Higher Education Commission, Pakistan (HEC) has granted 19,215 government funded scholarships since 2003 to the aspirants in various universities of Pakistan as well as abroad.
As per the division out of total 9,907 were foreign scholarship whereas 9,308 were national scholarship. The non-government funded including the foreign funded scholarships are usually offered on consensual basis through Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Economic Affairs Division sources at Minister of Education as well as Professional Training.
The sources claimed that role of higher education commission in selection procedure is restricted because the grant of scholarship is only made by the agreeing donor country. They also said that the worth of almost Rs 50,938.603 million was allotted and Rs 43,134.046 million has been paid during the said period whereas total 6,793 scholars have returned back to Pakistan after the completion of their higher education abroad under government funded HEC foreign scholarship projects.
Furthermore, the sources said that 139 scholars have not come back to Pakistan after the completion of their education abroad whereas total 272 scholars have failed to complete their education overseas.
