ISLAMABAD: As many as 100 students of MBBS belonging to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Balochistan got the shock of their life when they came to know that they would not get scholarship for the fifth year.

They were selected for merit based scholarship in 2009.

Former management of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had announced scholarships for MBBS and engineering students.

Since engineering course is for four years, the HEC authorities stopped the scholarship for MBBS students as well, though they complete MBBS in five mandatory years, Dawn has learnt.

As many as 13,000 need-based scholarships have been awarded to students in Pakistani universities since 2002.

HEC provides an opportunity to underprivileged students to have an access to higher education.

They gain admission in universities on merit but find it difficult to pursue studies due to financial constraints.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,984 students have benefited from these scholarships, while 291 in AJK, 37 in Northern Areas, 1,529 in Federal Areas, Punjab (including Southern Punjab) 4,885, Sindh (including Interior Sindh) 3,844 and Balochistan 632.

An officer of HEC who is not authorized to speak officially said that in 2009 as many as 100 scholarships were granted to students of Fata and Blochistan and they were admitted in different universities all over the country.

The scholarship finances not only tuition fee but accommodation and living expenses as well. It enables academically qualified, but financially needy, Pakistani students to continue university studies in selected private and public universities of Pakistan, he said.

Syed Munawar Anwar, who belongs to District Musakhail of Balochistan, has been studying in Gomal Medical College DI Khan, said he availed Rs105,000 per year scholarship for four years and now in the fifth year he has been informed that scholarship was for four years.

“I am studying hundreds of kilometers far from my house and last year of MBBS required more funds as compared to first four years. HEC should reconsider the policy and approve scholarship for the fifth year,” he said.

“My father is a government servant but is OSD now a days due to which he is getting half salary. I have three brothers and one sister. My eldest brother is preparing for the Central Superior Services (CSS) and next to him has been doing MS in Computer Sciences so it is impossible for my father to pay expenses of my studies,” he said.

Another student Irfan Sikander, who belongs to District Jafarabad while talking to Dawn, said that he has eight brother and sisters and his father (who works in Agriculture Department) has to bear the expenses of all family members.

Students have submitted an application in HEC (available with Dawn) to reconsider the policy and approve scholarship for the last year of the MBBS.

Chairperson HEC Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani while talking to Dawn said that it seems that former management of HEC took the decision due to which he was not aware about it.

“I principally agree that scholarships should be for the entire length of the course as we give one year, two year and four year scholarships for different courses. I will look into the issue and will try my best to resolve it,” he said.