board of School Education | Class 10th/12th passed students | December to January |
| 23. | Medley Pharma Scholarship | Class 10th passed onwards | October to December |
| 24. | Sindhutai Sapakal Scheme for Educating Orphans and Children with Special Needs | Class 1st to post-graduation | October to December |
| 25. | Sitaram Jindal Foundation Scholarship | Class 11th to post-graduation | Runs all through the year |
*The application duration stated is tentative which may also change on the discretion of the scholarship providing authorities.