The US has announced 700 fully-funded graduate-level scholarships will be awarded to the most talented females preferably from rural Sindh, southern Punjab, tribal belt and conflict-hit areas of KP.

The project is aimed at empowering women economically so that they could play their part in national progress and prosperity. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the USAID celebrated the 16th anniversary of the Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Programme (MNBSP) in February.

Since 2004, USAID has worked with HEC to provide equitable access to higher education and increase enrollment at Pakistani universities through merit scholarships for economically disadvantaged students.  

The MNBSP has granted more than 5,300 scholarships in total, and more than half of the scholarships have been awarded to female students. Recipients demonstrate strong academic skills and financial needs, and the majority live in remote rural areas. 

The MNBSP awards scholarships to study agriculture, engineering, medical sciences, and social sciences. Recipients are eligible to study at 30 private and public partner universities across the country.