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ISLAMABAD: The government will soon launch the Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships scheme, one of the most important initiatives among over 130 policies and programmes of the Ehsas programme.
The Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships scheme is a key initiative of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Higher Education Commission (HEC). A memorandum of agreement has already been signed on September 20, 2019.
In this regard, a meeting the project steering committee was held on Thursday to firm up modalities of the joint working. The meeting was co-chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar and Chairman HEC Dr Tariq Banuri.
The meeting was called to mutually decide the eligibility criteria of the Ehsaas sub-project, its standard operating procedures, allocation of scholarships, financial mechanism, and communications plan.
Ehsaas is launching the need-based Ehsaas undergraduate scholarship programme financial access to education beyond the point or primary and secondary education.
Through this, students qualifying for the project will have access to undergraduate education regardless of income, gender, or location. The number of scholarships will be determined based on the budget envelope.
Talking about the initiative, Dr Nishtar said that the prime minister has instructed that the undergraduate scheme should be launched as soon as possible.
She said the government realizes that deprivation to education is the highest contributor in Pakistan’s national multi-dimensional poverty index.
Therefore, Ehsaas wishes to pay special attention to the education of undergraduate students especially women and girls from underprivileged families and areas, she said.
The need for Ehsaas undergraduate scholarships is critical, as poverty is both the root cause as well as a consequence of multi-faceted development problems in Pakistan, added Nishtar.
