UP Scholarship Photo and Document Upload Size
The UP Scholarship rules published on scholarship.up.gov.in say the photo must be a JPEG or JPG of no more than 20KB, scanned with your signature written below the photo. Those instructions date from the 2016 rules, so confirm the figure on your own upload screen. Keep certificate scans small and readable, around 200KB if no limit is shown.
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The UP Scholarship photo must be a JPEG or JPG file of no more than 20KB, and it is not a plain passport photo: the rules ask for a photo with your signature written below it, scanned together as one image. This comes from the UP government's own scholarship rules, which are still published on scholarship.up.gov.in.
The same rules do not give a KB limit for certificates, so for those the only reliable number is the one your upload screen shows. The table below separates what is official from what you should check live.
UP Scholarship upload sizes at a glance
| Document | Format | File size (KB) | Dimensions | Other rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph with signature | JPEG/JPG | 20KB or less | Not specified | Sign below your photo, then scan photo and signature together as one image |
| Income certificate | Check the field | Not published; shown on the upload screen | Not specified | Issued by the competent revenue authority |
| Caste certificate (if applicable) | Check the field | Not published; shown on the upload screen | Not specified | Issued by the competent authority |
| Previous marksheet | Check the field | Not published; shown on the upload screen | Not specified | Clear, readable scan |
Source: Uttar Pradesh OBC pre-matric scholarship rules (Niyamawali, 2016), online application instructions, point 8, page 30 of the PDF linked from the scholarship.up.gov.in home page, read on 26 September 2026. The instructions say the photo must be in JPEG or JPG format and must not be larger than 20KB. They are the only official size figure the portal publishes, and they date from 2016, so if your upload screen shows a different number, follow the screen.
Bring your signed photo under 20KB with compress image to 20KB, or crop and resize it first with the photo resizer. Shrink certificate PDFs with the PDF compressor.
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What the official instructions actually say
The rules describe the photo step as a separate stage after the form. In plain English, the steps are:
- Fill in the online application and submit it, then take a printout and check every entry.
- If everything is correct, go back to the home page and click Photo Upload.
- Enter your registration number, date of birth and High School roll number.
- Upload a photo of up to 20KB that carries your signature below it. Scan the signed photo and save it on your computer first. The photo is valid only if it is scanned together with the signature.
- The file must be JPEG or JPG, and not larger than 20KB.
The signature detail is the part most guides miss. A normal passport photo without a signature does not match the instruction, even if it is under 20KB.
How to make the signed photo on your phone
- Paste a recent passport size photo on a plain white sheet, or use a printed copy.
- Sign clearly just below the photo, in dark ink, without touching the face.
- Photograph the photo and signature together from straight above, in daylight, with no shadow.
- If your phone saves HEIC, convert it with HEIC to JPG first.
- Crop tightly so only the photo and the signature are in the frame. Extra paper wastes your 20KB.
- Compress the result to 20KB or less with compress image to 20KB, then open it and check that your face and signature are both still clear.
- Upload it through the Photo Upload option using your registration number, date of birth and High School roll number.
At 20KB, a smaller pixel size looks sharper than a big image squeezed hard. A crop of roughly 300 to 400 pixels wide usually keeps the face and signature readable. The guide on pixels vs DPI vs KB explains why.
Certificates and marksheets
The UP rules do not publish a KB limit for income certificates, caste certificates or marksheets, and requirements differ between pre-matric and post-matric schemes and between categories. Check each field on the upload screen before you scan. If a field shows no number, a clear scan of around 200KB is a sensible target: it is small enough for most government portals and still readable for the verifier.
For comparison, the central National Scholarship Portal confirms a flat 200KB limit per document in PDF or JPEG format. See NSP scholarship document upload size for that rule, but do not assume UP uses the same figure for every field.
Why the portal may show a different number
The 20KB rule is written in the 2016 rules, and state portals are updated from time to time, sometimes each academic year. The portal address itself has changed since then, from scholarship.up.nic.in to scholarship.up.gov.in. If your photo upload screen states a different size or format, the screen wins, because that is what the system checks when you press upload. If the screen shows nothing, 20KB JPG is the official figure to aim for.
Renewal applications
Renewal students usually upload the latest marksheet and any updated certificates, and follow the same photo process. Keep last year's signed photo as a reference, but take a fresh one if your appearance has changed, and recheck the limit shown on this year's screen before you upload.
Common mistakes
- Uploading a normal passport photo without a signature below it.
- Uploading a photo over 20KB, or in PNG or HEIC format instead of JPG.
- Compressing so hard that the signature becomes a grey smudge.
- Leaving a large white border around the photo, which uses up the 20KB for nothing.
- Assuming every certificate field uses the NSP 200KB rule without checking the field.
- Skipping the final check of each uploaded file before you submit the application.
Tools for this
Frequently asked questions
What is the photo size for UP Scholarship?
The UP scholarship rules published on scholarship.up.gov.in say the photo must be JPEG or JPG and not larger than 20KB. If your upload screen shows a different figure, follow the screen.
Do I need to sign on the UP Scholarship photo?
Yes. The official instructions ask for a photo with your signature below it, scanned together as one image. A photo without the signature does not match the rule.
Where do I upload the photo on the UP Scholarship portal?
After submitting and printing the form, click Photo Upload on the home page and enter your registration number, date of birth and High School roll number. The upload option then appears.
What is the size limit for certificates on UP Scholarship?
The UP rules do not publish a KB limit for certificates. Check each field on the upload screen. If none is shown, a clear scan of about 200KB is a sensible target.
Can I upload a PNG or HEIC photo?
No. The rules ask for JPEG or JPG. Convert HEIC or PNG to JPG first, then compress it to 20KB or less.
Sources
- UP OBC pre-matric scholarship rules (Niyamawali, 2016), online application instructions point 8, page 30 (linked from the portal home page) (checked 2026-09)
- UP Scholarship and Fee Reimbursement Online System (checked 2026-09)
- National Scholarship Portal, FAQs for applying Scholarships (DEPwD) (checked 2026-09)
Rules and limits change. Always check the latest official notification or portal before you submit a form.