Azim Premji Scholarship eligibility 2026 depends on a specific combination of school history, first-year college admission and course type — not simply on marks or whether the student is now studying at a government college.
The important distinction is that the Foundation’s government-institution requirement applies to both Class 10 and Class 12. An eligible student can later study a recognised regular undergraduate degree or diploma at a government institution or a credible private college or university anywhere in India.
Who can qualify?
A girl student who completed Class 10 and Class 12 as a regular student from government institutions in an eligible state or Union Territory and is entering the first year of her first recognised regular undergraduate degree or diploma for 2026–27.
What is current?
The Foundation’s application interface is accepting New Registrations — 2026 Cohort. Andhra Pradesh and Delhi (NCT) are included in the current eligible-region list.
What does not automatically disqualify you
Studying in an eligible private college, having lower marks, being older than the typical first-year student, or studying in another Indian state does not by itself make an applicant ineligible.
What can make you ineligible
Private study at either Class 10 or Class 12, distance-learning undergraduate study, already being beyond first year, or falling under a stated programme exclusion can prevent eligibility.
- Quick eligibility table
- Class 10 and 12 rule
- Private-college eligibility
- College in another state
- First-year rule
- First undergraduate course
- Distance-learning rule
- Marks, income and age
- Eligible states and UTs
- Specific exclusions
- Documents required
- Verification method
- Limitations and unresolved facts
- FAQs
Azim Premji Scholarship Eligibility 2026: Quick Decision Table
Use this table as a first screening check. Meeting one condition does not replace the others; applicants need to satisfy the complete set of current rules relevant to them.
| Student situation | Current position |
|---|---|
| Girl student | Required |
| Class 10 from government school | Required |
| Class 12 from government school or college | Required |
| Class 10 government + Class 12 private | Does not meet the stated school-history rule |
| Class 10 private + Class 12 government | Does not meet the stated school-history rule |
| First-year regular UG degree or diploma in 2026–27 | Can qualify |
| Second, third, fourth or fifth-year student | Not eligible as a new applicant |
| Government undergraduate institution | Can qualify |
| Credible bona fide private college or university | Can qualify |
| College located in another Indian state | Can qualify |
| Distance-learning undergraduate programme | Not eligible |
| First undergraduate degree or diploma after Class 12 | Required under the current FAQ |
| Admission to an Azim Premji University programme | Excluded under the current FAQ |
| Current or past recipient of specified Wipro scholarships such as Santoor | Excluded under the current FAQ |
1. Both Class 10 and Class 12 Must Meet the Government-Institution Rule
This is the most important distinction in Azim Premji Scholarship eligibility 2026.
The Foundation says applicants must have passed both Class 10 and Class 12 as regular students from a government school or college in one of the eligible states or Union Territories.
Class 10 from a government institution and Class 12 from a government institution satisfies this part of the rule.
Class 10 government but Class 12 private does not match the current stated requirement.
Class 10 private but Class 12 government also does not match the stated condition.
This school-history requirement does not mean your undergraduate college must also be government-run.
2. Can a Private-College Student Apply?
Yes, potentially. A student does not fail Azim Premji Scholarship eligibility 2026 merely because her current undergraduate institution is private.
The current eligibility wording allows an eligible student to pursue a recognised undergraduate degree or diploma at a government institution or a credible and bona fide private college or university anywhere in India.
3. Can the College Be Outside the Student’s Home State?
Yes. The undergraduate institution may be located anywhere in India, according to the current programme wording.
The geographic condition for Azim Premji Scholarship eligibility 2026 applies to the government institutions from which the applicant completed Class 10 and Class 12.
For example, a student whose qualifying school education was completed in Telangana can potentially study an eligible regular undergraduate programme in Karnataka.
4. New Applicants Must Be First-Year Students
The applicant must be entering the first year of a recognised regular undergraduate degree or diploma for the current cohort.
The Foundation’s FAQ says students who are already in the second, third, fourth or fifth year cannot apply as new applicants.
5. It Must Be the Applicant’s First Undergraduate Degree or Diploma
A student starting another undergraduate course should not assume that returning to “first year” resets eligibility.
The current FAQ describes the eligible programme as the student’s first undergraduate degree or diploma after Class 12.
6. Distance-Learning Students Are Not Eligible
The course must be regular. The current FAQ specifically excludes students pursuing their undergraduate degree or diploma through distance-learning mode.
This is a separate requirement from recognition of the institution or course.
7. Marks, Merit, Income and Age: What Actually Matters?
Azim Premji Scholarship eligibility 2026 is unusual because several common scholarship filters are not the deciding criteria here.
| Question | Current programme position |
|---|---|
| Is it merit-based? | No. The Foundation says the scholarship is not awarded on merit. |
| Is caste the basis? | No. |
| Is religion the basis? | No. |
| Is income the stated selection basis? | No. The Foundation says the programme is not based on income. |
| Is there a stated age limit? | No age limit is stated in the current FAQ. |
8. Which States and UTs Are Eligible in 2026–27?
The current application page lists:
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi (NCT), Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The Foundation specifically highlights Andhra Pradesh and Delhi (NCT) as additions for the 2026 cohort.
9. Which Applicants Are Specifically Excluded?
The current FAQ identifies additional cases that do not qualify.
Applicants admitted to an Azim Premji University programme for academic year 2026–27 or earlier are excluded under the current FAQ.
Students who are or have been recipients of specified Wipro scholarships, with Santoor given as an example, are excluded under the current FAQ.
10. How Much Financial Support Is Available?
The Foundation describes an annual scholarship of ₹30,000 for shortlisted students for the duration of their first eligible undergraduate degree or diploma programme.
For a five-year eligible course, that can amount to ₹1.5 lakh over the programme duration.
The amount is the benefit available to shortlisted students; it is not itself an eligibility test.
Azim Premji Scholarship Documents Required in 2026
Students who meet Azim Premji Scholarship eligibility 2026 must also submit documents that meet the Foundation’s current file and authenticity requirements.
Passport-size photograph
- Recent coloured photograph taken within the last six months.
- Plain background and face clearly visible.
- No emojis, filters, text or face-altering edits.
- No black-and-white photograph, screenshot or image cropped from another document.
- JPEG, JPG or PNG.
- 30 KB to 500 KB.
Aadhaar
- Clear coloured scan of the original document.
- Name, gender, date of birth and photo should be visible.
- No cropped, edited or AI-generated version.
- JPEG, JPG, PNG or PDF.
- 30 KB to 500 KB.
Bank proof
- Recent passbook first page or last one month’s account statement.
- Account must be in the applicant’s name alone.
- Regular savings account in a scheduled commercial bank.
- Mode of operation should be self.
- Account should be active.
- It should allow NEFT transactions above ₹10,000.
Class 10 and 12 marksheets
- Clear coloured scans of original marksheets.
- Name, school, mode of education, roll/serial number, passing year and relevant authentication should be visible.
- No photocopies, screenshots, cropped, edited or AI-generated versions.
- JPEG, JPG, PNG or PDF.
- 30 KB to 500 KB.
College admission proof
- Bona Fide Certificate or Admission Tuition Fee Receipt.
- Applicant name, college, course and study details should be visible.
- Institutional seal/signature should appear where required.
- Hostel, mess, laboratory and exam-fee receipts are not substitutes.
- JPEG, JPG, PNG or PDF.
- 30 KB to 500 KB.
Document-quality rule
- Files should be clear and readable.
- Do not crop or alter them.
- Do not submit AI-generated documents.
- Do not add emojis or unrelated writing.
- Fraud detection can lead to blacklisting.
Bank Statement vs Passbook: One Important Difference
If you use a bank statement
The statement should be generated by the bank with attestation. The document guidelines say a digital statement without the bank’s seal and signature is not accepted.
If you use a passbook
The first page should clearly show the account holder’s name, account number, IFSC code and branch details. The document guidance permits only the IFSC code to be handwritten.
College Admission Proof: What Counts?
| Accepted proof | Important details |
|---|---|
| Bona Fide Certificate | Should show applicant name, college name, course start date, current year of study, course duration and course type, with the required institutional authentication. |
| Admission Tuition Fee Receipt | Should show applicant name, college, course details, serial number and transaction date and should not contain overwriting or edits. |
The Foundation’s guidelines also state that a Bona Fide Certificate template is available through the scholarship website and applicant portal.
Related Education Guides
These ThePulseSignal articles cover other current college-admission and counselling decisions:
Verification Method
This guide was checked against primary information published by the Azim Premji Foundation rather than relying only on third-party scholarship coverage.
- Official scholarship applications and eligibility page — checked for the current cohort, eligibility rules, eligible regions, FAQs and registration information.
- Official Azim Premji Scholarship programme page — checked for the programme purpose, annual scholarship amount and broader selection basis.
- Azim Premji Scholarship — Guidelines for Documents Required (2026) — checked for photograph, Aadhaar, bank proof, Class 10 and 12 marksheets, admission proof, file formats, file-size limits and rejection conditions.
The eligibility wording, document rules and FAQ answers were compared against each other so that distinctions such as government school vs private undergraduate college, first year vs later years, and regular vs distance study are not mixed together.
Limitations and Unresolved Facts
- One line on the current official application page refers to academic session 2025–26, while the main eligibility section and surrounding current-cohort material refer to 2026–27.
- The public application page does not expose a reliable page publication or last-updated timestamp.
- The Foundation may revise eligibility, document or applicant-portal instructions during the application cycle.
- Individual edge cases that are not clearly addressed by the published rules should be confirmed directly with the Foundation rather than inferred from this guide.
- This article does not claim a specific Google search volume for the focus keyword because independently validated volume data was not established during the review.
Azim Premji Scholarship Eligibility 2026 FAQs
Can a girl studying in a private college apply?
Yes, potentially. An eligible applicant may study at a credible and bona fide private college or university anywhere in India, provided the other conditions are satisfied.
Can I apply if Class 10 was government but Class 12 was private?
The current rule requires both Class 10 and Class 12 to have been completed as a regular student from government institutions in an eligible state or Union Territory.
Can a second-year student apply?
No. The current FAQ says new applicants must be first-year regular students in their first undergraduate degree or diploma after Class 12.
Can a distance-learning student apply?
No. Distance-learning undergraduate programmes are excluded under the current rules.
Is Azim Premji Scholarship eligibility 2026 based on marks?
No. The Foundation says the scholarship is not awarded on the basis of merit.
Is there an income limit?
The Foundation’s programme information says the scholarship is not based on income. Other eligibility requirements still apply.
Is there an age limit?
No age limit is stated in the current official FAQ, provided the other conditions are satisfied.
Are Andhra Pradesh students eligible in 2026?
Yes. Andhra Pradesh appears in the current eligible-region list and is highlighted as an addition for the 2026 cohort.
Are Delhi students eligible in 2026?
Yes. Delhi (NCT) appears in the current eligible-region list and is highlighted as an addition for the 2026 cohort.
What size should uploaded scholarship documents be?
The current document guidelines generally require files to be between 30 KB and 500 KB. Accepted formats depend on the type of document.
Can I submit a normal downloaded bank statement?
The current guidelines say the bank statement should be generated by the bank with attestation and that a digital account statement without the bank’s seal and signature is not accepted.
Can a hostel or exam-fee receipt be used as admission proof?
No. The document guidelines specify a Bona Fide Certificate or Admission Tuition Fee Receipt and say hostel, mess, laboratory and examination-fee receipts are not accepted as substitutes.
Bottom Line
Azim Premji Scholarship eligibility 2026 is best checked as a sequence: government-institution study for both Class 10 and Class 12, an eligible state or Union Territory, first-year admission, a first undergraduate degree or diploma, and regular rather than distance study.
A private undergraduate college, lower marks or the applicant’s age do not automatically disqualify her under the current published rules. Once eligibility is established, applicants should pay equal attention to the official document standards because the Foundation specifies detailed requirements for bank proof, marksheets, college admission proof, file type, file size and document authenticity.
Last verified: August 10, 2026. Applicants should recheck the official Azim Premji Foundation application page before submission because programme and portal instructions can change.