INTRODUCTION:

Higher Education Commission (HEC) aims to elevate the socio-economic position of the needy & deserving students by providing access to quality education through needs-based scholarships. Government of Pakistan (GOP) has also duly acknowledged the financial constraints barring students from acquiring higher education and has thus earmarked substantial funds for the improvement of education sector.

According to the national income statistics(by GOP), 80 percent of the families in Pakistan cannot afford the expenses of sending even one boarder to a local public university. Pakistan finished last among a group of 40 countries ranked by the Percentage Share of Enrollment in Private Higher Education (A study by World Bank, 1994) , (Higher Education: The Lessons of Experience, 1994). On September 11, 2002, the GOP formed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) through a Cabinet Ordinance with a "mandate to transform institutions of higher education into world class seats of learning."

The Higher Education Commission in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been offering Scholarships of financially disadvantaged students to study Agriculture and Business Administration Programs since 2004. The USAID is committed to play its role in the progress and development of the higher education sector especially in the fields of energy, agricultural sector, economic development and humanitarian assistance.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To provide an opportunity for talented students who are financially disadvantaged and are incapable of meeting higher   

    education  costs at 11 partner institutions /universities in the fields of business and agriculture.

2. To provide opportunities for academically qualified, yet financially needy, Pakistani students to continue university studies in  

    selected partner universities of Pakistan in the fields of agriculture and business administration, especially from remote and

    rural areas of Pakistan (FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Southern Punjab, Balochistan, and Northern Sindh).

3. To enhance the institutional capacity of the Higher Education Commission of the Government of Pakistan and local public and

     private sector universities in designing and implementing need and merit based scholarship Projects.

4. To provide special opportunity to the needy female students of rural areas to continue their Higher Education

·         Scope of the Program:

The initial scope of the project includes 1000 scholarship. However, 407 additional slots were approved with the mutual consent of Planning Commission and USAID .The ECNEC has also approved additional 400 scholarships under this scheme on December 2010. The all available  Scholarships have been awarded to the selected candidates.

Scholarship is not restricted to tuition only, but extends to accommodation and living expenses. The program defines the term “merit” by the admission percentage level/marks set by a particular university or HEC for all students. “Financial need” is defined as per mutually agreed and approved evaluation criteria set by USAID and HEC.

1.  Scholarships are available at undergraduate & graduate levels in the prescribed disciplines (Agriculture Sciences & Business Administration) at the Partner Pakistani Universities and Degree Awarding Institutions.

2.  Students need to secure admission in the approved discipline at the participating institution as per their admission policy and be enrolled in Undergraduate / Graduate programs.

3.  Only those students who will enroll in first professional year in the respective courses offered by the participating institutions are eligible to apply.

4.  Applicant must be from the rural areas of Pakistan.

5.  The eligibility of a candidate is linked to neediness of the candidate as determined & assessed by the financial background of his/her family.

FOCUSED AREAS:

Focused areas in the financial assistance & scholarships are as follows:

Preferred Geographical Locations:

The focus will be remote areas at the national level with emphasis given to needy females and students from FATA, Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Southern Punjab, Balochistan, and North Sindh.

Distribution of Scholarships in pakistan

since 1807 scholarships have been awarded, below map shows the distribution of scholarships geographically in Pakistan

Provincial distribution of scholarships

click on the below links to view the distribution of scholarships in the provinces of Pakistan.

 1.  KPK & FATA     2.  PUNJAB      3.  BALOCHISTAN   4.  SINDH       5.  AJK & GB

25% female seats:

Women’s participation in the education sector is very low. This activity will ensure that at least 25% of the awarded scholarships must go to women, especially those coming from remote and vulnerable areas of Pakistan, who are financially needy, and meet admission criteria of the selected 11 partner universities.

Gender wise Scholarship Distributions (2004-2012):

below graph shows the male and female distribution of scholarsips ratio

Provincial wise Scholarship Distributions (Male-Female):

HEC & USAID looks forward to support needy students in sharing educational expenses. However please note that under this scholarships scheme, the funds are not transferred directly to students by HEC or USAID. The payment is made to needy students through participating Universities/Institutions.

The deserving students can obtain complete Scholarship Application Form from the Financial Aid Office (FAO) at the participating University/Institution or can be downloaded.

The Scholarship Form will be submitted along with supporting documents to the same FAO office after completion.

Students need to get admission in any one of the approved disciplines (i.e. Agriculture Sciences & Business Administration) at the participating Universities/Institutions as per their admission criteria.

Please note that partial scholarship for already enrolled students is not covered under this program.

Universities List (Agriculture)

Will USAID-funded Merit & Needs-Based Scholarship assist the students to study in USA?

USAID-funded Merit &  Needs-Based Scholarship will be offered to the students who are going to be enrolled in selected participating Pakistani Universities. This scholarship will not assist the students to study in US Universities.

Does this scholarship provide any partial assistance to the students who are studying in other Pakistani Universities?

This scholarship will not provide any partial assistance to the students who are studying in other Pakistani Universities/Institutions.

What types of degrees/disciplines are offered under this scholarship scheme?

Following degrees/disciplines have been selected under this program:

How and when do I apply for financial assistance? Do I need to re-apply every year?

You will apply directly to the relevant university for the admission and after seeking admission you will apply for the financial aid. The financial aid form will be made available with the administration office of the relevant university and after filling up this form will be returned to the same office. Once you are selected under this program, you don’t need to apply again every year.

What is the eligibility for these scholarships?

Those Students, who are expected to get admission in the offered discipline of participating university for academic session spring/fall 2011 and can’t pursue their education because of financial constraints, are eligible to apply.

What kind of expenses will cover under this scholarship program?
Scholarship covers full tuition fee for entire course (i.e. 2 years graduate & 4  years undergraduate courses). Scholarship also provides living expenses, costs of transportation, books and any other ancillary requirements of the student.

Can I apply for admission in any of the participating university for admission?;
Yes you can apply in any of the participating university when they offer the admission.

How can apply for the university admission?
Please see the participating university schedule for the admission in the relevant programs.

How can I receive an application form?
The application form is available on HEC website and participating University web site/Financial Aid Office.

I did my matriculation, can I apply for this scholarship?
No, these scholarships are only for Undergraduate and Graduate level.

I am studying in Third semester of the relevant course, am I eligible for this scholarship?
These scholarships are for those students who are planning to get admission in the relevant course of the participating universities and will be enrolled in spring/fall session 2011 are eligible to apply.

I am already availing financial assistance/scholarship from university / institute. Am I eligible for this scholarship?;
No, the students already availing financial assistance/scholarship from universities/institutes are not eligible to apply.

Which are the Selected Participating Universities?
You can see the details of selected participating universities on the official Website of Higher Education Commission Islamabad. 

If Spring Intake is not available in any of the participating Institute/university then students of Fall Intake are eligible for USAID-funded Merit & Needs-Based Scholarship?
Yes, If Spring Intake is not available then students of fall intake will be considered eligible to apply for scholarships.

Is it possible to transfer the win scholarship from selected University / Institute to other University/Institute?
As per provision it’s not possible to transfer the scholarship from selected University/Institute to any other University/Institute.

I have won the USAID-funded Merit & Needs-Based Scholarship, Could I change my subjects/field of study?
As per rules & regulations, the subject/discipline change is not allowed after award of scholarship.

All candidates who are applying for admissions at the participating universities /institutions and intend to apply for any financial aid/ scholarship programs may contact the below mentioned focal persons of the financial aid offices of the participating universities/institutions regarding further information:

University Advancement Program is about creating awareness for Higher Education, building relationships with the society and generating support for universities’ academic programmes, research and infrastructure etc. It intends to be accomplished by comprehensive strategic efforts to incorporate alumni, community, government, non-government, industries, corporations and individual relations, communication, development, resource planning and administration.

It is a three pronged strategy under which vital steps are inform, involve and invest.

Inform is a societal awareness to promote the understanding, importance and enthusiasm for Higher Education in the Community

Involve is the strong binding among Higher Education Institutions(HEIs), Community, Donors, Alumni, Friends, Industry and Corporate sector

Invest is the contribution /funding to HEIs in the form of scholarships, gifts, endowments, sponsorships and support for research and infrastructure development.

Program Vision:

Augment Higher Education in the country with quality standards through participation and contribution of our valuable stakeholders for the bright future of our young generation from all over the country by satisfying all stakeholders involved

Program Mission:

To involve stakeholders in private support for Higher Education Universities/Institutions by building trustworthy relationships through meaningful interaction and convincing

With the support of USAID–funded Merit and Needs Based Scholarship Program(MNBSP) at present, 11 partner (Public and Private) Universities/Institutions have functional University Advancement(UA) and Financial Aid (FA) offices with dedicated staff trained on university advancement.

Importance of University Advancement in Pakistan?

With scarce grant resources, creating options for new, diverse, and multiple funding streams is essential for the sustainability and development of universities.

University Advancement is a leverage to reverse the trend of educational aid through enhancement of indigenous institutional and human capacity. As compared to private universities, income generation activities in public sector universities through contract research, commercial ventures, fundraising events, endowments for scholarships or infrastructure support is below the satisfactory level. Public sector universities generate nearly 50% of their recurring budget from fee and sources other than the government. For the universities to take on positions of leadership in the community and the economy, it is important to fully engage with all stakeholders (Industry/Corporations/NGOs/Individual Businessmen/Philanthropist etc.) and get them involved to invest in Higher Education/ Tertiary Education, and this can be done by direct implementation of University Advancement Program of HEC.

1. Data and supporting documents of the potential candidate are reviewed by Institutional Scholarship Award Committee (ISAC).

2. Institutional Scholarship Award Committee (ISAC) which includes members from the institution as well as external community, is headed by the Vice Chancellor of the participating institution who would ensure the impartiality and transparency of the process.

3. The ISAC recommends potential candidates to HEC Scholarship Management Committee (SMC).

4. The cases are presented to Scholarship Management Committee (SMC) that approves the cases after thorough review.

5. The committee includes top Executives of HEC, representatives from the participating institutions, eminent scholars and a senior member from USAID, Pakistan.

6. After finalization of awardees’ list, the scholarship fund for the selected students is transferred to participating institutions for onward disbursement to students.

Pillars of the University Advancement are:

1.  Higher Education Universities/Institutions

2.  Government Organizations

3.  Business/Industrial sector

4.  Corporate sector

5.  Trusts/Foundations

6.  Non- Government Organizations

7.  Alumni

8.  Philanthropist

9.  International Organizations

Will USAID-funded Merit & Needs-Based Scholarship assist the students to study in USA?

USAID-funded Merit &  Needs-Based Scholarship will be offered to the students who are going to be enrolled in selected participating Pakistani Universities. This scholarship will not assist the students to study in US Universities.

Does this scholarship provide any partial assistance to the students who are studying in other Pakistani Universities?

This scholarship will not provide any partial assistance to the students who are studying in other Pakistani Universities/Institutions.

What types of degrees/disciplines are offered under this scholarship scheme?

Following degrees/disciplines have been selected under this program:

How and when do I apply for financial assistance? Do I need to re-apply every year?

You will apply directly to the relevant university for the admission and after seeking admission you will apply for the financial aid. The financial aid form will be made available with the administration office of the relevant university and after filling up this form will be returned to the same office. Once you are selected under this program, you don’t need to apply again every year.

What is the eligibility criteria for these scholarships?

Those Students, who are expected to get admission in the offered discipline of participating university for academic session spring/fall 2011 and can’t pursue their education because of financial constraints, are eligible to apply.

What kind of expenses will cover under this scholarship program?
Scholarship covers full tuition fee for entire course (i.e. 2 years graduate & 4  years undergraduate courses). Scholarship also provides living expenses, cost of transportation, books and any other ancillary requirements of the student.

Can I apply for admission in any of the participating university for admission?;
Yes you can apply in any of the participating university when they offer the admission.

How can I apply for the university admission?
Please see the participating university schedule for the admission in the relevant programs.

How can I receive an application form?
The application form is available on HEC website and participating University web site/Financial Aid Office.

I did my matriculation, can I apply for this scholarship?
No, these scholarships are only for Undergraduate and Graduate level.

I am studying in Third semester of the relevant course, am I eligible for this scholarship?
These scholarships are for those students who are planning to get admission in the relevant course of the participating universities and will be enrolled in spring/fall session 2011 are eligible to apply.

I am already availing financial assistance/scholarship from university / institute. Am I eligible for this scholarship?
No, the students already availing financial assistance/scholarship from universities/institutes are not eligible to apply.

Which are the Selected Participating Universities?
You can see the details of selected participating universities on the official Website of Higher Education Commission Islamabad. 

If Spring Intake is not available in any of the participating Institute/university then students of Fall Intake are eligible for USAID-funded Merit & Needs-Based Scholarship?
Yes, If Spring Intake is not available then students of Fall intake will be considered eligible to apply for scholarships.

Is it possible to transfer the win scholarship from selected University / Institute to other University/Institute?
As per provision it’s not possible to transfer the scholarship from selected University/Institute to any other University/Institute.

I have won the USAID-funded Merit & Needs-Based Scholarship, Could I change my subjects/field of study?
As per rules & regulations, the subject/discipline change is not allowed after award of scholarship.

A two days awareness seminar on “University Advancement- The Concept, Theme and Practices”, was organized on 8^th& 9^th May, 2012 in HEC by the University Advancement office. The seminar was designed and conducted to inform and involve all public and private HEIS in realizing the importance of fundraising through mobilization of their own resources for financial sustainability.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr. Javaid R. Laghari, Chairman HEC along with acting Executive Director and Member Planning& Operations, Dr. Nasser Ali Khan and Advisor HRD, Dr. Riaz Hussain Qureshi. Speaking at the inaugural session, Dr. Javaid R. Laghari said that “the education is the top priority for the people all over the world. Many developing nations are spending almost 4% of their GDP on education while in Pakistan this ratio is very low. Unfortunately, due to economic conditions of the country, the money for higher education is drying out. Now it’s very important for universities to take steps for their financial sustainability, expansion and growth”.  The Chairperson said that “the Universities are required to project their achievements so that government and society may be able to know the true dynamics of the money spent on higher education”. Dr. Nasser Ali Khan, Member (Operations& Planning) said that “it is essential for the universities to inform community, government and society at large regarding their achievements. Comprehensive marketing and communication strategies are required to be developed and universities need to allocate sufficient budget for marketing and communication activities”.

Dr. Riaz Hussain Qureshi, Adviser (Human Resource Development), in his welcome address, informed the participants that “HEC in partnership with USAID is running a university advancement program in 11 universities. The success of these institutions on university advancement front is remarkable. Now it’s up to other public sector universities to take initiative to establish university advancement offices for the growth of their institutions.”

Earlier in the opening remarks, Director University Advancement explained the university advancement strategy as a triple I (inform, involve and invest). It is the concept of promoting and supporting universities by engaging a worldwide community of alumni, friends, industry, NGOs, corporate sector and philanthropists. It leads and coordinates relationship building, fundraising and stewardship efforts through an integrated structure.

During the workshop, Dr. Mary Bane Lackie, Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Director IBA Karachi, and Mr. Zaffar Ahmed Siddiqui, Director, University advancement, IBA Karachi delivered their lectures on different aspects of university advancement.

More than 30 participants including Vice Chancellors attended the workshop and termed it as an excellent attempt from HEC by informing and involving all public/private HEIs about the core concept of the program. The participants expressed their keen interest to establish this office in their premises with dedication and look forward to HEC for further capacity building.

The second day was designed especially for the awareness of media representatives from various TV channels and newspapers with the objective to motivate them to create societal awareness for the involvement and investment in higher education.  Dr. Nasser Ali Khan addressed the inaugural session and informed media that budgetary allocation towards education must increase to 4% of GDP as Pakistan spends less than 1.5% of its GDP on its education which is one of the lowest in the world. He further mentioned that apart from the State’s responsibility to invest in education, institutes should also look for other prospects of fund generation as it is need of an hour keeping in view that the stagnated economic situation of the country. After the inaugural session Q/ A session was conducted.

Later Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Director IBA Karachi joined through video conference form Karachi and briefed media about the success story of IBA Karachi as one of the pioneer fundraiser. The session was followed by the Q/A session and ended with the vote of thanks from Director UA, Ms. Dur-e-Shahwar Sadozai.

This awareness seminar has been organized by HEC as an initiative of expansion of University Advancement Program from 11 universities (under USAID-MNBSP) to all public and private sector HEIs as mentioned in Higher Education MTDF II (2010-15).

A three days training/workshop on “Resource Mobilization and Fundraising” was organized by USAID MNBSP University Advancement office. The training/ workshop was designed with the key objective to make the participants of 11 partner Universities/Institutions understand the theme and concept of resource mobilization and fundraising and learn practical tools/ techniques at national and international level, Mapping of the assets/resources of the organization, donors and devise successful implementation plan. This workshop has been acknowledged as platform where participants from the partner Universities/Institutions shared their problems, limitations at their institutional level and propose solutions in order to become self-sufficient in accelerating resources and generating funds, keeping in view the limited sources of government funding.

Higher Education contributes to economic growth and human development. In Pakistan, higher education enrollment rates are dismal, even when compared with other developing countries in the region. Less than five (5 %) percent of the 17-23 age group is enrolled in any form of higher education. Low enrollment in the higher education sector of Pakistan is due to the non-availability of financial aid options.  

According to the national income statistics (by GOP), 80 percent of the families in Pakistan cannot afford the expenses of sending even one boarder to a local public university. Pakistan finished last among a group of 40 countries ranked by the Percentage Share of Enrollment in Private Higher Education (A study by World Bank, 1994), (Higher Education: The Lessons of Experience, 1994).

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been offering Scholarships of financially disadvantaged students to study Agriculture and Business Administration Programs since 2004. On September 11, 2002, the GOP formed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) through a Cabinet Ordinance with a "mandate to transform institutions of higher education into world class seats of learning."

1807 Scholarship have been awarded in 11 Pakistani public and private sector universities and more than 1100 students have completed their degree programs which will play their role for the economic growth of Pakistan.

With the successful award of the 1807 scholarships not only enrollment level has been increased in universities but it has played the role of strengthen of HEC and universities of Pakistan.

Moreover under the USAID-MNBSP, Financial Aid Offices (FAOs) and University Advancement Offices (UAOs) have been established to provide permanent and consistent support for the financial sustainability of the universities/institutions of Pakistan.

Financial Aid Office (FAO):

The Financial Aid Office is playing its role to generate and provide assistance to help the needy and intellectual students enrolled in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This office is providing scholarships, fee concessions, and financial assistance to the needy students as well as accommodation and other expenses.

University Advancement Office (UAO):

The University Advancement Office (UAO) is responsible to assist and facilitate partner universities generate funds through utilization if their own resources. The office organizes different trainings/ workshops to build capacity of the staff of university advancement offices in 11 partner universities. It also facilitates them to develop linkages with the community, organizations, corporations and individuals in order to build long-term relationships in the future. It supports them for cultivating relationships with the alumni through alumni associations and organizing different alumni events. In this regard the partner universities have been given Strategy Based Action Plan.

The University Advancement Office at HEC organizes video conferences with the partners to discuss their progress, problems and prospects. It has designed different instruments regarding baseline data, SWOT analysis, monthly activity report and quarterly report to get updates from the partners.

In order to develop the HR capacity, a training/ workshop titled “Resource Mobilization and Fundraising” by UAO, HEC from 21-23rd Dec, 2011 by University Advancement Office. The workshop has been acknowledged as a platform where the participants from partner universities shared their problems, limitations at the institutional level and proposed solutions in order to become self-sufficient in generating funds. UAO suggests and facilitates for different flexible solutions to the partner universities’ issues.

Brief about major achievements of each partner university/institution:

University Advancement Offices established at all partner universities/institutions of USAID-MNBSP are working for the advancement of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with full potential and are successful to achieve their goals. Some of the major achievements of the partner universities/institutions are mentioned in the table given below.

Moreover, important achievement of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University, Peshawar is Outsourcing University’s Products/Services

•Quails, Chicken and Dairy Products were sold on commercial basis Rs. 461,945/- generated from the sale of product

HEC organized The reunion event as an opportunity to the alumni/ scholarship recipients from 4 universities of Sindh province was held at Governor Sindh Secretariat, Karachi. The chief guest of the event was Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad, Governor Sindh. The event was attended by Mr. Michael Dodman, Consulate General, Karachi , Dr. Javaid R.Laghari, Chairman Higher Education Commission, civil society members, corporate sector, donors, philanthropists and also the media representatives

Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad praised the combined efforts of HEC and US-AID in arranging the event and carrying out this initiative, He said that “United States has always contributed in socio-economic development of Pakistan might it be health, education, agriculture, economy & finance sectors or working at institutional level in wide ranging areas such as counterterrorism, strategic stability, defense and humanitarian assistance in the hour of need”. He said that the government has always laid great importance on “create opportunities to make education accessible at the doorstep of every Pakistani.”

Mr. Michael Dodman, Consulate General, Karachi his happiness on the successful organizing of the event and that the presence of the merit based scholarships made it even more special, He expressed upon the US governments vision for development in Pakistan. “US fully realizes that a coordinate and mutual efforts involving Government of Pakistan can result in scheme of things on which two partners can work upon”. Dr. Javaid R.Laghari, Chairman Higher Education Commission stressed the importance of increased attention towards higher education in Pakistan as its current enrollment rate of 7.8 for the ages of 17-23 puts it in line with the likes of some sub-Saharan African countries , Addressing the gathering Dr Laghari said that HEC has overseen a grant of over 1800 scholarships since 2004 and the biggest challenge has been ensuring its continuity in the face of an increasingly harsh scenario , He Said that the Program has now churned out over 1200 students and “ is termed as one of the most successful program and therefore based on the USAID model