NIFT SARTHAK is a tuition-assistance scheme, not an automatic award
NIFT’s SARTHAK Financial Assistance Scheme supports eligible regular undergraduate and postgraduate students whose family income falls within its prescribed bands. The published policy says assistance is not an entitlement: applicants must meet the conditions, submit the required material on time and pass the campus review process. Students admitted under the NRI or NRI-sponsored category are excluded from the scheme. The assistance is expressed as a percentage of tuition fee, so do not assume it covers hostel, mess, travel, materials or every other payable charge. Confirm the fee head and current award decision with NIFT Bengaluru before building a budget.
The policy applies across NIFT campuses. Bengaluru students use the common scheme but must follow the relevant campus notice and application instructions. The policy document available from NIFT is dated July 2024; NIFT’s scheme page also says applications are invited annually through the respective campuses. Treat the policy as the published framework, then check for a newer campus circular before applying.
Published income bands: undergraduate and postgraduate students
Under the July 2024 policy, the undergraduate schedule gives assistance of 100% of tuition fee for annual household income up to ₹2 lakh; 75% for income above ₹2 lakh and up to ₹4 lakh; 50% above ₹4 lakh and up to ₹6 lakh; and 25% above ₹6 lakh and up to ₹8 lakh. The postgraduate schedule is different: 75% up to ₹2 lakh, 50% above ₹2 lakh and up to ₹4 lakh, and 25% above ₹4 lakh and up to ₹8 lakh. The policy describes these as tuition-fee assistance, not a cash award against the entire cost of attendance.
These percentages are policy ceilings for the stated categories, not a promise that every applicant in a band will receive assistance. The policy’s application and review conditions still apply, and a student should obtain the current written campus decision. NIFT does not establish a 2027-28 award amount or application window in the sources checked for this page.
Check academic and financial conditions before relying on renewal
The policy allows eligible first-year regular UG and PG students to apply irrespective of entrance-examination rank or marks. Continuing assistance is subject to additional academic requirements. For the second, third or fourth UG year, and the second PG year, the policy requires an average SGPA of at least 6.00 across the last two consecutive semesters, with no carry-forward subjects, subject to the stated exception process for approved medical or extenuating circumstances. Previous dues must be cleared. The policy also says students declared failed in an earlier semester are not eligible, while describing a route to seek relaxation for mitigating circumstances. A campus committee decides the grant before the semester fee is collected.
The published policy includes restrictions when a student receives other financial assistance or reimbursement for education expenses from another source. It also directs reserved-category students to apply for applicable National Scholarship Portal or state scholarships and submit proof of application to campus. Read the complete policy and ask the campus scholarship contact how it applies to your exact category; a short eligibility summary cannot resolve individual exceptions or document requirements. Keep copies of income evidence, fee receipts, academic records and any other-award decision for the application file.
Application timing and other routes to check
NIFT’s first-year SARTHAK notice for 2026-27 invited online applications from 1 September through 30 September 2026. That window has passed. NIFT’s scheme page says campus applications are invited annually, but no 2027-28 application dates are established by the sources checked here. Do not reuse the 2026 dates as a forecast. Watch the official NIFT scholarship page and the Bengaluru campus notice, and confirm whether the next process is available through the Campus Management Solution or another channel named in the notice. Upper-year timelines can differ from first-year dates; use the current notice for your year.
NIFT also points students to the National Scholarship Portal for government and state schemes where eligible. The NSP is a separate application route with its own scheme criteria, documents and deadlines; NIFT enrolment alone does not establish eligibility. NIFT’s information page describes PM Vidyalaxmi as an education-loan route through participating financial institutions, not a scholarship or fee waiver. It also links the Ministry of Tribal Affairs National Fellowship, but applicants must check that programme’s own eligibility and current call rather than assume it applies to every NIFT student.
For a careful budget, list tuition, other institutional charges, accommodation and living expenses separately. Then mark which amount SARTHAK may cover, which external scheme you may apply for, and what remains payable if aid is delayed or not granted. Before committing, ask the Bengaluru campus for the current form, required proofs, decision timeline, renewal rules and treatment of any overlapping support.