ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken many necessary steps for the promotion of higher education in FATA and Balochistan by providing scholarships of a total cost of Rs 981,486 million during the last one decade.
During last one decade, HEC has provided a total of 1300 scholarships to FATA and Baluchistan students for graduate studies in four years programme while 700 scholarships for post graduate studies for two year programme.
According to the documents of HEC, 56 indigenous scholarships in 2008-9 have been awarded specifically to the students of the Balochistan, while 300 scholarships between 2009-12 have been awarded to FATA students.
The total cost allocated for these scholarships during last one decade was Rs 981,486 million.
According to the details, a part from scholarships for graduate and postgraduate studies, HEC has also conducted a total of 448 foundation courses specifically for students of FATA.
HEC has awarded 2 scholarships to FATA journalist only because most of the FATA journalists could not meet the eligibility criteria of scholarships program and that of securing admissions in top ranked foreign universities.
HEC will advertise the 8 more PhD slots for FATA journalists with necessary modification in criteria of awarded PhD scholarships.
Besides the above mentioned special projects specifically for grant of scholarships to students from FATA, HEC has also ensured that students from FATA and other less-developed areas are granted their due share under various other scholarships programme.
In this regard a total of 1035 students from FATA have been granted scholarships under indigenous, overseas and USAID Need-based scholarships of the HEC.
Under the umbrella of indigenous PhD scholarships programmes, a total number of 10,000 PhD scholarships slots have been approved by the government of Pakistan scholars for pursing MS leading to PhD studies in all disciplines at recognized HEC institutions.
HEC has awarded 822 scholarships to the students from FATA under the indigenous scholarships scheme.
Apart from the above mentioned scholarship program designed for the students hailing from FATA, they have also been benefitted and availed opportunities to study abroad under various overseas scholarship programs launched by the HEC.
A total number of 74 scholars from FATA have been awarded overseas scholarships under various categories till date while 139 scholars have been awarded USAID Need-based indigenous scholarship scheme.
Source: APP
