Highlights of the Post:
About HEC
HEC Scholarship
Application Process
National Scholarship
International Scholarship
Contact Details
Every student dreams about studying in a particular university, but not all of them can afford to get into one. Hence, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan offers scholarships at national and international levels to promote education. Not to mention, the institution also aims to help many bright candidates in removing financial barriers that keeps them from achieving their goal. Here’s a list of all the HEC scholarships and grants that you should know about.
HEC Pakistan – Background, History, & Functions
HEC Pakistan’s core responsibility is to promote higher education in Pakistan, It does so by regulating and overseeing all the higher education institutes in Pakistan.
In 1974, an autonomous body, known as the University Grants Commission, was formed to harmonise higher education problems in the country. In 2002, under the Higher Education Ordinance, the name of UGC was changed to Higher Education Commission Pakistan.
Apart from providing students with national and international scholarships, the self-governing body has many functions, some we have mentioned below:
- Regulating and governing universities in Pakistan
- Faculty development
- Recording and ranking HEC recognised universities
- Conducting entry tests for various programmes
- Patent filing support
- Degree attestation
HEC Scholarships
Under this programme HEC Pakistan gives the truly bright and deserving students a chance to apply for a chance to study with the best. The eligible individuals can apply for a scholarship or a grant for a public or a private university for HEC undergraduate scholarship or HEC postgraduate scholarship.
HEC has given the individuals of Pakistan to choose from two scholarships:
- National Scholarships (for individuals wishing to avail higher education within the country)
- International Scholarships (for individuals wishing to travel abroad to pursue higher education)
Application Process for HEC Scholarship
The application process for each HEC scholarship is different.
- Individuals wishing to avail the scholarship in Pakistan have to apply for it online, while the candidates for the international scholarship have to submit their application at HEC and the donor organisation.
- For international scholarships, a first draft list is put together by HEC, while the donor organisation or the university finalises the list.
HEC National Scholarships
The most applied to national scholarships offered by HEC Pakistan are:
- HEC Need-Based Scholarships
- Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship Programme
- Prime Minister’s Fee Reimbursement Scheme for Less Developed Areas
- Higher Education Opportunities for the students of Balochistan & FATA
- USAID-funded Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Programme
HEC offers other national based scholarships as well. However, we will only discuss the first two mentioned programmes.
HEC Need-Based Scholarships
This scholarship is aimed at the talented youth of the country, who have fallen short of showcasing their talents due to financial restrictions. The objective of the scholarship is to empower the financially deprived students to get higher education at a public sector institute.
This scholarship covers the tuition fee, accommodation fee, transport fee, textbook, and other miscellaneous expenses and also pays the student a fixed monthly stipend of PKR 6,000.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Any student who has secured admission in the participating university only on merit basis for a 4-year undergraduate programme
- Students applying for 5-year programme such as Medicine or Pharm-D
- Already enrolled students at the participating university
- The student’s family background must be approved by the Institutional Scholarship Award Committee
Note: The duration of the programme will be covered by HEC, if any student drops out, they will be replaced by the next in line student.
What is the application process?
Step 1: Students can download the HEC Scholarship Application Form from HEC website. They can also visit the ‘Financial Aid Office’ of the respective university.
Step2: Submit the form and the required documents to the ‘Financial Aid Office’ of the university.
Step 3: Secure merit-based admission in the participating university.
Step 4: After approval of the student’s application, the university will directly receive funds from HEC.
Note: HEC will not accept applications submitted directly to them.
HEC Ehsaas Scholarship
The Government of Pakistan in collaboration with HEC has announced the scholarship programme under the flagship of Ehsaas Social Safety Net Programme. The scholarship, with an annual budget of PKR 6 billion aims to help students with financial issues seeking higher education.
Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship Program reserves fifty percent of the scholarships for female students and two percent for students with physical disabilities.
The scholarship covers the tuition fees and provides the selected candidates with a fixed annual stipend.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Candidates who are already enrolled in undergraduate programs in participating public and private universities
- Candidates who have secured admission in participating universities on the basis of merit
- Candidates must be falling under the age limit defined by the university
Note: candidates availing any other scholarship programmes or securing admission in the evening program of the university on self-finance and availing distant learning programs are not eligible for the programme.
What is the application process?
Step 1: Register yourself on the HEC Online Application System.
Step 2: Sign into your account and complete your profile.
Step 3: Upload the required documents.
Step 4: Submit the application form and the required documents to the ‘Financial Aid Office’ of the participating university.
HEC International Scholarship
The decision of who receives the scholarship is in the hands of the foreign participating university. However, HEC sends the nominations of the applicants to the university.
The most commonly applied to HEC foreign scholarships are:
- Overseas Scholarships for MS/MPHIL leading to PHD
- Hungary Scholarships for Pakistani Students under Academic and Research Linkages
- Learning opportunities abroad
- Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Program
Apart from the above-mentioned scholarships, HEC offers many other exciting opportunities for Pakistani students to choose from. However, we will only be discussing the first two mentioned grants.
Overseas Scholarships for MS/MPHIL leading to PHD
Under this program, scholars are sent to the technologically advanced countries, where the selected candidates can showcase their talents.
Candidates can receive their MS/Mphil degrees and PHD. The aim of the program is to have more PHD holders to uplift the country in the years to come.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Candidate must be a Pakistani/ Azad Jammu Kashmir national
- They must have eighteen years of education
- Students must not fall below second division in their academic career
- They must have 40 years of experience in teaching in a public university
- Applicants must at least obtain 50 marks in the HEC scholarship test
What is the application process?
Step 1: Register yourself on the HEC E-Portal.
Step 2: Complete your profile.
Step 3: Upload all the required documents.
Step 4: Submit the application HEC Scholarship form to HEC and the website of the participating university.
Hungary Scholarships for Pakistani Students under Academic and Research Linkages
The scholarship is available for the students who wish to travel to Hungary to apply for Bachelor’s, Master’s or PHD Degree.
The scholarship includes tuition fees, monthly stipend, accommodation, and medical insurance.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Applicant must be a Pakistani National or an Azad Jammu Kashmir national
- Candidate must fall in the range of age defined by HEC, it is different for every programme
- They must have completed the prerequisite years of their education
- Hungarian citizens, even ones with dual citizenship, can’t apply for the program
What is the application process?
Step 1: Register yourself on HEC E-Portal.
Step 2: Submit the application at both the HEC and Hungarian websites.
Step 3: Submit hard copies of the required documents and both HEC and Stipendium Hungarian application form, along with the deposit slip.
HEC Contact Details
If you are confused about the application process or the eligibility criteria, you can simply contact HEC head office or any of their regional centres on the given helpline numbers:
HEC Regional Centre Karachi: 021-99230290
HEC Regional Centre Lahore: 042-99263093
HEC Head Office Islamabad: 051-90400000
HEC Regional Centre Peshawar: 091-9217878
This is all you need to know about HEC National and Foreign Scholarships, how to apply for the program and who can apply for the program.
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