US awards prestigious scholarship to 40 Pak students in Punjab

LAHORE: US Consul General Kristin Hawkins joined Higher Education Commission (HEC) Director General for Human Resource Development Aaysha Ikram and University of the Punjab Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood to award scholarships to 40 high-achieving Pakistani undergraduate students from families affected by last year’s devastating floods.

These scholarships, made possible through USAID’s Merit and Needs-based Scholarship Programme (MNBSP), will support the students in completing their degrees at seven universities in Punjab. “Higher education enables students from all socio-economic backgrounds to develop the knowledge and skills needed to compete and succeed in the 21st century,” Consul General Hawkins said. “We are delighted to support these high-achieving students in completing their studies so that they can go on to realize their personal and professional ambitions as Pakistan’s future leaders.”

HEC Director General for Human Resource Development Aaysha Ikram commended the United States’ support for higher education in Pakistan, noting that the MNBSP reserves 50 percent of its scholarships for female students. She said that the US government’s contributions in higher education have built a positive legacy spanning 75 years.

The USAID-funded MNBSP, a partnership between the HEC and 30 Pakistani universities, provides university scholarships to students to pursue degrees in selected Pakistani universities. The scholarships cover tuition, housing, and textbooks, and provide a food stipend. Since its establishment in 2004, the MNBSP has awarded scholarships to more than 6,000 high-achieving students from low-income families across Pakistan.