HEC Need Based Scholarship: who can apply and how to apply

The short answer

The HEC Need Based Scholarship is for financially disadvantaged students in undergraduate programmes at the public sector universities and degree awarding institutions that HEC has selected. It covers the tuition fee and gives a monthly stipend. You do not apply to HEC. You apply to the Financial Aid Office of the university where you have secured admission or are already enrolled.

What the scholarship covers

• The tuition fee.
• A stipend. The HEC eligibility page states Rs. 6,000 a month for the complete programme. Check the current figure at your university, because HEC can change it.
• For Medicine, Pharm-D and other five year programmes, the funding is made available for the whole programme.
• The funds are paid to students through the university and not directly by HEC. They are paid from the date of the award, and not from the date of enrolment.

Who is eligible

• You must be enrolled, or admitted, in an undergraduate programme of 4 to 5 years at a participating public sector university or institution. The list of selected institutions is on the HEC website.
• You must secure admission by competing for it under the admission policy of the university. Students who take admission on a self-finance basis are not eligible.
• Your eligibility depends on your financial need, as assessed by the Institutional Scholarship Award Committee of the university. The financial background of your family is considered.
• Students who are already enrolled and are in financial need can also apply. For example, a student in the third semester can apply.
• A student who is already getting financial assistance or a scholarship from the university is not eligible.
• Affiliated colleges of the participating universities are not covered.
• The scholarship is for the undergraduate level only, so a student who has just finished Matric cannot apply for it before admission to an undergraduate programme.

How to apply

1. Apply for admission to a participating university under its admission schedule. You can apply to any of the participating universities when they announce admissions.
2. Get the scholarship application form from the Financial Aid Office of the university, or download it from the HEC website.
3. Fill in the form and attach the supporting documents. HEC lists these as a salary slip, utility bills and the CNIC of the parent or guardian.
4. Submit the form with the documents to the Financial Aid Office of the same university. HEC does not accept application forms directly.
5. The Institutional Scholarship Award Committee reviews all the applications. It is headed by the Vice Chancellor and has members from inside and outside the institution, to keep the process fair.
6. The committee sends its list of recommended students and the minutes of its meeting to HEC for review. After the list is finalised, the university pays the funds to the selected students.

Points to remember

• HEC does not announce the opening and closing dates. The participating university announces them, so watch the website and the notice board of the Financial Aid Office.
• The number of scholarships is decided by each university from its budget for the year, and the university decides which disciplines to include.
• If you are selected, you do not need to apply again every year. The funding continues for the whole programme. If a student drops out, the next student on the waiting list takes the place.
• The scholarship cannot be transferred from one university to another.

Common questions

• Does HEC send the money to my bank account? No. The university pays the money to selected students.
• Can I apply if I take admission on a self-finance seat? No. Self-finance students are not eligible.
• Can I apply if I study abroad or in a private university? No. The scholarship is only for the selected public sector institutions in Pakistan.
• Do I need an entry test result to apply? You need to secure admission under the admission policy of the university. See the guides on this site for the entry test of your university.
• Do I have to apply again every year? No. Once you are selected, the funding continues for the programme, as HEC states on its page.

Practise on this site

Where this comes from

• HEC Need Based Scholarships, Introduction, Eligibility Criteria, Scholarship Award Process, How To Apply, Financial Support and Frequently Asked Questions pages at hec.gov.pk (read in November 2026).
• Dates, the number of scholarships and the disciplines are decided by each participating university. Check the notice of your own university.