Money shouldn't decide whether you get to go to college — but for a lot of families in Nepal, it still does. If you're a Dalit, Janajati, or otherwise marginalized student wrapping up +2 and wondering whether a scholarship can actually cover your bachelor's degree, the answer is yes — but only if you know where to look and which documents to prepare.

This guide breaks down exactly how Nepal's scholarship system for marginalized communities works — from the constitutional reservation policy to the University Grants Commission (UGC) scholarship, university-level quotas, and the practical steps to apply before you miss a deadline.

How Nepal's Scholarship Reservation System Actually Works

Nepal's Constitution guarantees inclusive access to higher education, and in practice, this means a 45% reservation of scholarship seats across higher education institutions is set aside for historically marginalized groups. This isn't one single scholarship — it's a quota framework that different universities and government bodies apply when allocating scholarship seats.

Here's how that 45% typically breaks down:

Category	Approx. Quota Share
Women (includes 3% Dalit women, 2% Muslim women)	33%
Janajati (Indigenous Nationalities)	27%
Economically Disadvantaged	25%
Dalit	9%
Remote Areas (e.g., Karnali)	4%
Persons with Disabilities	2%

Percentages reflect the general inclusive education framework and can be applied differently depending on the institution—always check the specific college or program's own quota breakdown.

This means a Dalit or Janajati student isn't competing only within the general merit pool — there's a dedicated quota channel, provided you can furnish the right category certificate.

The UGC Scholarship for Dalit, Economically Disadvantaged, and Marginalized Students

The single most important scholarship most +2 graduates should know about is the one run by the University Grants Commission (UGC), Nepal. It's specifically designed for students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, Dalit students, Muslim women, children of martyrs and conflict victims, and former Mukta Kamlari (freed bonded laborers).

Who Is Eligible for the UGC Scholarship

You must be a Nepali citizen with a valid citizenship certificate.
You must be enrolled in the first year of a bachelor's or master's program at a recognized institution—this scholarship is not available to continuing second- or third-year students.
You must belong to one of the six eligible categories: persons with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, Dalit students, Muslim women, children of martyrs/conflict victims, or Mukta Kamlari.
New applicants (except children of martyrs/conflict victims and students with disabilities) must generally be under 25 for the bachelor's level and under 30 for the master's level.

Documents You'll Need

Nepali citizenship certificate (photocopy)
Recent passport-size photograph
Category certificate—Dalit certificate, disability card, martyr's family certificate, or Mukta Kamlari certificate as applicable
Bank account details along with a copy of the checkbook
Recommendation letter (downloadable from the UGC website's scholarship section)

The UGC's official scholarship notice for 2082/83 had an application deadline around Chaitra 25, 2082—deadlines shift each fiscal year slightly, so always confirm the current cycle's exact date before assuming last year's timeline still applies.

Scholarships for Janajati Students in Nepal

If you belong to one of Nepal's recognized indigenous nationalities (Janajati), you're covered under the broader 27% reservation quota mentioned above, which applies across most government-funded scholarship programs and university admission quotas—not just one standalone scheme.

Beyond the general quota, a few additional channels are worth checking:

University-level reserved seats — Tribhuvan University's constituent campuses reserve a portion of scholarship seats specifically for Janajati applicants during entrance-based admissions.
National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) — occasionally runs targeted scholarship or support schemes for Janajati students, separate from the UGC channel.
Provincial government scholarships — several provinces run their own scholarship schemes that include Janajati quota seats alongside Dalit and economically weak categories.

Since Janajati is a broad category covering dozens of distinct communities, eligibility documentation can vary—check with your local ward office or District Administration Office on which certificate format is currently accepted.

Scholarships for Economically Disadvantaged and Other Marginalized Students

Not every student who needs financial support falls neatly into the Dalit or Janajati category, and Nepal's scholarship system does account for that.

Economically disadvantaged quota (25%) — available to students who can demonstrate financial hardship through a recommendation from their local government body, regardless of ethnicity.
Muslim women's quota (2%) — a dedicated category under both the UGC scholarship and general reservation policy.
Remote area quota (4%) — for students from geographically isolated regions like Karnali Province, where access to higher education institutions is limited.
Children of martyrs and conflict victims—a separate eligibility track under the UGC scholarship, requiring a recommendation letter from the local level or District Administration Office.

If you're unsure which category best fits your situation, apply through whichever quota you have the strongest documentation for, since overlapping eligibility across categories is common.

Provincial and Institutional Scholarship Options

Beyond the national UGC scholarship, several provincial governments run their own dedicated schemes. For example, Province No. 2's Ministry of Social Development has run scholarship programs specifically for extremely poor Dalit, Muslim, and Janajati students studying at the higher education level, administered through the province's Directorate of Education Development.

Individual universities also build reservation quotas into their own admission and scholarship structures:

Tribhuvan University's Institute of Engineering reserves a share of seats — up to 25% at some constituent campuses — for merit-based scholarships, with additional inclusion quotas layered on top for Dalit, Janajati, and other marginalized applicants.
Medical and law programs under TU and other universities similarly carve out reservation seats within their entrance-based admission systems.

The takeaway: don't limit your search to just the UGC scholarship. Check your target university's own admission notice, since most reserve additional scholarship seats specifically for marginalized categories on top of the national quota.

How to Apply: A Step-by-Step Approach

Identify your eligible category — Dalit, Janajati, economically disadvantaged, disability, Muslim woman, or conflict-affected — and gather the correct certificate early, since these take time to issue from local government offices.
Watch for the UGC's annual scholarship notice, typically published a few months into the fiscal year, and submit applications online through the UGC's official portal.
Apply through your university or campus admission office as well, since institutional quotas often require separate applications alongside the UGC scholarship.
Keep your bank account details ready — most scholarship disbursements require an active account in the student's own name.
Follow up after submission — scholarship processing in Nepal can be slow, and checking in with the relevant office periodically helps avoid missed disbursements.

Common Mistakes That Cost Students Their Scholarship

Applying after the first year of the program — most scholarships, including the UGC one, are only open to first-year students.
Submitting an outdated or incorrectly formatted category certificate — formats occasionally change, so get a fresh certificate rather than reusing an old one.
Missing the online application window — deadlines are strict and rarely extended, so mark the notice date the moment it's published.
Assuming ethnicity alone qualifies you — most schemes still require an official certificate proving your category, not just a self-declaration.

Conclusion

A scholarship shouldn't feel like a mystery, and for Dalit, Janajati, and other marginalized students in Nepal, there genuinely is a structured system in place—it just requires knowing which quota you fall under and preparing the right paperwork ahead of time. Start with the UGC scholarship if you're entering your first year of a bachelor's or master's program, check your specific university's own reservation seats, and don't overlook provincial schemes that might apply to your region. The system isn't perfect, but for students willing to track deadlines and gather documentation early, it can meaningfully lower—or even eliminate—the cost of Nepali higher education.

7. FAQ Section

Q1. What is the UGC scholarship for Dalit and marginalized students in Nepal?
It's a scholarship run by the University Grants Commission for first-year Bachelor's or Master's students who are Dalit, economically disadvantaged, persons with disabilities, Muslim women, children of martyrs/conflict victims, or former Mukta Kamlari.

Q2. What percentage of scholarship seats are reserved for marginalized students in Nepal?
Nepal's inclusive education policy reserves 45% of scholarship seats across higher education institutions for marginalized groups, broken down roughly as 33% for women, 27% for Janajati, 25% for economically disadvantaged students, 9% for Dalit students, 4% for remote areas, and 2% for persons with disabilities.

Q3. Who is eligible for a scholarship as a Janajati student in Nepal?
Students belonging to a recognized indigenous nationality are covered under the 27% Janajati reservation quota applied across most government scholarship and university admission programs, alongside additional university-specific or provincial schemes.

Q4. What documents are needed to apply for a Dalit or Janajati scholarship in Nepal?
You typically need a Nepali citizenship certificate, a passport-size photo, your category certificate (Dalit certificate, disability card, etc.), bank account details, and a recommendation letter from the relevant scholarship portal.

Q5. When does the UGC scholarship application open each year?
The UGC scholarship notice is usually published a few months into the fiscal year, with deadlines around Chaitra of the Nepali calendar. Exact dates shift each cycle slightly, so check the current year's official notice rather than relying on the previous year's timeline.

Q6. Can second-year or third-year students apply for the UGC scholarship?
No. The UGC scholarship for Dalit, economically disadvantaged, and other marginalized categories is only open to students in the first year of their bachelor's or master's program.

Q7. Are there scholarships for economically disadvantaged students who aren't Dalit or Janajati?
Yes. The 25% economically disadvantaged quota is available to any student who can demonstrate financial hardship through the appropriate local government recommendation, regardless of ethnicity.

Q8. Do provincial governments in Nepal offer their own scholarships for marginalized students?
Yes. Several provinces, including Province No. 2, run their own scholarship programs specifically for extremely poor Dalit, Muslim, and Janajati students, administered separately from the national UGC scholarship.

To learn about more scholarships, explore this page: Click here