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Pak Student Hub

Scholarships in Pakistan

Paying for a degree is one of the biggest worries for students and families in Pakistan. The good news is that there are more funding options than most students realise: government endowment funds, HEC programs, university need-based aid and merit scholarships. This page explains the main types of support, who they are usually for, and where to apply. Amounts, eligibility rules and deadlines change every year, so always confirm on the official website linked in each section.

Types of scholarships in Pakistan

  • Need-based scholarships cover tuition (and sometimes a living stipend) for students whose family income is below a set threshold. These are the largest category and are offered through HEC-run programs and through the financial aid office of each public university.
  • Merit scholarships reward high board or university results. Many universities automatically waive part of the tuition for top positions in intermediate or for a high semester GPA.
  • Provincial endowment funds such as the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF), the Sindh Educational Endowment Fund and the Balochistan Educational Endowment Fund (BEEF) support students with a domicile of that province.
  • University-specific aid including fee instalment plans, work-study and alumni-funded scholarships, usually handled by the Financial Aid or Student Affairs office.
  • Private and corporate scholarships from foundations, banks and companies, which often target specific fields such as engineering, medicine or computer science.

HEC scholarship programs

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) runs several undergraduate funding schemes, including a large need-based undergraduate scholarship program for students admitted to public-sector universities. Applications are normally submitted through the HEC online portal after you have secured admission, and the university financial aid office verifies your documents. Program names, income limits and application windows change from year to year, so check the current list on the official HEC website: hec.gov.pk.

How to apply: step by step

  • Secure admission first. Almost every scholarship requires a confirmed admission or an enrolment number.
  • Visit your university’s Financial Aid office (or its page on the official website) in the first weeks of the semester and ask which schemes are open.
  • Prepare documents early: CNIC or B-Form, parent or guardian income certificate, recent utility bills, domicile, matric and intermediate result cards, and admission letter.
  • Apply on the official portal before the deadline and keep the acknowledgement. Never pay anyone to “arrange” a scholarship; genuine schemes have no application fee or only a nominal one.
  • Follow up with the office after the deadline; verification and disbursement can take a full semester.

Scholarship information on university profiles

Our university profiles link directly to each institution’s official website and admissions portal, where financial aid pages are usually listed under “Admissions” or “Students”. Start with the profile of the university you plan to join, then read our admission guides for the application timeline.

Last updated: 17 October 2026. This page gives general guidance only. Eligibility, amounts and deadlines are set by the funding body; confirm every detail on the official website before applying. See our Disclaimer.