State and Central Scholarships for IITM BS Students: What to Check

The official IITM BS pages describe two kinds of fee help: the IIT Madras fee waiver of 50% or 75%, and CSR merit-cum-means scholarships paid through IIT Madras. They do not say that any government scheme covers the BS, such as National Scholarship Portal (NSP) schemes, post-matric scholarships or state student credit cards. That does not rule them out. Each scheme sets its own rules and usually needs your institute to verify your form. So read the scheme's own rules first, then ask IITM BS support whether they can verify your application.

Who runs each kind of help

The first two are covered in IITM BS scholarships and fee waivers.

How government schemes decide

The NSP FAQ explains the basic flow:

• You are eligible if you meet the guidelines of the ministry that runs the scheme. Each scheme's guidelines are linked on the NSP home page.
• After you submit, your application goes to your institute for verification, then to district or state level.
• If your institute is not in the list, the FAQ asks you to get the institute to contact the state nodal officer. The state adds it only if it is an eligible institution.

So two questions decide your case: does the online BS meet the scheme's rules, and can IIT Madras verify your form on that portal? No official IITM BS page we found answers either.

Rules worth checking in some common schemes

PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship (on NSP)

Its 2025-26 FAQ from the Department of Higher Education says:

• It is for students above the 80th percentile of their Class 12 board who join the first year of a regular course, not correspondence or distance mode.
• Family income must be up to Rs 4.5 lakh a year, and you must not get any other scholarship or fee reimbursement.
• Students who took a drop year after Class 12 are not eligible.
• It pays Rs 12,000 a year at graduation level. Renewal needs at least 50% marks and 75% attendance.

What to check: the IITM BS is taught online and has no daily attendance; its FAQ treats weekly assignment submission as the attendance indicator. Ask the scheme whether it counts the BS as a regular course, and whether the IITM fee waiver falls under its "no other scholarship or fee reimbursement" rule.

Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment page says the scheme helps SC students after Class 10 finish their education. Awards are for study in India only and are chosen by the state or UT where you are domiciled. The detailed rules are in the scheme guidelines revised in March 2021. NSP also hosts post-matric guidelines for ST and OBC students.

What to check: your home state's scholarship portal, and whether it lists IIT Madras and the BS course.

Bihar Student Credit Card (a loan, not a scholarship)

The Bihar Vikas Mission page says:

• It gives an education loan of up to Rs 4 lakh.
• You must be 25 or younger when you apply (30 for postgraduate courses), and have passed Class 12 from Bihar or a bordering state.
• Simple interest is 4%, and 1% for women, specially abled and transgender applicants.
• You apply online, then submit your form and documents at the DRCC of your district. You need admission in an institution accredited by the relevant regulator, and an enrolment certificate showing the course and its duration.

What to check: the page does not name the IITM BS. Ask at your DRCC before you count on it.

What to ask IITM BS support

Write to support@study.iitm.ac.in (opens in a new tab) (or support-ae or support-mg for those programmes) and ask:

• Is the BS listed as an institution and course on the portal for your scheme?
• Who at IIT Madras verifies scholarship forms for BS students?
• Can you get a bonafide certificate for the form? The DS handbook says these are issued every Thursday. Students who have not submitted the medical certificate, required since the September 2025 term, cannot get one.

If a scheme asks for your fee structure, the DS FAQ says the fee section lets you pick your goal and see a PDF of course fees term by term. Support replies within about 3 working days, so ask well before the deadline. More on this in IITM BS support tickets.

Emails about a "CSR scholarship"

The real CSR scholarship has a request form linked on the DS partnerships page. It opens for 15 days after each term's registration closes. You need to be under 25, have parents' income up to Rs 5 lakh, and have finished at least 4 foundation courses, or 3 diploma courses and a project, with a CGPA of 6 or more. The page says all CSR money is routed through IIT Madras.

If a message says you have been picked for a CSR scholarship and asks for a payment, your password or an OTP, do not pay or share anything. Check on the official site or with support first. See scams to avoid as an IITM BS student.

Common questions

Is IIT Madras BS on the National Scholarship Portal?

We found no official IITM BS page that says so. When you fill the NSP form, search for the institute, and ask support whether BS students can be verified there. Do not rely on an agent's promise.

Can I use a state scholarship together with the IITM fee waiver?

The IITM pages do not say. The scheme's own rules decide, and some, like the central scheme above, bar other scholarships or fee reimbursements. Tell both sides about each other in writing.

I had a post-matric scholarship in Class 11 and 12. Will it continue?

That depends on your home state. The SC scheme's awardees are chosen by the state where you are domiciled, so check your state portal for the BS course and ask your state's scholarship office.

Can I apply for the CSR scholarship in my first term?

No. The partnerships page asks for at least 4 finished foundation courses with a CGPA of 6 or more first. The IIT Madras fee waiver, though, can apply from your first course registration. See the fee waiver rules.