ISLAMABAD  - The Higher Education Commission HEC has decided to award more than 1,0000 scholarships to needy students from different parts of Pakistan under HEC needs-based scholarship program during current financial year.
These scholarships would be awarded to talented but financially constrained students especially those from rural areas to ensure greater equity in enrollment at different public sector higher education institutions (HEIs) throughout the country.
The need based scholarships are focused on providing opportunities for access to higher education especially to under privileged students belonging to remote and far flung areas of the country who despite possessing academic merit, are unable to finance their education.
Under this new initiative, special emphasis is given to the students belonging to Balochistan, FATA, interior Sindh and Southern Punjab to support higher education of maximum number of academically qualified needy students. These scholarships would be awarded through Students Financial Aid Offices (SFAO) established at 60 public sector higher education institutions in a transparent and well-defined mechanism. The scholarship amount would cover the expenditure including tuition fee, books, lodging, transportation and other academic costs. The already enrolled students would be eligible to apply and application forms can be obtained from the Financial Aid offices of the selected universities.  The award of needs based scholarships will be greatly helpful in poverty alleviation by providing grooming and learning opportunities to the youth belonging to humble background and lower middle class.