HEC Scholarships and Financial Aid for Undergraduates (2026-27)

Fees are the reason many capable students in Pakistan never complete a BS degree, or never start one. The good news is that there is more financial support for undergraduates at public universities than most families realise, and most of it is need-based rather than merit-based, which means you do not need a 90 percent aggregate to qualify. The bad news is that the schemes are poorly explained, the paperwork is heavy and deadlines are easy to miss in the chaos of the first semester.

This guide explains the main scholarship and financial aid routes for undergraduate students in Pakistan for the 2026-27 academic year: the HEC-administered Ehsaas (Benazir) Undergraduate Scholarship, the HEC Need Based Scholarship, provincial endowment funds such as PEEF, and university-level financial aid. Every figure or rule quoted here comes from an official page and is cited with its source; where an official page does not state a figure, you will be told to check the official website instead of being given a guess.

The Main Types of Undergraduate Financial Aid

Ehsaas (Benazir) Undergraduate Scholarship

HEC describes the Benazir Undergraduate Scholarship Project as a response to unequal access to higher education, targeting youth from low-income households. Its page notes that only a very small share of children from the lowest income quintile are enrolled in higher education compared with the national average, and it stresses financially deserving students and gender equity (Source: https://www.hec.gov.pk/Urdu/scholarshipsgrants/Ehsaas/Pages/default.aspx).

Eligibility conditions stated by HEC

HEC’s eligibility page lists the following conditions. Note that the page text still refers to the Fall 2021 session; the project has continued since, but you must confirm the current session’s announcement with your university financial aid office before relying on these points (Source: https://www.hec.gov.pk/Urdu/scholarshipsgrants/Ehsaas/Pages/Eligibility-Criteria.aspx).

• Newly admitted to an undergraduate programme at an HEC-recognised public sector university.
• Demonstrates financial need and provides genuine information as required by project policy.
• Admitted on merit, that is, met the institution’s admission criteria.
• Enrolled in a degree programme allowed by HEC and within the institution’s age limit for undergraduate admission.

Who is not eligible

• Students receiving any other scholarship or continuous grant.
• Students in distance learning programmes or affiliated colleges, public or private.
• Students admitted on self-finance or self-support basis, or in higher-fee evening programmes.
• Students in two-year post-higher-secondary, associate degree, BA/BSc or Master’s programmes, and associate degree holders entering a lateral-entry programme at the fifth semester.

Application and award process

The official award process is published by HEC (Source: https://www.hec.gov.pk/Urdu/scholarshipsgrants/Ehsaas/Pages/Scholarship-Award-Process.aspx). The steps are:

1. Complete and submit the online application through the HEC eHSAAS portal. Forms left in draft status are not accepted.
2. Submit printed copies with the required attachments to your university’s financial aid office before the deadline.
3. A scrutiny committee shortlists candidates who meet eligibility and have provided complete evidence of income, assets and academic record. Incomplete forms are rejected.
4. The Institutional Scholarship Award Committee interviews applicants and recommends candidates.
5. Selected awardees sign a deed of agreement on stamp paper.
6. The financial aid office issues the final award letter.

HEC states that the scholarship cannot be transferred to another university, programme or session, and that funding for later semesters depends on satisfactory academic performance. The coverage details, income thresholds and current-session deadlines are not stated on the pages reviewed for this guide, so check the official website and your university’s financial aid notice.

HEC Need Based Scholarship (NBS)

The Need Based Scholarship is HEC’s longer-running need-based scheme run with selected public sector universities. According to HEC’s eligibility page, it is for students enrolled in or competing for admission to undergraduate programmes of four to five years at HEC-selected public universities; financially needy students already enrolled may also apply, and students admitted on self-finance are not eligible. Need is assessed case by case by an Institutional Scholarship Award Committee that looks at the family’s financial background (Source: https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/scholarshipsgrants/NBS/Pages/Eligibility-Criteria.aspx).

On coverage, the same page states that the university fee is covered, that grantees receive Rs. 6000 per month as a stipend for the complete programme, and that five-year programmes such as medicine and Pharm-D are funded for their full length. The number of slots is set by each university according to the year’s budget, and a student who drops out is replaced from the waiting list. Applications are submitted to the financial aid office of the university where you intend to secure admission (Source: https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/scholarshipsgrants/NBS/Pages/Eligibility-Criteria.aspx).

Provincial Endowment Funds: PEEF and Others

The Punjab Educational Endowment Fund runs several scholarship streams for students from Punjab, including outreach scholarships, and also publishes schemes for AJK and other provinces and a special quota registration (Source: https://www.peef.org.pk/outreach-scholarships). The eligibility rules, income limits and award amounts were not accessible for verification when this guide was written, so check the official website for the current year’s criteria and deadlines. Other provinces run their own endowment or education foundation schemes; search for them on the relevant provincial education department website and treat any figure you see elsewhere as unverified.

University-Level Financial Aid

Nearly every university, public or private, has some form of internal aid: fee instalments, need-based concessions, merit scholarships for top positions in each semester, and alumni-funded awards. These are often the quickest to access because the decision is made on campus. Visit the financial aid or student affairs office in the first two weeks of the semester, ask which schemes are open, and submit everything before the internal deadline. Our scholarships archive links to the official financial aid pages of major universities, and the university profiles show where each office sits.

Documents You Will Almost Always Need

• Your CNIC or B-Form and your father’s or guardian’s CNIC.
• Matric and intermediate certificates or result cards.
• Admission or enrolment letter and fee challan or receipt.
• Proof of family income such as salary slips, a pension book, an agricultural income statement or an affidavit as required.
• Utility bills, rent agreement or property documents as evidence of household circumstances.
• Any document asked for by the specific scheme, such as a disability certificate or orphan certificate.

Keep scanned copies of all of these before the semester starts; the admission documents checklist covers most of them.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting for the university to tell you about scholarships. Most schemes require you to ask and apply.
• Leaving the eHSAAS form in draft and assuming it was submitted. HEC states that draft forms are not accepted.
• Understating or overstating family income. The scrutiny committee checks the evidence and false information leads to rejection or cancellation.
• Applying for a self-finance seat and then expecting need-based aid, which both HEC schemes exclude.
• Missing the printed-copy deadline at the financial aid office after submitting online.
• Relying on amounts or deadlines quoted on social media instead of the official page.

FAQs

Can I get the Ehsaas scholarship if I am in a private university?

The HEC eligibility page states that the scheme is for students admitted to HEC-recognised public sector universities, and excludes distance learning programmes and affiliated colleges. Students at private universities should ask their own financial aid office about internal need-based schemes.

Is there an income limit for the Ehsaas or Need Based scholarship?

The HEC pages reviewed for this guide do not state a fixed income figure; need is assessed by the institutional scholarship committee on the basis of the evidence you submit. Check the current session’s announcement on hec.gov.pk and the notice from your university’s financial aid office.

Can I hold two scholarships at the same time?

No for the Ehsaas scholarship: HEC lists receiving any other scholarship or continuous grant as a ground of ineligibility. Other schemes have their own rules, so declare every award you hold on each form.

What happens if my CGPA drops after I receive the scholarship?

HEC states that funding for later semesters depends on satisfactory academic performance. The exact threshold is set in the award policy and your deed of agreement, so read both carefully and talk to the financial aid office early if you are struggling.

Do I have to repay a need-based scholarship?

The HEC schemes described here are scholarships, not loans, and the official pages do not mention repayment. Some universities and banks separately offer student loans, which are a different product; read the terms before signing anything.

Related Guides

• Student Guides
• Scholarships Archive
• Public vs Private Universities in Pakistan
• University Admission Documents Checklist
• HEC Undergraduate Education Guide
• University of Peshawar Profile
• University of Karachi Profile

Last updated: 19 October 2026. Always confirm details with the official source before acting on them.