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USAID Scholarships 2012 « TaleemTalk.com – Talking Education,Science & Technology in Pakistan
Posted By: Editor
January 31, 2012 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 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."
In pursuance of the Government's initiative of providing financial relief to meritorious but deprived students, an agreement of US$ 7.33 million in July 2004 is signed with United State Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide grant for scholarships in the field of Agriculture and Business Administration at undergraduate & graduate level.
Objective
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).
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. 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.
This program provides 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.
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 approved additional 400 scholarships under this scheme on December 2010. The 1407 Scholarships were awarded so far and the rest will be awarded in 2011-12.
Scholarship Details
The scope of the project includes 1807 number of scholarships for the students who meet the eligibility criteria. The scholarships are bifurcated as follows:
