ISLAMABAD: Ehsaas, the federal government’s social welfare programme, has received 122,744 applications for under-graduate scholarships.

The online scholarship portal has now been closed and scrutiny and selection of applicants will be completed in the next three months. It was opened on Sept 30 last year.

Over the last three months, 122,744 undergraduate students, including 50,048 girls and 652 transgenders, applied for the scholarships. The scholarships are granted to students of poor families, who fulfil a certain merit criteria. The need-cum-merit scholarships include tuition fee and a living stipend. All students from low-income families studying in undergraduate programmes in public sector universities were eligible to apply. Out of the total, Ehsaas will award 50,000 new scholarships to deserving students. In line with the under-graduate scholarship policy of Ehsaas, 50 per cent of scholarships will go to girls.

“With the closure of the portal, scrutiny of applications has just begun, and it is envisaged that the final selection process will be completed within the next quarter with all 135 public sector universities,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, the head of Ehsaas programme.

Dr Nishtar also urged Higher Education Commission (HEC) and all public sector universities to expedite the scrutiny and selection process with full transparency.

In the last two years, 142,000 Ehsaas undergraduate scholarships have been awarded. As part of the Ehsaas framework, 200,000 undergraduate scholarships will be awarded in the next four years.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

The next deluge
Updated 16 Jul, 2025

The next deluge

Pakistan, and others vulnerable to climatic extremes, must heed the warning before the next deluge arrives — because it surely will.
FC revamp
16 Jul, 2025

FC revamp

WHAT’S in a name? The civilian paramilitary force hitherto known as the Frontier Constabulary will continue to...
Simplified tax forms
16 Jul, 2025

Simplified tax forms

THE rollout of a new interactive tax return form should ease filing by simplifying the procedure, addressing a...
Consolidating gains
Updated 15 Jul, 2025

Consolidating gains

It would not be incorrect to say that the economy is still just a shock away from relapsing into another crisis.
Second thoughts
15 Jul, 2025

Second thoughts

AND, just like that, the PTI’s ill-timed ‘Second Pakistan Movement’ seems to have been put to rest. The...
Wounded women
15 Jul, 2025

Wounded women

MORALITY is a woman’s burden to bear, and the chilling upsurge in gender-based crimes is a reminder of how...