How to apply for SMILE Govt. Education Scholarships for Transgender persons


Are you searching for Government scholarships for transgender school students in India? Looking for postgraduate scholarships for transgender persons? This article provides complete information on the unique Central Govt. scholarship scheme for transgender students of Class 9 and upward. Details of the scholarship amount, the eligibility requirements, the courses which can be pursued with the scholarship, the online application procedure, etc are provided.

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India offers scholarships for transgender persons who are Indian nationals under a special scheme called Support for Marginalized Individuals Livelihood & Enterprise (SMILE). Under this scheme, transgender individuals can avail themselves of composite medical health, skill development training programs, scholarships for academic studies, etc. The education scholarships are offered to transgender students in Class IX and above and are offered till the postgraduate level.

About SMILE scholarships for transgender persons

At the outset, be aware that applicants are required to have an Aadhar-linked bank account to receive the scholarship amount. The name on the Aadhar Card must be the same name that appears in the Govt.-issued transgender certificate. Don't have a transgender certificate? Learn how to get a Government-issued Transgender Certificate with an ID Card online.

The scholarships are available for transgender students studying in Classes IX and X. The scholarship can be renewed further for Class XI and XII, for undergraduate and Diploma courses, and postgraduate studies as well. Accordingly, those who can apply are-
  1. A transgender student who is studying on a regular full-time basis in a Govt.-recognized school or one that is recognized by a Central/State Board of secondary education. In case of migrating to another school, the student must submit the relevant document from the institution.

  2. A transgender student who is studying on a regular full-time basis in a private higher secondary Govt.-recognized school/college recognized by a Central/State Education Board. In case of migrating to another school, the student must submit the relevant document from the institution.

  3. A transgender student who is studying in a Govt. residential institute.

  4. A transgender student who is studying in a private institute that is recognized to be eligible as an educational institute as per the norms of the State Govt./Union Territory administration.

  5. In the case of a UG program or a Diploma course - A transgender student who is pursuing a post-matriculation or a post-secondary course in a recognized institution. If you are pursuing a correspondence course, including distance education and continuing education programs, you can apply for the scholarship as long as these are recognized by the Ministry of Education or by a State Govt.

You must have regular attendance and follow the rules and regulations of the institute where you are studying to be eligible for renewal of the scholarship for the subsequent year. The renewal requires an application and will be based on meeting the required criteria, including submission of relevant mark sheets and other documents if required (see the list of documents mentioned later in this article).



Important notes: For secondary and higher secondary students, the scholarships will be offered only for one year (in any class) and if you are required to repeat the class, then you will not be eligible for a scholarship for that class for the repeat year or any subsequent year.

If you take up a different subject while studying or on passing one stage of the UG or PG course, such as doing a B.A. course after B.Sc. or doing an M.Com. course after M.A., then you will not be eligible for the scholarship. However, you can avail of a scholarship under the postgraduate level of the SMILE scheme for a B.Ed. or B.El.Ed. or L.L.B. program on passing the UG course, such as B.A. or B.E. or B.Com. or B.Sc. etc.

(Refer also to the specific eligibility criteria mentioned later in this article.)

Courses eligible for the scholarships

All Graduate Degree and Post-graduate Degree courses, as well as Diploma courses that are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC)/All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), are covered by this scholarship scheme.

Technical and vocational courses that are offered in Industrial Training Institutes or in Industrial Training Centres that are affiliated with the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) of Classes XI and XII level, including Polytechnics and other courses, are also eligible.

Note: Transgender students who are taking up a course that is less than one-year duration and those who are pursuing certificate courses are not eligible for the scholarship.

Scholarship amount

For post-matric/pre-matric scholarships: Rs. 13,500/-.



Eligibility criteria for scholarships for Transgender students

You must be an Indian national having a valid Govt. Transgender Certificate that has been issued by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment through its website. You cannot avail of the scholarship under the SMILE scheme if you are a recipient of any other Central or State Govt.-funded Pre-Matric scholarship or Post-matric scholarship. However, in addition to the scholarship amount, you are permitted to avail of free accommodation facility or accept a Grant or ad-hoc financial aid from the State Govt. or from another source towards expenses for books, equipment, lodging, or boarding expenses in addition to the scholarship amount paid under this scheme.

Application procedure

Interested candidates should register and apply at the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment National Portal for Transgenders persons.

The list of documents to be submitted with the application is-
  1. The applicant's self-attested passport size photo

  2. Self-attested copy of the applicant's Aadhar Card

  3. A valid Transgender Identity Certificate that is issued through the official portal for transgender persons of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

  4. A declaration by the applicant's parents/guardians, stating that their ward is not availing such scholarship in any other scheme of the Central Govt./ State Government for education

  5. Certificate of previous academic year's mark sheet attested by the Institute where the applicant studied

  6. Institute verification form duly attested by the school/college/institute

  7. The Transfer Certificate in case the applicant migrated to another institute

In the case of renewal of the scholarship, you are required to submit the certificate of the previous academic score, which should be not less than the qualifying marks, and the certificate should be attested by the institute.



Schedule for 2022 applications

Applications can be submitted from 15th March 2022 to 30th June 2022.
Corrections can be made by the student from 1st July 2022 to 10th July 2022.
The list of awardees of the scholarships will be declared on 20th July 2022.
Scholarships will be disbursed from 15th August 2022.

Contact information

Those who wish to make any queries can call Ph. 011-23386981 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or send an email to tgcertification2020@gmail.com
Website: https://transgender.dosje.gov.in/

[Mark this page to get further information soon on applying for the Govt. Transgender Certificate and ID card]


Article by Vandana
Vandana is based in India with over 15 years experience as a freelance writer. Writing, no doubt, is her primary passion! Having learned the art of blogging from ISC, Vandana is enjoying the thrills of blogging, taking pleasure in sharing information & getting good pageviews at her various blogs.

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Comments

Author: Umesh22 Mar 2022 Member Level: Diamond   Points : 4

This is a very useful and full of information article for the benefit of transgender people who are pursuing education in our country.
There was a time when transgender people were treated in a very derogatory way in the society. It is really a matter of great happiness that various governments across the globe have started giving them recognition and they are allowed to get education and other privileges available in the country for all other categories of people. The scholarship mentioned in this article is really a great gesture by the government to give financial aid to the transgender people especially who are studying in class 9 and above. I wish and hope that with such measures, the transgender people will be accepted and accommodated by our society.



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