A list of government scholarships in Pakistan

Being a student in Pakistan can be tough sometimes. Most young people who cannot afford an education worry about how they can find financial support in the shape of scholarships, grants and loans.

If you’re one of those students who is transitioning from college to university or beyond, here’s a guide to government scholarships you can apply for.

Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship Programme

The Rs24 billion programme gives scholarships to students enrolled in an undergraduate programme at any public university across the country on the basis of merit. Students coming from lower-income backgrounds with a monthly income of Rs45,000 will be eligible for it.

They have to be enrolled in a four- or five-year undergraduate programme and will have to have a good GPA as per their varsity’s policy. Along with the scholarships, they will be given a monthly stipend of Rs4,000.

This year, the government has allocated Rs6 billion for scholarships. Half of these have been allocated for women students. Last year the government gave 50,752 scholarships. This year the target is 67,000.

Presently, the online portal for registration of the scholarships is closed. It will be opened when universities begin admissions which will be after June. You can either register online or go to your varsity’s administrative department for application details.

Waseela-e-Talim Programme

Targeting primary school students, this scholarship is given to students studying in classes nursery to grade five across the year. Children of families registered in the Ehsaas Programme will be eligible for the programme. Here are the allowances given:

• Rs2,000 (paid quarterly) for girls
• Rs1,500 (paid quarterly) for boys

“The amount for girls is more because we want to encourage parents to educate their daughters,” Ehsaas Programme communication coordinator Murad Ali told SAMAA Digital. “The money is given to the mothers and can be collected from any Ehsaas centre in your locality.”

Previously in 50 districts, the programme has been expanded to 154 districts across the country. This year, the government has allotted Rs8 billion for the project.

Arts and Culture Scholarship Programme

The scholarship programme was introduced in 2020 under the National Endowment for Scholarship. The scholarship will be provided on merit to undergraduate students enrolled in four- and five-year programmes.

Last year, the government opened 400 slots for scholarships. An amount of Rs77 million (per year) has been allotted for the programme. It aims to support students in the disciplines of Fine Arts, Visual Arts, Multimedia Arts, Musicology, Film and TV, Product Design, Ceramics Design, Visual Communication Design, Textile Design, and Interior Design and Cultural Studies at the Graduation levels.

Students from these varsities can apply for the scholarship:

1. National College of Arts
2. University College of Arts Punjab University Lahore
3. Institute for Arts and Culture Lahore
4. National Textile University Faisalabad
5. Pakistan Institute for Fashion Design Lahore
6. Beaconhouse National University (BNU) Lahore
7. University of Peshawar
8. BUITEMS (Balochistan University of IT, Engg. and Management Sciences)
9. Women University Swabi
10. Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan
11. University of Sindh, Jamshoro
12. PAF Karachi Institute of Economics & Technology (KIET CMA)
13. Centre for Excellence in Arts & Design CEAD MUET Jamshoro
14. University of Karachi
15. SBK Women University Quetta

You can register for the programme here or visit your varsity for details. Visit NEST’s website for more details.

Nursing Scholarship 2020

President Arif Alvi declared 2020 the ‘Year of Nursing’ in Pakistan.

Last year, the National Endowment Scholarships for Talent under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training announced 1,000 scholarships in different degree level programs i.e. Generic BSN, Master’s in Nursing (MSN), PhD in Nursing.

Under the scholarship, 20% of the total nurses enrolled in a four-year bachelor’s programme will be given financial assistance.

The breakdown of scholarships given last year was:

• Bachelors 868  
• Masters 119     
• PhD 13  

The slots for these scholarships are increased by 10% every year. The government has allotted Rs1.2 billion for the programme. Students from these universities can apply.

To apply, you can fill your registration form here or go to your varsity’s administration department for details.

HEC Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programme

Under the programme, 1,000 scholarships are given to PhD holders recognised by the Higher Education Commission over a span of five years.

The fellowships are offered on open merit on a national level. Of these, 70% of seats have been reserved for teachers and academics at public sector universities and 15% are reserved for private universities. The remaining are kept for research and development organisations.

You can be eligible to apply for the fellowship on the basis of these factors:

• Five years of experience with a PhD
• Must not be more than 45 years of age
• Teaching at any HEC recognised university
• Should not have availed any such fellowship before

If you meet the criteria, you can visit HEC’s website and submit an online application there. The candidates will have to submit a fee of Rs1,000 for the applications. For further details, you can visit here.

The deadline for the application is April 15, 2021.

Sindh HEC scholarship

On April 8, the Sindh Higher Education Commission will be awarding Rs40 million scholarships to students of both public and private universities this year.

These scholarships will be awarded on merit-cum-need basis to BS/MS/M.Phil/Ph.D students of public universities. In the case of private universities, MS/M.Phil/Ph.D students will be provided with these scholarships during the current financial year. The Sindh HEC has collected student data in this regard.

The chief minister distributed Rs25 million cheques among five universities of rural areas to establish Information Technology labs.

These varsities include Shikarpur’s Shaikh Ayaz University, Begum Nusrat Bhutto Women University in Sukkur, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University of Technology and Skill Development in Khairpur, Government College University in Hyderabad and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University in Karachi.

Rehmatul-Lil Alameen Scholarship Programme

The scholarship programme was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The government will give scholarships to undergraduate students from lower-income groups. Students whose family income is less than Rs25,000 will be eligible for it. The scholarships will be provided on a merit basis.

A budget of Rs27.93 billion has been approved for the programme, which will be utilised over the next five years. Students from 129 public sector universities across the country can apply for scholarships.

The Rehmatul-Lil Alameen Scholarship Programme is being launched by the Higher Education Commission at the federal level. Provinces have been instructed to start the programme.

In Punjab, Rs1 billion have been approved per annum for the programme. The budget for Khyber Pakhtunkwa has been set at Rs427 million per year. The provinces have already started giving out scholarships.

Provision of Higher Education Opportunities for the students of Balochistan and FATA Phase-II

The grant will be awarded in the academic year 2021-22 in all subjects and disciplines. It will cover the tuition fees, living allowance, book allowance, travelling allowance, and initial settlement allowance. This amounts to approximately Rs90,000.

The scholarship will be given on merit. Candidates will have to sit for an aptitude test conducted by the HEC and score at least 50%.

If you’re interested in applying, here is the criteria candidates have to meet:

• Applicants must have a Balochistan/merged districts domicile
• 16 years of education with 60% marks
• Candidates should be of and below 35 years
• Applicants already on an HEC fellowship can’t apply
• Meet university criteria for the applied programme

The application deadline is June 4, 2021. You can visit the HEC website for the application form and other details.

PM Imran Khan’s Kamyab Jawan programme

Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced 170,000 skill-based scholarships for young people.

We want more people to get skills-based education and for that 170,000 scholarships will be given, he said. Of these, 50,000 scholarships will be for high-end skills such as coding and artificial intelligence. “You can do six-month courses and then get jobs you didn’t even think was possible for you.”

Moreover, if young people have a business idea then they will be given loans under the Kamyab Jawan programme. The government has allocated Rs100 billion for this scheme and these loans will be provided on merit. “We eventually want to increase the sum so that we can reach more young people and generate employment opportunities for them.”

We will keep updating the story. Follow SAMAA English on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.