Who is this guide for?
This guide is for students and parents who get messages, calls or advertisements about scholarships and want to know which ones are real. After reading it you will know the warning signs, what the official portal really charges, and where to report fraud.
What does a real government scholarship look like?
Most central government scholarships are applied for on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) at scholarships.gov.in. Some facts from NSP’s own pages help you spot fakes:
- Registration is free. NSP’s One Time Registration (OTR) FAQ says OTR is free and needs no payment.
- The only fixed charge is at a Common Service Centre. If you use a CSC, NSP fixes the total charge for the entire process, including filling the full application, at Rs 30.
- Money is paid to your own bank account. Scholarships are paid by Direct Benefit Transfer into the student’s bank account after verification. You never pay money to receive a scholarship.
- You can check your own status. Log in to scholarships.gov.in with your OTR to see all your applications.
What are the warning signs of a scam?
| Warning sign | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| You are asked to pay a “registration”, “processing” or “release” fee | NSP registration is free; scholarships are not released after a payment |
| Someone asks for your OTP, password or ATM PIN | No genuine scholarship officer needs these |
| You “won” a scholarship you never applied for | Real scholarships need an application and verification |
| The website is not scholarships.gov.in, or looks slightly different | Fake sites copy the look of real ones |
| Pressure to act “today” or lose the money | Real schemes have published deadlines on the official site |
| Messages from personal numbers or free email IDs | Check the contact on the official website instead |
| An agent promises a guaranteed scholarship for a fee | Selection follows each scheme’s published rules |
How do you check an offer before you act?
- Do not click links in messages. Type scholarships.gov.in yourself, or the official website named in the scheme.
- Look for the scheme in the official list. On NSP, open the scheme list and find the scheme and its closing date.
- Search the number or website. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal has a suspect repository where you can search mobile numbers, email IDs, bank account numbers and website URLs.
- Ask your school or college. Your institution verifies NSP applications, so it can tell you whether an offer is real.
- Ask SEEDbridge. Our volunteers will check with you for free.
What should you do if you have been cheated?
- Stop all contact and do not pay any more money.
- If money was taken from your bank account, call your bank at once, using the number on your passbook or the bank’s official website, and ask them to block further transactions.
- Report it on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in. You can report financial fraud and also report suspect phone numbers, WhatsApp numbers, websites and social media accounts.
- Keep evidence: screenshots of messages, the phone number, the website link and any payment receipts.
The Cyber Crime portal also warns that fake emails are being sent in the name of officials of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and other agencies. Real officials will not threaten you by email.
Need help?
If you are not sure whether an offer is real, ask SEEDbridge before you pay or share anything. Our help is always free, and we will never ask for your Aadhaar number, bank details, passwords or OTPs.