69,000 scholarships awarded in the current academic year
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday launched the Rehmatul-lil-Alameen scholarship program for intermediate and undergraduate students in Islamabad
The scholarships would be available to all the Pakistanis including the minorities without discrimination.
A budget of Rs28 billion has been approved for the scholarships to be awarded over the next five years in 129 public sector universities across the country.
The Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Scholarship program was launched nationwide by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) at the federal level to provide students from low-income families access to education.
The federal government would spend Rs28 billion for 350,000 scholarships while Punjab and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa would allocate Rs1 billion for 15,000 scholarships each.
At least 50 percent of the scholarships would be awarded to women while two percent reserved for persons with disabilities.
Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said the scholarship program would be available for all Pakistani students across the country, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. He said 14,000 scholarships would be awarded at the intermediate level and 655 for the under-graduate students.
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar said 50 percent scholarship would be given to the needy while the rest of 50 percent would be awarded on merit, with the allocation of 60 and 40 percent for science and humanities, respectively. Punjab government will reserve Rs2.6 million for the program.
Highlights
- 350,000 scholarships in the next 5 years
- 50% scholarships to be awarded to women
- 69,000 scholarships awarded in the current academic year
- Federal govt to allocate Rs28 billion on the scholarship