The National Scholarship Portal is currently accepting renewal applications for the PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students for academic year 2026–27.
The current announcement on NSP states that the student application deadline is 31 October 2026, followed by institute verification until 15 November and higher-level verification until 30 November 2026.
At present, the portal specifically announces renewal applications. Students seeking to submit a fresh 2026–27 application should wait for an official fresh-application announcement and regularly check the live NSP scheme page.
Official portal: https://scholarships.gov.in/
PM-USP CSSS Scholarship Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Scheme | PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students |
| Short name | PM-USP CSSS |
| Implementing authority | Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education |
| Type of scheme | Merit-cum-means |
| Academic year | 2026–27 |
| Current application status | Renewal applications open |
| Current student deadline | 31 October 2026 |
| Institute verification deadline | 15 November 2026 |
| Higher-level verification deadline | 30 November 2026 |
| Fresh annual family-income limit | Up to ₹4.5 lakh |
| Application mode | Online through NSP |
| Payment method | Direct Benefit Transfer |
| Official portal | scholarships.gov.in |
Application dates and status can be revised. Students should confirm the date shown after signing in to NSP.
What Is PM-USP CSSS?
PM-USP stands for Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan. CSSS refers to the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students.
The scheme is implemented by the Department of Higher Education to provide financial assistance to meritorious students from eligible families while they pursue higher education.
It is intended to help selected students meet part of their day-to-day educational expenses.
Current 2026–27 Application Status
The National Scholarship Portal currently announces that renewal applications are open for PM-USP CSSS.
The current announcement lists:
| Activity | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Renewal application by student | 31 October 2026 |
| Institute verification | 15 November 2026 |
| Higher-level verification | 30 November 2026 |
Students already selected under the scheme in an earlier eligible year should sign in and check whether the renewal application is available.
The public scheme listing may not always update at the same time as a newer portal announcement. Applicants should follow the latest notice displayed on the official NSP home page and the deadline shown inside their account.
Is the Fresh Application Open for 2026–27?
The current NSP announcement specifically refers to renewal applications. It does not presently confirm that fresh PM-USP CSSS applications are open.
Students who completed Class 12 and want to apply for the first time should:
- Complete their NSP One Time Registration.
- Keep the required documents ready.
- Check the official NSP scheme page regularly.
- Use the scholarship-eligibility checker.
- Apply only when the fresh scheme appears in their account.
- Confirm the deadline shown on the live portal.
Do not use a renewal form as a substitute for a fresh application.
Eligibility for a Fresh PM-USP CSSS Application
According to the official scheme FAQ, the eligibility conditions for a fresh applicant include:
- The student should be above the 80th percentile of successful candidates in the relevant Class 12 stream and Board of Examination.
- The student should be pursuing a regular college or university course.
- Correspondence and distance-mode courses are not eligible.
- Annual family income should be up to ₹4.5 lakh.
- The student should not receive another scholarship or fee reimbursement.
- Diploma students are not eligible.
- Students who took a drop after Class 12 are not eligible under the stated conditions.
Students must also satisfy the current scheme guidelines and the information verified through their education board and institution.
What Does “Above 80th Percentile” Mean?
Being above the 80th percentile does not simply mean obtaining 80% marks.
The percentile cut-off is determined with reference to successful Class 12 candidates in the relevant stream and education board.
For example, separate cut-offs may apply according to:
- Education board
- Stream
- State allocation
- Category
- Gender
- Available scholarship slots
Students should not calculate or assume eligibility based only on their percentage. The scheme generally becomes visible on NSP when the submitted information matches the applicable data and eligibility conditions.
Eligible Courses
Fresh applicants should be pursuing a regular course at a recognised college or university.
Eligible study may include regular:
- Undergraduate programmes
- Professional courses
- Technical degree programmes
- Integrated programmes, subject to the scheme rules
Diploma courses are not eligible under the scheme FAQ.
Students enrolled through correspondence or distance mode are also not eligible.
The institution and course must be correctly listed and verified on NSP.
Scholarship Amount
The official scheme FAQ states the following rates:
Graduation Level
Selected students receive ₹12,000 per year for the first three years of an eligible college or university course.
Postgraduate Level
The scholarship rate is ₹20,000 per year at the postgraduate level, subject to continuation and scheme conditions.
Technical and Professional Courses
Students in eligible technical courses may receive ₹20,000 per year during the fourth and fifth years, where applicable.
For B.Tech or B.E. students, the scholarship is generally available for four years:
- ₹12,000 per year for the first three years
- ₹20,000 for the fourth year
The exact amount released depends on the eligible year, course, renewal and sanction.
Maximum Duration
The scholarship can continue for a total period not exceeding five years, subject to the scheme rules.
Continuation is generally available up to postgraduate level, except where the applicable technical course leads to a degree at the undergraduate level and has its own prescribed duration.
A selected student must apply for renewal every year. The scholarship is not renewed automatically.
Conditions for Renewal
According to the official FAQ, renewal requires the student to satisfy conditions including:
- Applying as a renewal applicant on NSP
- Continuing in the eligible course
- Securing at least 50% marks
- Maintaining at least 75% attendance
- Submitting the required marksheet and information
- Not receiving another scholarship or fee reimbursement
- Completing institute verification
- Fulfilling the current scheme conditions
Failure to submit a renewal form or complete verification before the deadline can interrupt the scholarship.
Who Should Apply for Renewal?
A renewal application is intended for students who were previously selected under PM-USP CSSS and are continuing into the next eligible academic year.
A student should not submit a renewal application merely because:
- They applied in the previous year but were not selected.
- They are eligible for a fresh application.
- Their earlier application was rejected.
- They have never received the scholarship.
The renewal option and previous scholarship records should appear within the NSP account.
One Time Registration Requirement
NSP One Time Registration is mandatory.
OTR is a unique 14-digit number generated using Aadhaar or Aadhaar Enrolment ID and remains valid throughout the student’s academic career.
Students should use the same OTR associated with their previous scholarship application. Creating another OTR can cause duplicate or record-matching problems.
You can read our National Scholarship Portal 2026–27 guide for detailed OTR instructions.
Documents That May Be Required
The required documents depend on whether the application is fresh or renewal.
Applicants may be asked for:
- Aadhaar or Aadhaar Enrolment ID
- OTR
- Class 12 marksheet
- Previous academic-year marksheet
- Current admission proof
- Bonafide student certificate
- Family-income certificate
- Category certificate, where applicable
- Disability certificate or UDID information, where applicable
- Bank-account details
- Aadhaar-seeded bank proof
- Current fee receipt
- Institution and course details
The applicant should follow the document list displayed in the live application.
Income Certificate
For a fresh application, annual family income should not exceed ₹4.5 lakh under the official FAQ.
The income certificate should:
- Be issued by the competent authority
- Be valid for the relevant period
- Show the correct family income
- Be clearly readable
- Match the application information
- Contain the required certificate or reference details
Do not change or digitally edit an income certificate.
Bank Account and Aadhaar Seeding
Scholarship payments are processed through Direct Benefit Transfer into the beneficiary’s bank account.
The official FAQ states that the scholarship amount is disbursed to an Aadhaar-seeded bank account.
Students should verify:
- Account number
- IFSC
- Account-holder name
- Account status
- Aadhaar seeding
- DBT eligibility
- Whether the account has transaction restrictions
Bank details should be checked before final submission. An incorrect account number can cause payment failure.
How to Submit a Renewal Application
Existing beneficiaries can generally follow these steps:
- Visit scholarships.gov.in.
- Open the student login.
- Sign in using the existing OTR and password.
- Open “My Applications.”
- Select academic year 2026–27.
- Open the PM-USP CSSS renewal option.
- Review the pre-filled information.
- Enter current course and academic details.
- Upload the previous-year marksheet and other requested documents.
- Confirm bank information.
- Preview the application.
- Correct any error.
- Complete the final submission.
- Save the application form and ID.
- Monitor institute verification.
The exact menu labels may differ when NSP is updated.
How a Fresh Application Is Normally Submitted
When the fresh window officially opens, an eligible applicant would generally:
- Generate NSP OTR.
- Sign in using the OTR credentials.
- Select the domicile state.
- Choose the post-matric application category.
- Generate an application ID.
- Open the application in “My Applications.”
- Enter academic, category and general information.
- Select PM-USP CSSS from the eligible schemes.
- Upload the mandatory documents.
- Complete final submission.
- Save the form.
- Monitor verification.
The official FAQ advises students to ensure that their name, father’s name and Class 12 roll number match the Board marksheet and records.
Importance of Name and Roll-Number Matching
A mismatch can prevent the system from identifying the student’s Class 12 data or displaying the scheme.
Check the following carefully:
- Student’s name
- Father’s name
- Class 12 roll number
- Education board
- Passing year
- Stream
- Date of birth
- Aadhaar details
If the name on Aadhaar differs from the Class 12 marksheet, students should follow the official correction guidance before applying.
Institute Verification
Final submission by the student is not the end of the process.
The institution may need to verify:
- Admission
- Course
- Academic year
- Marks
- Attendance
- Documents
- Renewal eligibility
For the currently announced renewal cycle, institute verification is scheduled to close on 15 November 2026.
Students should contact the institute’s scholarship or nodal officer if the status remains pending.
Selection of Fresh Beneficiaries
The scheme uses a merit-cum-means framework.
The official FAQ explains that the merit list is prepared using factors such as:
- Board allocation
- Stream
- Gender
- Category
- Disability reservation
- Available scholarship slots
The scheme mentions a gender distribution of 50 boys to 50 girls and a stream ratio involving Science, Commerce and Humanities, along with the applicable category reservations.
Meeting the 80th-percentile and income conditions does not guarantee selection.
How to Check Application Status
To track the application:
- Sign in to NSP.
- Open “My Applications.”
- Select the relevant academic year.
- Open the PM-USP CSSS application.
- Review its latest status.
The application may show stages such as:
- Draft
- Finally submitted
- Institute verified
- Defective
- Higher-level verified
- Rejected
- Sanctioned
- Sent for payment
Check the account regularly until processing is complete.
How to Track Payment
After sanction and processing, students can use the payment-tracking link available through NSP.
Keep these details available:
- OTR
- Application ID
- Academic year
- Bank-account information
- Registered mobile number
Do not pay anyone to release, accelerate or correct a scholarship payment.
Common Reasons for Rejection or Delay
An application may be rejected or delayed because of:
- Not meeting the Class 12 percentile condition
- Family income above ₹4.5 lakh
- Diploma, distance or correspondence course
- Drop year after Class 12
- Receipt of another scholarship or fee reimbursement
- Incorrect fresh or renewal application
- Name or roll-number mismatch
- Invalid income certificate
- Incorrect bank information
- Missing institute verification
- Failure to meet renewal marks or attendance
- Unreadable documents
- Missed deadline
Submission does not create an automatic right to receive the scholarship.
Important Safety Precautions
Students should remember:
- Apply only through
scholarships.gov.in. - Do not pay an agent for selection.
- Do not share OTR, password or OTP.
- Do not upload documents through unofficial WhatsApp numbers.
- Do not trust guaranteed-scholarship messages.
- Do not confuse PM-USP CSSS with similarly named scholarship schemes.
- Check fresh and renewal status separately.
- Save application and verification records.
NSP has also announced that scholarship-related services may be available through Common Service Centres for a fixed official charge. Verify the current charge and service details through NSP before visiting a CSC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PM-USP CSSS open for 2026–27?
The current NSP announcement confirms that renewal applications are open. Fresh applications are not presently announced as open.
What is the renewal deadline?
The current NSP home-page announcement states 31 October 2026 for student applications.
What is the family-income limit?
For fresh applicants, annual family income should be up to ₹4.5 lakh under the official scheme FAQ.
Is scoring 80% enough?
Not necessarily. The eligibility condition refers to being above the 80th percentile in the relevant Class 12 stream and Board, which is different from simply obtaining 80% marks.
Are diploma students eligible?
No. The official FAQ states that diploma students are not eligible.
Can distance-learning students apply?
No. Fresh applicants must pursue a regular course rather than correspondence or distance mode.
What is the scholarship amount?
It is generally ₹12,000 annually for the first three years at graduation level and ₹20,000 annually at postgraduate level or specified later years of eligible technical courses.
Is renewal automatic?
No. Students must submit a renewal application and satisfy academic, attendance and other conditions.
Conclusion
PM-USP CSSS supports selected meritorious students from eligible families while they pursue regular higher education.
For 2026–27, existing beneficiaries should complete their renewal application through NSP before the current deadline and ensure that institute verification is completed.
Students seeking a fresh scholarship should prepare their OTR and documents but apply only after NSP officially opens the fresh-application window.
Disclaimer: Legal Rights Online is an independent educational-information website. It is not affiliated with the Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education, National Scholarship Portal or any institution. Application status, dates, eligibility, scholarship rates and procedures may change. Students must verify the latest information on scholarships.gov.in and official scheme documents before applying.