ISME scholarships for 2027-28 applicants: awards, eligibility and limits
ISME’s current fee page lists scholarships for its two-year PGDM 2027-29 batch and for the BBA and B.Com + ACCA 2027-30 batches. The award rules differ by programme. The figures below describe the schedule published by ISME and available on 6 November 2026; they are not a guarantee that an applicant will receive a particular amount. Confirm eligibility, documents, the award’s fee component and payment timing in writing before reducing your budget.
The central distinction is between tuition discounts and fixed-amount awards. PGDM merit support is expressed as a share of tuition and tied to CAT percentile or work experience. UG awards combine school marks or CGPA with fixed sums and category conditions. The fee page says awards are subject to verification, and its “one scholarship” rule limits stacking.
PGDM 2027-29: CAT-linked tuition awards
ISME lists four CAT-linked tuition reductions for PGDM applicants. The 50% tuition award requires CAT at or above the 85th percentile; 25% requires at least the 80th; 15% requires at least the 75th; and 10% requires at least the 70th percentile. Each of these options also requires above 70% or CGPA above 8 in both Class 10 and Class 12. Read the school-mark condition as applying alongside the CAT threshold, not as an alternative to it.
The institution also lists a separate 10% tuition award for applicants with two or more years of work experience in a multinational company, with the same Class 10 and 12 condition. The schedule does not state how ISME resolves a candidate who qualifies for both an experience award and a CAT tier, or whether the work experience must be at the time of application or joining. Ask the admissions office to confirm which category will apply to your offer; do not add the percentages together.
Three fixed or annual awards appear beside the PGDM merit tiers: ₹25,000 for eligible defence applicants, ₹25,000 for a sibling of a current ISME student or alumnus, and ₹25,000 per year for eligible Bengaluru families. The defence condition is above 70% or CGPA above 8 in Class 12, with a parent serving or retired from defence. For the Bengaluru hostel award, ISME asks for proof that a parent works and resides in Bengaluru, including address and employment proof. The PGDM table does not list a separate SC/ST award in this set, so applicants should not assume the undergraduate rule applies to them.
The page says the scholarship is awarded at the third instalment and only one award from categories B to E, whichever is higher, applies after verification. Because the table labels the Singapore International Business Certification award as category A, that interview-based benefit is described separately: it covers airfare, accommodation and certification workshops at a university in Singapore. The page does not explain whether this non-cash benefit can coexist with a B-to-E scholarship. Confirm the interaction before treating it as an additional benefit.
BBA and B.Com + ACCA 2027-30: school performance and category awards
For both listed undergraduate programmes, the fee page gives three merit award levels. The ₹1,00,000 award is tied to 90% or CGPA above 9.5 in both Class 10 and 12. The ₹50,000 level is tied to 85% or CGPA above 9 in both classes. The ₹25,000 level is tied to 80% or CGPA above 8.5 in either Class 10 or Class 12. The table uses “OR” between percentage and CGPA measures; it does not provide a conversion method, so candidates whose school reports only one measure should have their result assessed by admissions.
The page also lists ₹25,000 defence and sibling awards, a ₹25,000 SC/ST award, and a ₹25,000-per-year hostel award for eligible Bengaluru families. Defence applicants need above 75% or CGPA above 8 in both Class 10 and 12 and a parent who serves or has retired from defence. The sibling award applies when the applicant’s sibling is a current ISME student or alumnus. The SC/ST award requires a government-issued certificate. The hostel award requires proof that a parent works and resides in Bengaluru. These are stated eligibility descriptions; the page does not publish an application form, submission deadline or an award-specific document checklist beyond the listed evidence.
The UG table says awards are split equally between the third and fourth instalments and that only one scholarship from B to F, whichever is higher, applies after verification. That rule means a student should not total a merit award, defence or category award, and hostel scholarship as if all were cumulative. Ask for a written award calculation against the programme’s instalment schedule. The Singapore International Business Certification award is listed separately as interview-dependent and covers airfare, accommodation and certification workshops. The page does not specify a cash value or state whether it can be combined with a B-to-F scholarship.
What the policy leaves unanswered
ISME’s fee page is the controlling source for the published amounts, but its scholarship terms leave practical details open. It does not give a closing date, a scholarship application process, a review or appeal route, or an explicit policy for ties between multiple eligible awards. It also does not say whether the fixed awards reduce tuition, another fee line or the final instalment, although it specifies the instalments in which UG scholarships are distributed and the PGDM third instalment timing. Applicants should request the current written terms and retain the response with their offer documents.
The fee page’s terms should be read separately from the admissions page’s general eligibility and test requirements. A CAT percentile mentioned for scholarship purposes does not by itself establish admission, and meeting an academic threshold does not make an award automatic. The institution must verify the relevant score, marks or CGPA, relationship or category documents, and family residence or employment evidence where required.
Before accepting an offer, ask ISME to state the exact programme and batch, scholarship category, award amount or tuition percentage, evidence accepted, fee line to which it applies, payment date and whether it replaces another eligible award. For the PGDM, request a written decision if CAT and work-experience criteria both apply. For BBA or B.Com + ACCA, ask which school-grade rule is used when percentage and CGPA records differ. This avoids budgeting from the highest advertised tier before the institution has checked the applicant’s documents.