The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has opened the online application process for the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (CSSS) for college and university students. 

Students can now apply for fresh applications for the academic year 2025–26, as well as for renewals of previous academic sessions, by visiting the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), the board notified in an official notification.

As per the official notification, the scholarship portal is now accepting:

• Fresh applications for 2025–26

• 1st renewal for 2024–25

• 2nd renewal for 2023–24

• 3rd renewal for 2022–23

• 4th renewal for 2021–22

Eligible candidates must apply online at scholarships.gov.in before the deadline of July 31, 2025.

Application process and verification

Students applying for either fresh or renewal scholarships are required to register using a One-Time Registration (OTR) number, along with a password and a captcha code. 

The OTR-based registration fetches demographic and photographic data directly. If any information needs to be updated, students must do so through their Aadhaar and eKYC to reflect changes in their OTR profile, which will automatically sync with the NSP application.

Applicants must also register their mobile number and enter the OTP received to continue with the process. Providing incorrect or false information can lead to rejection of the scholarship. Students and their parents or guardians are advised to use active mobile numbers and email addresses, as all future communication from the authorities will be sent via those details.

After online submission, applicants are required to have their applications verified by their respective institutions, which includes submitting original documents for verification. Failure to do so will render the application invalid.

NSP has requested all institutional nodal officers to ensure timely verification, rejection, or correction of applications through their institute login portals. The verification process is critical to confirm applicant eligibility and ensure the timely disbursal of scholarships.

Students are advised to complete their registration and verification process well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues.