Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has launched the “Connect To Work” scheme on January 21, 2026. Now you can get ₹1,000 per month to prepare for your job exam or skill course. The income limit has been increased to ₹5 lakh of annual family income from the existing ₹1 lakh. This is to enable more people to benefit from the scheme.
Connect To Work scheme
You must be aged between 18-30 years and a permanent resident of Kerala. So far, over 30,000 applications have been received for the scheme. 9,861 students have already received the benefit. You can apply for the scheme through the website eemployment.kerala.gov.in. Note: You cannot apply for the scholarship if you are already getting some other scholarship or pension. The amount will be transferred to your bank account. Don’t wait! Only the first 5 lakh people will benefit from the scheme. You can check the status of your application through the same website by entering your mobile number and date of birth.
Hey friends, are you also struggling with job preparation and feeling the financial burden of coaching fees and study materials? Then this article is especially for you only. Today, I am going to tell you about the Kerala Connect To Work Scholarship which is started by our Kerala Government to help unemployed youths like us.
Actually, I came to know about this scholarship last month when my cousin was preparing for PSC exam and he told me that the government is giving money to students who are seriously preparing for jobs. At first, I didn’t believe it, but then I checked the official website, and it is true! So I thought why not write a detailed blog post so that everyone can get benefit from this.
What is Kerala Connect To Work Scholarship?
Well, basically, Kerala Connect To Work Scholarship is a financial assistance program initiated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The basic purpose of this program is to assist the young generation who are trying their level best to get a job but are having financial issues during the preparation period.
You know how costly everything has become nowadays – coaching fees, travel, purchasing books, even internet recharge for online classes. Many students have to leave their preparation in the middle because their families are not able to support them financially.
To overcome this issue, the government is providing ₹1,000 per month for 12 months in your bank account directly. This is not a large amount, I know, but trust me, when you are struggling financially, even this small amount of money is a lot to spend on necessary things. This program is also known as the Chief Minister’s Connect to Work Scheme, and it was launched on January 19, 2026.
The budget allocated for this program is ₹600 crore, and they are planning to provide assistance to 5 lakh people. So, if you are eligible, do not delay and apply for this.
| Scheme Name | Chief Minister’s Connect to Work Scheme |
| Monthly Benefit | ₹1,000 |
| Duration | 12 Months |
| Age Limit | 18 to 30 Years |
| Income Limit | Below ₹5 Lakh per annum |
| Total Beneficiaries | 5 Lakh Youths |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Official Portal | eemployment.kerala.gov.in |
| Payment Method | Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) |
Who Can Apply – Eligibility Criteria
Not all people can apply for this scholarship friends. There are some rules and regulations which you have to fulfill. Here I am listing the eligibility criteria in simple points so that you can easily understand:
| Age Limit | You have to be between 18 to 30 years old. The age will be calculated as on the date of application. |
| Residency | You should be a permanent resident of Kerala. They will ask for residence proof during application. |
| Income Limit | Your family annual income should not be more than ₹5 lakh. Earlier it was ₹1 lakh but government revised it recently which is good news for middle class families also. |
| Employment Status | You should be currently unemployed and either preparing for competitive exams or doing some skill development course. |
| Exam Types | If you are preparing for UPSC, State PSC, SSC, Banking exams, Railway exams, Army, Navy, Air Force or any other central/state government recruitment exams, then you are eligible. |
| Skill Courses | If you are also doing skill courses in government recognized institutions, ITI, Polytechnic, or any other recognized private institution, then you can also apply. |
| No Double Benefit | If you are already receiving any other scholarship from the central or state government, then sorry to say, but you cannot apply for this scholarship. Also, if any member of your family is receiving the social welfare pension or service pension, then sorry to say, but you are not eligible. |
Documents Needed
When you are going to appear for online application, keep all these documents ready with you. I am telling you this because many people start applying and then they realize that they are missing some document and then they have to run around. So, it is better to keep all these documents ready at the time of application, which are required:
| Aadhaar Card | For identity and address proof |
| Residence Certificate | To prove that you are permanent resident of Kerala |
| Age Proof | Birth certificate or school leaving certificate |
| Income Certificate | This is very important. It should be issued by Village Officer and it should be less than 1 year old. The income should be shown as less than ₹5 lakh per year. |
| Educational Certificates | Your plus two, degree, diploma, or ITI certificate, whatever you have |
| Bank Passbook First Page | Showing your account number and IFSC code. Account must be Aadhaar linked because money will come through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer). |
| Passport Size Photo | Recent color photo, digital format |
| Scanned Signature | Your scanned signature |
| Acknowledgement Slip | If you are applying under the competitive exam category, you have to upload the proof that you have applied for exams like PSC, UPSC, etc. This can be application printout or acknowledgement slip from their website. |
| Self-Declaration | You have to upload the declaration form that you are genuinely preparing for exams and not doing any job currently. |
| Authentication Letter | If you are pursuing the skill course, then you have to upload the letter from your institution head that you are genuinely pursuing the course there. |
Ensure that all documents are in PDF format and size should be less than 100KB except photo which should be JPG format.
Benefits of This Scholarship
I will tell you the benefits clearly so that you understand what exactly you will get:
| Monthly Amount | ₹1,000 will be credited every month to your bank account |
| Duration | You will get this money for maximum 12 months (1 year) |
| Total Amount | So total you can get ₹12,000 in one year which is useful for your expenses |
| Direct Transfer | Money will be transferred directly to account, no middleman, no corruption |
| Benefit for 5 Lakh Students | First 5 lakh eligible applicants will get this benefit |
| No Gender Discrimination | Both boys and girls can apply equally |
| Motivation | Apart from money, this scheme provides mental support that government is with us in our struggle |
How To Check Connect To Work Scholarship Application Status?
Many of you have asked me how to check if our application is approved or not. Here is the simple process for checking application status:
- First, go to the official website which is eemployment.kerala.gov.in. On the homepage, look for the option saying “KNOW YOUR APPLICATION STATUS” under the Chief Minister’s Connect to Work Scheme section.
- When you click there, it will ask for two details:
- Your Application Number and Date of Birth, OR
- Your Mobile Number and Date of Birth
- Enter these details correctly and click submit. Immediately you will see the current status of your application – whether it is under verification, approved, or if any document is missing. If they have send it back for correction, you can edit and resubmit within the given time.
FAQ
The last date is not yet announced officially, apply as soon as possible when the portal is opened.
No, this is only for unemployed youths preparing for government jobs or doing skill courses.
No, the application is completely free of cost.
Yes, there is no restriction regarding marital status, only age and income criteria matters.
If you get employed during the 12 months, the scholarship will be stopped immediately.
You will get SMS alert on your registered mobile number when DBT is done.
No, this is completely online process only.
Yes, Aadhaar is mandatory because bank account must be Aadhaar linked for DBT.