PM USP Scholarship 2025 Apply Online, Last Date, Eligibility, Scholarship Amount

PM USP Yojana is a scholarship scheme for college and university students from the Ministry of Education. Under this PM USP Scholarship scheme, central govt. will provide financial aid to talented students from low-income families to help with their daily costs while they attend college or university.

The scholarships under PM USP CSSS scholarship scheme are based on Class 12th board exam results, with a maximum of 82,000 new scholarships available each year for graduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) and professional courses. The scholarship under Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS) will be disbursed directly into the Aadhar seeded bank accounts of the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Read this article till the end to know how to apply online for PM USP Yojana, what is the last date for registration, what is the eligibility criteria, scholarship amount and other aspects regarding the scheme.

PM USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS) 2025

PM USP Central Sector Scheme aims to provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships to meritorious students from poor families for higher studies. The Ministry of Education awards a maximum of 82,000 fresh scholarships annually, based on Class XII Board Examination results, with 50% earmarked for girls.

PM USP Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

• The eligibility of PM USP Scholarship requires students to be pursuing regular studies in recognized institutions, not correspondence/distance mode. 
• College and university students must have passed the relevant subject in the 10+2 pattern or equivalent.
• The applicant must have scored above the 80th percentile among successful candidates in the relevant stream in Class 12th (10+2 pattern or equivalent) from the respective Board of Examination.
• He/She must not be availing any other scholarship. 
• The applicant must be pursuing a regular degree course at an institution recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the respective Regulatory Bodies.
• The parental / family income of the applicant student, from all sources, must not exceed Rs. 4.5 lakh per annum.
• Reservations adhere to the Central Reservation Policy, i.e., 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, 27% for OBC, and 5% horizontal for students with Benchmark Disabilities.
• For scholarship renewal, the student must achieve at least 50% marks in the Annual Examination and maintain a minimum attendance of 75%.
• Students are required to have an Aadhaar-seeded bank account in their name.

Exceptions for Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan Yojana

• Students pursuing correspondence, distance learning, or diploma courses are not eligible.
• Students already benefiting from any other scholarship schemes, including state-run schemes, fee waivers, or reimbursement schemes, are not eligible.

PM USP Scholarship Amount 

The scholarship rate is Rs. 12,000/- per annum for the first three years of Graduation and Rs. 20,000/- per annum at the Post-Graduation level. Students in 5-year/Integrated professional courses receive Rs. 20,000/- per annum in the 4th and 5th years, while those in 4-year technical courses like B.Tech/B.Engg. receive Rs. 12,000/- for the first three years and Rs. 20,000/- in the 4th year. Here is the rate of scholarship under PM USP Yojana in the tabular form.

Level/Course	Duration	Rate of Scholarship (Yearly)
Graduation (College and University Courses)	First 3 years	Rs. 12,000
Post Graduation	N/A	Rs. 20,000
Professional Courses (Integrated Course)	4th and 5th year (if course duration is 5 years)	Rs. 20,000
Technical Courses (B.Tech, B.Engg.) - Graduation level	1st, 2nd and 3rd year	Rs. 12,000
Technical Courses (B.Tech, B.Engg.) - Graduation level	4th year	Rs. 20,000

How to Apply Online for PM USP Yojana 2025-26? 

The PM USP Yojana operates under DBT, with funds deposited directly into Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts. Students can view guidelines and apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (https://scholarships.gov.in/). Follow the mentioned steps to apply online for PM-USP via One Time Registration (OTR) process:- 

• Visit the National Scholarships Portal (NSP) One Time Registration page and Click on "Apply for OTR"
• Guidelines for OTR will appear. Scroll to the bottom. Read carefully the undertaking. Accept the Terms. Click "Next".
• Register your active mobile number in the OTR registration form. All correspondence / communication will be done on the submitted mobile/e-mail only.
• Complete Aadhaar e-KYC by entering Parent/Legal Guardian/Student Aadhaar number. Submit the OTP received and Click "verify".
• Enter details on the next page and click "Finish". You will receive a Reference Number.
• Download the NSP OTR App and the Aadhaar FaceRD App from Google Play Store and complete face authentication for generating OTR.
• On successful face authentication, your 14-digit OTR number will be generated and sent via SMS.

Last Date to Apply for Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS)

• Start Date for PM USP Scholarship Online Application : 2 June 2025.
• Last Date for PM USP Scholarship Online Application : 15 December 2025.
• Defective Application Verification: Until 31 December 2025.
• Institute Verification: Until 31 December 2025.
• DNO/SNO/MNO Verification: Until 15 January 2026.

Always refer to the official National Scholarship Portal (NSP) scholarships.gov.in for the most accurate and latest information on application dates and PM USP scholarship scheme guidelines.

Note: While the main application closed in December 2025, some verification stages continued into 2026. For future application cycles, monitor the NSP portal closely as dates can vary slightly year to year.