Central Sector Scholarship (PM USP) for College and University Students 2026-27

The Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP), earlier known as the Central Sector Scholarship Scheme (CSSS), is an important scholarship scheme launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. This scheme provides financial support to meritorious students who perform well in their Class 12 Board Exams, helping them continue higher education without financial stress.

The Central Sector scholarship scheme helps students cover daily study expenses while pursuing college or university courses. It is specially designed for talented students from economically weaker families, ensuring they can focus on their education and achieve their career goals without worrying about money.

Every year, nearly 82,000 scholarships are awarded to students enrolled in Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) courses, including professional courses like Engineering, Medical and other Technical fields.

Central Sector Scholarship 2026-27- Overview

Scheme Name	Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) – Central Sector Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)
Objective	Scholarship help to meritorious students from poor families for higher education
Ministry	Ministry of Education, Government of India
No. of Scholarships	82,000 fresh scholarships every year
Scholarship For	12th Pass Students above 80th Percentile (Enrolled in UG/ PG Students)
Renewal	Based on minimum 50% marks and 75% attendance
Portal	National Scholarship Portal (NSP)

Important Dates

Fresh Application Start	June 2026 (Expected)
Application Last Date	Updated Soon
Defective Application Verification Open till	Updated Soon
Institute Verification Open till	Updated Soon
DNO/SNO/MNO Verification Open till	Updated Soon

Eligibility Criteria

• Class 12th marks: Student must be above 80th percentile in their stream in Class XII (10+2) or equivalent.
• Course Type: Student should be pursuing a regular degree course, not a correspondence, distance, or diploma course.
• Institution: College or institution must be recognized by AICTE or related regulators.
• Other Benefit: Student should not be getting any other scholarship or fee waiver, including state scholarships.
• Family Income: Gross annual family income should be up to ₹4.5 Lakh. (Income certificate is required for fresh applicants only)
• Change of College: If a student changes college, renewal is allowed provided the new institution has a valid AISHE code.
• Missed Renewal: If renewal is missed for a particular year, the student can apply for renewal in subsequent years if all conditions are still true.
• Academic Performance: To renewal, the student must score at least 50% marks in annual exams and have a minimum 75% attendance.
• Discipline: If there are complaints about indiscipline, criminal behavior, or ragging, the scholarship may be forfeited.
• Application: Applications (fresh or renewal) must be made online on the National Scholarship Portal (www.scholarships.gov.in). Applications directly sent to the Ministry of Education will not be accepted.

Scholarship Amount

Course Duration	Yearly Scholarship Amount
Graduation (1st–3rd Year)	₹ 12,000
Post-Graduation	₹ 20,000
Professional Course (4th–5th Year)	₹ 20,000

Scholarship amount is directly credited to the student’s Aadhaar-linked bank account through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).

Reservation Policy (Central Sector Scholarship)

Under the Central Sector Scholarship, reservation benefits are provided to students from reserved categories, weaker sections, and minority groups based on merit and the Central Government Reservation Policy.

The scholarship seats are reserved as follows:

• 15% seats for SC (Scheduled Caste) students
• 7.5% seats for ST (Scheduled Tribe) students
• 27% seats for OBC (Other Backward Classes) students
• 5% seats for students with Benchmark Disabilities (40% or more disability) in every category

These reserved seats are applied each year while selecting students for the scholarship.

If any reserved category seats remain unfilled after considering all States and Union Territories, those seats may be given to students from other categories. This ensures that the maximum number of eligible students can benefit from the Central Sector Scholarship, while staying within the total number of available scholarships.

Documents Required

Fresh Applications

• Class XII marksheet
• Income certificate (compulsory for fresh)
• Caste certificate (if applicable)
• Aadhaar card (link bank account to Aadhaar)
• Institution’s AISHE code

Renewal Applications

• Previous year’s marksheet
• Attendance certificate from institution

How to Apply Online for Central Sector Scholarship Scheme 2026-27?

• Visit NSP official website – scholarships.gov.in
• First Apply for One-Time Registration (OTR) using Aadhaar.
• Login and Fill Application: Login using your credentials, after login Select “PM-USP CSSS” under Central Sector Scholarship and start to fill with all required academic, personal, and bank details.
• Submit & Upload: Upload documents (Class XII marksheet, income certificate, etc.), Review details carefully and submit.
• Track Application: After submission, track application status under “My Application” on NSP.

Important Links

OTR Registration	Apply For One Time Registration (OTR)
Online Application	Apply For Scholarship
Payment Status	Track Your Payment
Aadhar Seeding	Check Aadhaar Seeding Status
AISHE Code Check Link	AISHE Code Check
PFMS Payment	PFMS Payment Tracking
Grievance Portal	View Grievance Portal
Official Guidelines	View Guidelines
NSP Portal	scholarships.gov.in

Helpdesk & Contact

Email: sonationalscholarship@gmail.com
Helpline: 011-20862360
Address:
Ministry of Education
West Block 1, RK Puram
New Delhi – 110066