OUAT Scholarships 2025: Eligibility, Amount & How to Apply?

The Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar , offers a range of scholarships for the 2025-26 academic year to support its students financially. They are designed to encourage bright, hardworking students across different streams to pursue their education with confidence. While a few are provided directly by OUAT, others come under state or central government initiatives.

Students who perform exceptionally well can receive the OUAT Merit Scholarship, which awards Rs 500 per month to the top 15% of the batch. The OUAT Free Studentship gives Rs 500 a semester to 10% of the batch (not including cost-sharing seats).

Apart from university scholarships, students in Odisha can also apply for various government-funded schemes. For example, the Medhabruti Scholarship gives students Rs 10,000 per year, and the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST/Minority/Backward Class students pays for their tuition and living expenses. If a student’s parents are beneficiaries of the KALIA scheme, they may also be eligible for additional support through the KALIA Scholarship.

To promote nationwide talent, the ICAR-backed National Talent Scholarship offers Rs 3,000 per month to eligible candidates. To apply for most of these scholarships, students must first secure admission into one of OUAT’s recognised courses, such as B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, B.V.Sc. & A.H., B.Tech. (Ag. Engg.), B.F.Sc. and several M.Sc., M.Tech. and Ph.D. specialisations. For undergraduate programs, students need a science background in 10+2 with at least 50% marks (or 40% for reserved categories) and must be 17 years or older.

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Types of OUAT Scholarships

OUAT has different kinds of scholarships to meet the needs and backgrounds of different students. These can be grouped into broad categories based on who gives them out and what the main criteria are for choosing them. The main types of scholarships that OUAT will give out in 2025 are:

• Merit-Based Scholarships: These are given to students who do very well in school, either on their qualifying exams or while they are studying at OUAT. They want to honour and reward academic success.
• Need-Based Scholarships (Means-Tested): These scholarships are meant to help students from families with less money. They look at the applicant's family income and financial history to decide how much help they need.
• Category- or reservation-based scholarships: According to government rules, this money is only for students who are members of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Minorities, or Physically Handicapped (PwD) groups. This is to encourage inclusive education.
• Specific Scheme-Based Scholarships: These are special scholarships that are linked to certain government programs or initiatives, like those for farmers' children or recognising specific talents and they are meant to help achieve specific social and economic goals.

Also Read: Which OUAT Course Has Highest Placement? Agri vs Horticulture vs Forestry

OUAT Merit-Based Scholarships 2025

OUAT gives out big merit-based scholarships in 2025 to encourage its students to do well in academics. These scholarships are mostly for the best students and their goal is to help them pay for their further studies.

Eligibility Criteria

• Academic Performance: The main requirement is that the student does very well in academics. The internal OUAT Merit Scholarship is given to the top 15% of students in each batch based on their grades at the university.
• Entrance Exam Rank: A high rank on national-level entrance exams (like ICAR AIEEA) is very important for some scholarships, like the National Talent Scholarship by ICAR.
• Admission to OUAT: To be accepted, applicants must be accepted into an eligible undergraduate or graduate program at OUAT.

Scholarship Amount and Benefits

Also Read: Best Career Options After OUAT: ICAR Jobs, Agri-Startups, Higher Studies Abroad

OUAT Need-Based Scholarships 2025

OUAT's need-based scholarships for 2025 are meant to make sure that students who want to go to college in agriculture and related fields aren't held back by money problems. Most of these come from programs run by the state government or the university itself.

Eligibility Criteria

• Family Income: The most important thing is the family's yearly income, which usually has to be below a certain level (for example, ₹2.5 lakh or ₹6 lakh per year for different schemes). You must show proof of income from a qualified authority, like a Tahasildar.
• Domicile: Most of the time, applicants must live in Odisha permanently.
• Category: A lot of need-based scholarships are only for students who are members of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), or Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
• OUAT Admission: Students must be accepted and enrolled in a regular course at OUAT.
• No Dual Benefits: In most cases, students who get a scholarship from the state or central government can't get another one.

Scholarship Amount and Benefits

OUAT Category-Specific Scholarships 2025

OUAT offers category-specific scholarships in 2025 through a number of government programs. The main goal of these programs is to make sure that students from disadvantaged social groups can get to college without having to deal with financial or socio-economic barriers.

Eligibility Criteria

• Caste/Category Proof: Applicants must have a valid caste certificate (SC, ST, OBC, SEBC, Minority) from a recognised authority. A disability certificate is needed for people with disabilities (PwD).
• Domicile: Most of the time, candidates must live in Odisha permanently.
• Income Limit: To make sure that aid goes to the people who need it most, many of these scholarships have a yearly family income limit (for example, ₹2.5 lakh for Post-Matric Scholarships).
• Academic Progression: Students must be taking an eligible post-matriculation course at OUAT and usually keep up with their schoolwork.
• No Multiple Scholarships: Students usually can't get more than one scholarship from the state or central government at the same time.

Scholarship Amount and Benefits

How to Apply for OUAT Scholarships 2025

Getting OUAT scholarships in 2025 mostly involves two steps: getting into OUAT and then applying for specific scholarships through special portals or university channels. Make sure all the paperwork is in order. You must first reserve your spot at OUAT before applying for the scholarship. You can apply for the scholarship after you get your seat at OUAT with these steps:

• Go to the Odisha State Scholarship Portal at scholarship.odisha.gov.in.
• You can sign up for the portal with your Aadhaar number. An OTP will be sent to your mobile phone that is linked to your Aadhaar number.
• Use the User ID and Password you made to log in.
• Enter your category, qualification, income and other information to see if you qualify for different programs.
• Choose the right Department and Scholarship Scheme, such as Post-Matric, Medhabruti, or Kalia.
• Make sure to fill out all the required fields correctly, including your student information, academic records, eligibility criteria and bank account information (make sure it's linked to Aadhaar for DBT).
• Upload scanned copies of all the documents you need, such as your Aadhaar card, bank passbook front page, mark sheets, caste certificate, income certificate, domicile certificate and a passport-size photo.
• Before you send in your application, make sure to read it over carefully.
• Send in the application and then download the receipt/printout to keep for your records.
• Check the portal often for updates on the status of your application.

Documents Required for OUAT Scholarships

Before applying for OUAT scholarships, it's very important to get all the necessary documents ready. These papers prove your identity, academic history, financial situation and category, which makes the application process go smoothly. Have both the original and the scanned copies on hand.

Academic Certificates

• Class 10th Mark Sheet & Certificate (for DOB proof).
• Class 12th Science Mark Sheet & Certificate.
• Bachelor's Degree Mark Sheets & Certificate (for PG applicants).
• Master's Degree Mark Sheets & Certificate (for Ph.D. applicants).

Identity & Address Proof

• Aadhaar Card (mandatory make sure it's linked to your mobile for OTP).
• Domicile/Residential Certificate (issued by competent authority like Tahasildar), unless you passed 10th with Odia as a subject.
• Passport-size colour photograph (recent).
• Scanned signature.

Category & Income Proof

• Caste Certificate (SC/ST/OBC/SEBC/EWS), if applicable.
• Physically Handicapped (PwD) Certificate, if applicable.
• Income Certificate (latest, from competent authority like Tahasildar), crucial for need-based scholarships.

Bank Passbook (front page with account number and IFSC code), the account must be Aadhaar-linked for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

OUAT Specific Documents (for admission/counselling)

• OUAT Admit Card.
• OUAT Rank Card.
• Printout of OUAT Application Form-B.
• College Leaving Certificate (CLC) / Transfer Certificate (TC).
• Conduct Certificate.
• Migration Certificate (if applicable).

Candidates who want to apply must carefully follow the steps outlined in the application process. This includes getting into OUAT and then carefully applying through the Odisha State Scholarship Portal for most schemes. To have a successful application, you must stick to strict deadlines and get all the paperwork in order, such as academic transcripts, proof of residence, caste and income certificates and more. These scholarships not only help with money problems, but they also encourage students to do well in academics, which makes OUAT a lively and welcoming place to learn.