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Central Sector Scholarship Eligibility Checker

Check PM-USP Central Sector Scholarship eligibility — above 80th percentile in Class 12, regular UG/PG degree, income ceiling, and no conflicting scholarship.

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Fresh CSSS is for regular UG/PG degree enrolment — not school or standalone diploma tracks.

You must be above the 80th percentile in the relevant Class 12 stream for your board.

Another central/state scholarship or full fee waiver usually blocks fresh CSSS.

Family income from all sources must not exceed ₹4.5 lakh.

Answer each question to see a live eligibility result with criterion checks and next steps.

₹4.5L
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How CSSS eligibility works

Published criteria, not guesses

PM-USP CSSS guidelines (Ministry of Education): fresh awards for regular UG/PG degree students above the 80th percentile in the relevant Class 12 board stream; family income ≤ ₹4.5 lakh; no other scholarship/fee waiver; applications via scholarships.gov.in.

CSSS is one of the few central merit scholarships open to general-category students — selection within each state quota is based on Class 12 stream percentile, not just meeting the income bar.

About Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students (PM-USP CSSS)

₹10,000–₹20,000 per year for eligible UG/PG students based on course level — merit-cum-means support for regular degree programmes above the 80th percentile in Class 12.

Income ceiling: ₹4.5 lakh — Family income from all sources; students already on another scholarship or full fee waiver are excluded..

What this checker does

You answer the same gates listed in the guideline PDF. The result shows which bars you cleared or missed, then gives concrete next steps on the official apply portal.

Final awards, quotas, and deadlines are decided by the implementing ministry — never by this page.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible for CSSS?

Regular UG/PG degree students above the 80th percentile in their Class 12 board stream, with family income ≤ ₹4.5 lakh and no other scholarship/fee waiver.

Can distance-learning students apply?

No — CSSS is for regular (non-distance) degree programmes at recognized colleges/universities.

How much is the award?

Published rates are ₹10,000/year at UG level and ₹20,000/year at PG level for eligible years — confirm the live guideline for your session.

Does meeting eligibility guarantee selection?

No. Within each state/UT quota, selection is merit-based on Class 12 percentile among eligible applicants.

Where do I apply?

On the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) during the announced fresh/renewal window.

For developers & AI agents

The Central Sector Scholarship Eligibility Checker is also available as a free, unauthenticated JSON API — no API key, no sign-up, CORS enabled for all origins. Send a GET request with the parameters below and receive the computed result as JSON, including the source of the format or formula used. Invalid input returns HTTP 400 with a JSON { "error": "..." } body.

Endpoint
GET https://knwdle.com/api/tools/central-sector-scholarship-eligibility-checker
Query parameters
ParameterRequiredDescription
classBandYesDegree level (enum)
above80thPercentileYesAbove 80th percentile in Class 12 board stream? (true|false)
regularDegreeYesEnrolled in a regular (not distance) degree? (true|false)
otherScholarshipYesAlready receiving another govt scholarship or full fee waiver? (true|false)
annualIncomeLakhYesAnnual family income (₹ lakh) (number)
Example

Request:

GET https://knwdle.com/api/tools/central-sector-scholarship-eligibility-checker?classBand=ug&above80thPercentile=true&regularDegree=true&otherScholarship=false&annualIncomeLakh=3.2

Response:

{
  "tool": "central-sector-scholarship-eligibility-checker",
  "scheme": "CSSS",
  "query": {
    "classBand": "ug",
    "above80thPercentile": "true",
    "regularDegree": "true",
    "otherScholarship": "false",
    "annualIncomeLakh": "3.2"
  },
  "status": "eligible",
  "summary": "Based on what you entered, you appear to meet the published headline criteria for CSSS.",
  "nextStep": "Apply on scholarships.gov.in when the CSSS fresh window opens for your academic year. Keep your Class 12 marksheet, income certificate, and institute bonafide ready — your college nodal officer must verify on NSP.",
  "checks": [
    {
      "key": "classBand",
      "label": "Regular degree level",
      "ok": true,
      "detail": "Regular UG/PG degree track."
    },
    {
      "key": "above80thPercentile",
      "label": "Above 80th percentile in Class 12",
      "ok": true,
      "detail": "You indicated you cleared the board stream cut-off."
    },
    {
      "key": "regularDegree",
      "label": "Regular (not distance) degree",
      "ok": true,
      "detail": "Regular degree enrolment."
    },
    {
      "key": "otherScholarship",
      "label": "No other scholarship / fee waiver",
      "ok": true,
      "detail": "No conflicting award indicated."
    },
    {
      "key": "annualIncomeLakh",
      "label": "Income ≤ ₹4.5 lakh",
      "ok": true,
      "detail": "₹3.2 lakh is within ₹4.5 lakh."
    }
  ],
  "benefitSummary": "₹10,000–₹20,000 per year for eligible UG/PG students based on course level — merit-cum-means support for regular degree programmes above the 80th percentile in Class 12.",
  "source": "PM-USP CSSS guidelines (Ministry of Education): fresh awards for regular UG/PG degree students above the 80th percentile in the relevant Class 12 board stream; family income ≤ ₹4.5 lakh; no other scholarship/fee waiver; applications via scholarships.gov.in.",
  "applyPortalUrl": "https://scholarships.gov.in"
}

Apply for CSSS with confidence

Knwdle helps coaching institutes and colleges manage batches, fee, documents, and student ops — beyond one-off eligibility checks.

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