Scholarship
Free Coaching for SCs, OBCs and beneficiaries of PM CARES Children Scheme(FCSSOS)
Overview
About FCSSOS
The Free Coaching for SCs, OBCs and beneficiaries of the PM CARES Children Scheme is a central sector scheme run by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. It pays for coaching so that candidates from these groups can prepare for competitive examinations they might otherwise struggle to afford.
The stated purpose is to give economically weaker students access to good-quality coaching for exams that lead to public and private sector employment, and for entrance to technical and professional courses. In practice that covers examinations such as the civil services and state public service commissions, staff selection and banking recruitment, and entrance tests for engineering, medical, management and law programmes.
The scheme is meant for students from Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes whose family income falls below a set ceiling. It also covers eligible beneficiaries of the PM CARES Children Scheme. Selected candidates receive free coaching at empanelled institutions along with a monthly maintenance stipend, so that living costs do not keep a qualifying student out.
Sources: Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India - Free Coaching Scheme · myScheme - Free Coaching for SCs, OBCs and beneficiaries of PM CARES Children Scheme · IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute - Free Coaching for SCs, OBCs, and beneficiaries of the PM CARES Children Scheme
Who runs it
Provider
Ministry Of Social Justice and Empowerment
Central Government
Department of Social Justice & Empowerment · Dr Ambedkar Foundation (DAF) Through Central Universities Empanelled Under The Scheme
At a glance
Key details
| Level | Central |
| Scheme type | Central Sector Scheme |
| Category | Education & Learning, Social welfare & Empowerment |
| Beneficiaries | Individual |
| Benefit type | Cash |
| Application mode | Online |
Calendar
Important dates
Across all open application cycles.
| Cycle | Stage | Date |
|---|
Who can apply
Eligibility criteria
| For students belonging to SCs and OBCs Category | The applicant should be a student. |
| For students belonging to SCs and OBCs Category | The applicant should be from Scheduled Caste or Other Backward Class. |
| For students belonging to SCs and OBCs Category | The total annual family income of the applicant (from all sources) should be ₹8,00,000/- or less. |
| For students belonging to SCs and OBCs Category | For the competitive exams for which the qualifying exam is class 12th, the candidate should have passed class 12th or be studying in class 12th as of the date of receiving the benefit under the scheme. |
| For students belonging to SCs and OBCs Category | Further, in case of competitive exams for which the qualifying exam is Undergraduate level, the candidate should have completed the undergraduate level course or studying in the final year of the undergraduate course concerned at the time of receiving the benefit under the scheme shall be eligible. |
| For students belonging to SCs and OBCs Category | Benefits under the Scheme can be availed by a particular student not more than twice, irrespective of the number of chances he/she may be entitled to take in a particular competitive examination and irrespective of the number of stages in the exam. |
| For students belonging to SCs and OBCs Category | The applicant should not already be availing of the benefits of any other coaching scheme. |
| For students belonging to SCs and OBCs Category | NOTE: A list of beneficiaries availing the scheme will also be uploaded on the website of the Ministry and shall be shared with Central Universities/Central Institutes to avoid the possibility of the candidate availing benefits of a similar coaching scheme simultaneously or more than twice. |
| For beneficiaries of PM CARES Children Scheme | All beneficiaries of the PM CARES Children Scheme who have a certificate (with beneficiary ID) issued by the Central Government confirming their status as beneficiaries are eligible. |
| For beneficiaries of PM CARES Children Scheme | There will be no income or caste-related restrictions for such beneficiaries to avail of the benefits under this scheme. |
Who cannot apply
Exclusions
- For the competitive exams for which the qualifying exam is class 12th, students having less than 50% marks in their class 10th exam, shall not be considered under the scheme.
- Further, in case of competitive exams for which the qualifying exam is Under Graduate level, students having less than 50% marks in their class XII exam, shall not be considered under the scheme.
What you get
Award & benefits
- ₹4,000 per month (up to a maximum of 12 months)
- ₹15,000 for students who clear the mains stage of Central/State Civil Services (Class I & II)
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
- All financial benefits (stipend & fees) are transferred directly to the student's Aadhaar-linked bank account
- Course Fee Coverage are as follows: CourseMaximum Total Course Fee in RupeesMinimum and maximum duration of course in monthsCivil Services Exam by UPSC/SPSCs₹75,000/-12 monthsSSC/RRB₹40,000/-6 months - 9 monthsBanking/Insurance/ PSU/CLAT₹50,000/-6 months - 9 monthsJEE/NEET₹75,000/-9 months - 12 monthsIES₹75,000/-9 months - 12 monthsCAT /CMAT₹50,000/-6 months - 9 monthsGRE/GMAT/SAT/ IELTS/TOFEL₹35,000/-3 months - 6 monthsCA-CPT/GATE₹75,000/-9 months - 12 monthsCPL Courses₹30,000/-6 months - 9 monthsNDA/CDS₹20,000/-3 months - 4 months
What to prepare
Documents required
Step by step
How to apply
- 1Apply online
See the official links below for the application portal.
Source
Official links
Questions
FCSSOS – FAQ
Disclaimer
Scheme details are compiled from myScheme, the Government of India’s official scheme-discovery platform, and are reproduced without alteration. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility change between cycles — always confirm on the official links above before applying. Expertie does not process applications or charge fees.