Underfunded scholarship scheme to affect thousands of aspiring students

PESHAWAR: A scholarship initiative launched by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Foundation to support deserving students pursuing higher education across the province is now facing a severe funding crisis, which has left thousands of applicants without support.

According to official statistics, more than 14,000 students had initially registered for the programme.However, only about 2,000 completed the application process due to strict requirements. Of those, just 206 scholarships are available this year, which show the growing gap between student needs and available resources. An analysis of the 2023 application data reveals significant disparities across gender, geographic location and academic disciplines.

In BS programmes, Management Science and Engineering were the most popular fields, while MS programme applicants leaned heavily toward General Sciences and Management, which is evidence of the fact the applicants prefer to opt for practical and career-focused education.

The programme has attracted a large number of applicants from marginalized backgrounds.In the BS programme, 206 orphans applied, with the highest numbers coming from Mardan, Swabi and Lower Dir. For the MS programme, 89 orphans applied, including notable numbers from Haripur and Mardan.

Zakat-eligible students and Hafiz-e-Quran applicants also formed a substantial portion, the available data revealed. Gender disparities remain a serious concern, particularly in conflict-affected districts. In the MS programme, no female applicants were recorded from Bajaur, North Waziristan, or Upper Dir. More encouraging figures came from Haripur and Mansehra, where female participation was higher.

Though complete gender data for BS programmes is unavailable, similar trends are likely in more remote regions. Applications also reflect a pronounced urban-rural divide. Urban districts like Swat, Mardan and Lower Dir submitted the highest number of BS applications, while there was a rare interest among students from remote areas such as Torghar and Upper Kohistan. A similar trend was seen in MS applications, the data further revealed. Originally launched two decades ago with support from the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government and later digitized during the current rule, the KP Education Foundation has a transparent and merit-based selection process.

However, the initiative has been crippled now by inadequate funding due to which the number of beneficiary students is feared to be curtailed.Education stakeholders have called for increased provincial funding, better outreach in low-application areas and stronger policy backing for programs that promote transparency and merit. Thousands of capable students, especially orphans, girls, and those from remote districts, would be left behind without immediate intervention.