ISLAMABAD: Newly-enrolled students in fourth or fifth year undergraduate degree programmes of the academic year fall 2021 with a monthly household income of less than Rs45,000 can submit applications for the Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship programme.

This was shared by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar in a tweet on Monday.

The programme is underway across the country to equip talented students from low-income families with higher education, Dr Sania said. It is important to mention here that this academic year, 50,000 merit-cum need-based scholarships will be provided to deserving students under the Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship programme.

The eligible students can apply through the online portal: https://ehsaas.hec.gov.pk and will have to mention universities to which they are applying. The geographical spread of the programme covers all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.

According to the Ehsaas Scholarship policy, 50pc of scholarships are reserved for girls and includes a 100pc tuition fee and a monthly stipend of Rs4,000.

During the last two years, over 142,000 scholarships have been awarded nationwide to students from low-income backgrounds. In line with rule-based Ehsaas procedures, undergraduate scholarships will be awarded strictly on merit-cum need basis to benefit bright students from low-income backgrounds. Part of the Ehsaas framework, 200,000 scholarships will be awarded under the programme in four years.

Ehsaas scholarship recipients will continue to receive scholarships throughout their undergraduate degree programme subject to satisfactory academic progress.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2021