Sainik School fees can cross ₹2 lakh a year at some schools (for example, ₹2,07,411 for a new Class 6 or Class 9 admission at Sainik School Satara in 2026-27). So the first question most parents ask us is simple: can we get help? Yes. Every cadet can be considered for a Sainik School scholarship, mainly from your home state government, with extra support from the Ministry of Defence.
Here you will find each scholarship, the 2026-27 amounts schools have published, who is eligible, and how to apply on time. A Sainik School scholarship is money given each year by a state government or the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that pays part or all of a cadet’s fee, based on family income, home state (domicile) or a parent’s service in the armed forces.
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Key Takeaways : Sainik School Scholarship
- The biggest scholarship comes from your home state government and depends on yearly family income. Amounts differ a lot from state to state.
- Example: for 2026-27, Odisha pays a full scholarship of ₹1,16,923 a year to Odisha cadets at Sainik School Bhubaneswar when family income is up to ₹3 lakh.
- State scholarship holders also get MoD central assistance of ₹2,000, ₹1,062 or ₹125 a year, depending on their slab.
- The MoD defence scholarship is ₹32,000 (wards of NCOs and Other Ranks) or ₹16,000 (wards of JCOs). Several schools now give it to only about 5 cadets per class, on merit.
- New partnership Sainik Schools get MoD fee support of up to 50% of the fee, capped at ₹40,000 per student per year, for up to 50 students per class.
- You must renew the scholarship every year with a fresh income certificate, and you may have to repay it if your child leaves school midway.
What kind of scholarships are available in Sainik Schools?
Sainik Schools have four main types of financial help: the home-state government scholarship, MoD central assistance for state scholarship holders, the MoD defence scholarship for wards of armed forces personnel, and an MoD share of the fee that lowers the bill for every cadet. New partnership Sainik Schools have a separate MoD fee-support scheme.
The table below shows who gives each one and who can get it.
| Scholarship | Given by | Who can get it | Typical amount (per year) |
| Home-state scholarship | Your state government | Cadets domiciled in that state, below the income limit | Varies by state and income slab (₹5,500 to ₹1,16,923 in the examples below) |
| Central assistance | Ministry of Defence | Cadets who already get a state scholarship | ₹2,000 / ₹1,062 / ₹125 |
| Defence (MoD) scholarship | Ministry of Defence | Wards of serving or retired personnel up to JCO rank; merit-based at many schools | ₹32,000 (NCO/OR) or ₹16,000 (JCO) |
| MoD share of fee burden | Ministry of Defence | All cadets (rules vary by school) | Changes yearly (e.g. ₹10,722 listed at Bhubaneswar, 2026-27) |
| Fee support in new Sainik Schools | Ministry of Defence, through the Sainik Schools Society | Up to 50 students per class in partnership schools, merit-cum-means | Up to 50% of fee, max ₹40,000 |
Sainik School Scholarships : For Home State Domicile Students
Every State Government has a different Income Slab criterion to determine scholarship amount issued to a cadet at Sainik School. Some states do allow clothing rebate while others don’t. For Example, Look at Sainik School Scholarship issued to Punjab Domicile students at Sainik School Kapurthala by Punjab Government. Please note: Scholarship amount provided by each state government varies and doesn’t follow by default figures which are mentioned in table below.
| Punjab Govt Sainik School Scholarship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Punjab Govt Sainik School Scholarship | |||
| Scholarship Type | Income Slab | Scholarship Amount | Clothing |
| Full Scholarship | Upto Rs.96,000/- | Rs. 26,000/- | 7000/- (Ist year) & 5000/- subsequent years |
| ¾ Scholarship | Rs.96,001/- to Rs 1,20,000/- | Rs. 19,500/- | 7000/- (Ist year) & 5000/- subsequent years |
| ½ Scholarship | Rs.1,20,001/- to Rs. 1,44,000/- | Rs. 13,000/- | ‘-Nil- |
| ¼ Scholarship | Rs.1,44,001/- to Rs. 1,80,000/- | Rs. 7,500/- | ‘-Nil- |
For the full fee of each school, see our Sainik School fee structure guide and the Sainik School Bhubaneswar fee structure.
What is the central assistance from the Ministry of Defence?
Central assistance is a small extra amount the Ministry of Defence pays to cadets who already receive a state government scholarship. It follows the state slab: ₹2,000 a year for a full scholarship, ₹1,062 for three-quarters and ₹125 for half. Cadets on a quarter slab get nothing extra.
Separately, the MoD shares part of the fee burden for cadets. Sainik School Tilaiya says this MoD share applies to all cadets equally and changes every year. Sainik School Bhubaneswar lists ₹10,722 for 2026-27, and Sainik School Rewa lists about ₹14,000. You don’t apply for this share; the school adjusts it in the fee. List of Documents required for Sainik School exam, Read here.
Ministry of Defence scholarship
Unlike State govt Sainik School Scholarships, Ministry of Defence Scholarships are same for all students across All India Sainik Schools. For Ministry of Defence (MoD) scholarships, a cadet is required to submit his Father’s Serving Certificate and if child’s father is retired from service then a copy of ‘Discharge Book’. Amount details of MoD scholarship are as following.
| Scholarship Type | Rank | Scholarship Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Full Scholarship | For ORs | Rs. 32,000/- |
| Half Scholarship | For JCOs | Rs. 16,000/- |
Other State Govt Scholarships
Students from other states who are studying in a Sainik School located in a state other than their home state are also rewarded scholarships at Sainik Schools. But this doesn’t hold true in all the cases. For eg: Bihar government has setup scholarships in almost all other Sainik Schools across the country for students of Bihar Domicile. See following table for details.
| SearchSearch inBihar Govt Scholarship for Students studying in ‘other state’ Sainik Schools | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bihar Govt Scholarship for Students studying in ‘other state’ Sainik Schools | |||
| Scholarship Type | Income Slab | Scholarship Amount | Clothing |
| Full Scholarship | Upto Rs.96,000/- | Rs. 8,500/- | 800/- (Ist year) & 400/- subsequent years |
| ¾ Scholarship | Rs.96,001/- to Rs 1,20,000/- | Rs.6,500/- | 800/- (Ist year) & 400/- subsequent years |
| ½ Scholarship | Rs.1,20,001/- to Rs. 1,44,000/- | Rs. 5,500/- | ‘-Nil- |
| ¼ Scholarship | Rs.1,44,001/- to Rs. 1,80,000/- | ‘-Nil- | ‘-Nil- |
As you must have observed, Scholarship amount is reduced significantly when compared to ‘home state’ domicile scholarships. Sainik School Scholarship 2024.
Documents Required for Sainik School Scholarship
While the exact list of documents is issued by your Sainik School for Sainik School Scholarship, here is a tentative list of documents which are to be submitted by a cadet for successful Scholarship dispersal.
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Sainik School Scholarship: FAQ’s
The amount depends on your home state and family income. For 2026-27, Odisha gives up to ₹1,16,923 a year to Odisha-domicile cadets at Sainik School Bhubaneswar when family income is up to ₹3 lakh. Older or smaller schemes, such as Bihar’s, pay ₹5,500 to ₹8,500. Defence wards may get ₹16,000 or ₹32,000 from the Ministry of Defence. Always check your own school’s current notice.
Any cadet admitted to a Sainik School can be considered. State government scholarships go to cadets domiciled in that state whose family income is below the state’s limit, often ₹10 lakh a year in states that have revised their slabs.
Yes. The Ministry of Defence scholarship pays ₹32,000 a year to wards of NCOs and Other Ranks and ₹16,000 a year to wards of JCOs, as listed by several Sainik Schools. Children of commissioned officers are not covered.
Yes. In new Sainik Schools run in partnership with states, NGOs or private schools, the Ministry of Defence gives fee support of up to 50% of the fee, capped at ₹40,000 per student per year. It covers up to 50% of class strength, with a maximum of 50 students per class, from Class 6 to 12, on a merit-cum-means basis.