China has launched a scholarship program for Pakistani students, including those from Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), for the academic year 2025-26. The scholarships offer opportunities to pursue undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs, as well as conduct research at Chinese universities.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced that the deadline for submitting online applications is Monday, December 9, 2024. To be eligible, applicants must have a valid HAT or USAT score. The HAT score (for master's and PhD programs) must be obtained on or after December 9, 2022, and the USAT score (for undergraduate programs) must be from December 9, 2023, or later. Applicants must submit these scores through the HEC portal.

Applications must be submitted via the China Scholarship Council’s portal under category A (agency No. 5861) at campuschina.org or https://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua 

The scholarship program, aimed at enhancing educational cooperation between China and Pakistan, is open to Pakistani and AJK nationals. Dual nationals are not eligible. The program covers education, administrative costs, health insurance, and student activities, along with free dormitory accommodation and a stipend as per China’s scholarship policy.

Eligibility criteria include:

For undergraduate programs: Intermediate/A-level/FA-FSC (12 years of education) and under 25 years of age.
For master’s programs: A bachelor's degree (16 years) and under 35 years of age.
For PhD programs: A master's degree (MS/MPhil) and under 40 years of age.
Applicants must also meet the admission requirements of their chosen universities in China, including academic eligibility and language proficiency.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply through HEC's online portal at http://scholarship.hec.gov.pk/  by the December 9 deadline (4:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time).