1. What is the basis for qualifying for financial support?
Students who have got admission in universities that is on board with us can, in principle, apply for financial support. The applications have to be necessarily routed through the Students Affairs Department of the Institution. At present, scholarships are offered in under graduate degrees inf Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, IT and BBA in the universities with whom we have an MOU. See list : Click here
From where you can get the application form?
The application forms can be downloaded from PEF website: Click here
2. Are guidelines available to the student to fill their application forms?
Yes, the guidelines are clearly spelled out in the application form.
3. What is the merit criteria and other factors which are taken into consideration to determine applicant’s eligibility?
Merit criteria is primarily the relative grades obtained by the applicants in higher secondary school examinations. The other important consideration is the household income and other overriding reasons such as orphanage or physical handicap or disability of the applicant etc.
4. What is the difference between “need based support” and Qarze Hasna?
Need based support is an outright grant of non-returnable scholarship basically to students from very low income group and Mustahiq-e-zakat. Qarze Hasna has to be returned to the foundation by the applicant after completion of his/her education over a period of five years after getting employed.
5. What is the meaning of public sector Institutions? Is eligibility only restricted to first year students?
Public sector institutions are government run and financed institutions. Foundation offers financial support preferably to first year students, however students in advance stage of studies could as well be considered, if reasons are compelling enough.
6. Why don’t PEF support students in private universities ?
Our mission is poverty to uplift maximum number of students out of poverty in a given budget available every year to spend. The fees of private universities are 5 to 15 times higher that public sector universities.
7. Are the quality of public sector universities as good as private universities?
Barring a few private but very expensive universities, the public sector universities enjoy a very good reputation. Please see our brochure.
8. Are there reserve quota for different geographical areas?
There is no reserve quota as such for any geographical area. Provincial allocation of students is in direct relation to province’s population vis-à-vis the total population of the country.
9. Why support is restricted to few professional disciplines?
Restrictions are primarily due to financial considerations. We plan to add more disciplines as when funds with the foundation would permit.
10. Can a student apply from semi government institutions as well such as ones run by say armed forces foundations?
11. Is there a preference for female students?
There is no gender preference or discrimination in the selection process.
12. Should applications be necessarily routed through the institution or could one apply directly to the foundation by simple endorsement of a faculty member?
Application should be fully endorsed by the institute to establish its bona fides. One should route the application through the student affairs department of the institution one is studying in. Students from the list of educational institutes listed on the website with whom Foundation has signed MOU would be given preference.
13. What are the deadlines for sending the applications?
Final decision for the award of the scholarships is totally at the discretion of the Foundation.