LAHORE: The Punjab government inaugurated the largest scholarship programme on Friday aimed at providing financial assistance to talented students across the province.

The launch ceremony for the ‘Honhaar Undergraduate Scholarship Programme’ was held at Punjab University (PU) on Friday, attended by Punjab Minister for Higher Education Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan, PU Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali Shah, Higher Education Department Secretary Dr Farrukh Naveed, Punjab Higher Education Commission Chief Operating Officer Dr Mansoor Ahmed Baloch, faculty members, and a large number of students.

The government will cover the cost of undergraduate degrees in 68 selected disciplines across 50 public sector universities, 16 medical colleges, 131 graduate colleges under the HED, and several high-ranked private sector universities.

The scholarship programme will offer 30,000 scholarships annually, with the government investing over Rs7 billion this year alone. More than 120,000 students are expected to benefit from the scheme over the next four years, with a projected overall investment exceeding Rs130 billion over eight years.

The initiative is part of the government’s broader plan to promote equity in access to higher education by ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent meritorious students from pursuing their academic goals.

PU Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali Shah said the programme was a revolutionary step for higher education in Pakistan, adding that it would not only produce skilled graduates but also strengthen the province’s education sector.

“This programme will ensure that talented students have the opportunity to gain quality education and excel in various fields,” he added.

The provincial minister claimed this is the largest scholarship initiative in the history of Pakistan, benefitting 30,000 students annually from both public and private universities. The government would bear the full tuition fees for students pursuing a four-year BS degree, with new students being added to the programme each year.

The minister also said that the eligibility criteria for the scholarship included a family income limit of Rs300,000 per month, ensuring that middle-class families could also benefit from the scheme. He added that scholarships would be available in 67 high-demand disciplines worldwide, including students of public medical colleges.

He said that 40,000 laptops would be distributed to top-performing students in Punjab as part of the government’s broader efforts to support youth welfare. The scholarship programme, he said, would produce the best human resources and help prepare graduates to compete in the global job market.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024