Punjab Government Launches ‘Honhaar Scholarship Program’ for 30,000 Students

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is set to launch the ‘Honhaar Scholarship Program’ today, which has been described as the largest scholarship initiative in the province’s history. The inauguration ceremony will take place at the Punjab University.
Under the program, over 30,000 students will receive annual scholarships in more than 68 fields across 65 public and private universities, 12 medical and dental colleges, and 359 colleges. The initiative aims to promote educational development and meet the academic needs of students in Punjab.
The program committee has recently released the provisional merit lists for the 2024 Honhaar Scholarship, which will be finalized after the verification of documents and assessment of family income. An institutional committee and scrutiny and award committee will oversee the interviews, document verification, and eligibility checks for the selected candidates.
So far, 20,566 applicants have been selected for public sector universities, while 4,820 students have been shortlisted from private institutions. A total of 1,367 candidates have been chosen from medical and dental colleges, and 3,247 students from higher education department colleges will also receive financial assistance.
Each year, the scholarship will provide Rs. 130,000 to over 30,000 students, covering their tuition fees for up to eight years. The program aims to benefit over 4 million students in the next four years, with a target of distributing scholarships worth Rs. 20 million.
The program has set stringent eligibility criteria:
Applicants must be residents of Punjab.
Applicants must be under 22 years of age.
Monthly family income must be below Rs. 300,000.
Applicants must be enrolled in a designated university or college in the 2024 academic session.
The selected students will have their full tuition fees covered by the Punjab government, offering financial support to those pursuing higher education in various fields.