The Honhar Scholarship Program is a merit-cum-need award run by the Punjab Higher Education Commission (Punjab HEC) for students who have just started their degree. It is not for second or third year students, and it is not for anyone outside Punjab. If you hold a Punjab domicile, you have just enrolled in your 1st semester or 1st year at an eligible university in Punjab, and your family income sits under the ceiling, this is one of the few awards that meets you right at the start of your degree. You can see the full scholarship details on our scholarship page.
The most interesting part for many families is that MBBS and BDS students enrolled in 1st year are explicitly eligible. Medicine and dentistry are among the most expensive paths a Pakistani student can take, so a tuition award at the very first year makes a real difference. That said, Honhar is listed as partial funding. Treat it as help with fees, not as a full ride.
The Honhar program in one table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Provider | Punjab Higher Education Commission (Punjab HEC) |
| Funding | Partial funding: tuition fee support, amount varies by institution and program |
| Level | Undergraduate, 1st semester or 1st year only |
| Country | Pakistan (Punjab domicile required) |
| Merit formula | Matric 30% + Intermediate 70% |
| Income ceiling | Rs. 350,000 per month (public HEIs) or Rs. 500,000 per month (federal and private HEIs) |
| Last deadline | September 15, 2025 (for the 2025 intake). The portal typically opens in August, so confirm the current cycle on the official site |
| Official site | honhaarscholarship.punjabhec.gov.pk |
What the tuition support actually amounts to
Honhar provides tuition fee support. There is no single figure that applies to everyone, because the amount varies by institution and program. MBBS fees at a public medical college and engineering fees are very different, and the award follows that. The Punjab HEC portal specifies amounts for each institution type, so check there rather than relying on figures passed around in student groups.
The aim is to cover or substantially reduce the tuition burden at your enrolled institution. For an MBBS student at a public medical college, where the annual fee otherwise runs into hundreds of thousands of rupees, that reduction matters. What Honhar does not promise is money for hostel, books or living costs. If you are planning your first year budget, plan the rest of it as if you will pay those yourself.
Domicile, income and the 1st year rule
Three conditions decide most applications before marks even come into it.
First, Punjab domicile. This is mandatory and non-negotiable. A student from another province studying in Lahore does not qualify on the strength of their university alone. There is no age limit and no gender restriction.
Second, timing. You must be enrolled in your 1st semester or 1st year at an eligible Punjab university in that year's cycle (the last cycle covered students enrolled in 2025). Eligible institutions include public and private universities in Punjab, and medical and dental colleges in cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi. Check the official list of eligible universities before you assume yours is on it.
Third, family income. The ceiling depends on where you study:
- Public sector HEIs: monthly family income under Rs. 350,000.
- Federal and private sector HEIs: monthly family income under Rs. 500,000.
- Children of Government employees in BPS 1-4, and children of civilians martyred in terrorist attacks, are exempt from the income limit entirely.
One more rule catches people out. Students who appeared in a grade improvement exam or are repeating a class are not eligible. Only students who passed Matric or Intermediate for the first time in the eligible year can apply. If you sat improvement papers to push up your FSc, you are out for that cycle, however good the final marks look.
Minimum FSc marks by field
Honhar sets a floor on Intermediate marks, and it differs by discipline:
- MBBS and BDS: at least 80% in FSc.
- Sciences at public HEIs: at least 70%.
- Arts and Social Sciences: at least 65%.
Eligible fields cover medicine, dentistry, health sciences, engineering, agriculture, sciences, arts and social sciences, which in practice means all disciplines at eligible Punjab universities. The thresholds above are minimums, not targets. Meeting them gets you into the pool. Your rank in that pool comes from the merit formula.
Why FSc carries the weight in the Honhar merit formula
Selection uses a composite score: Matric marks count for 30% and Intermediate (FSc) marks for 70%. Here is how it works with sample marks of 85% in Matric and 90% in FSc:
(85 x 0.30) + (90 x 0.70) = 25.5 + 63 = 88.5
Higher composite scores rank higher on the merit list. The practical takeaway is simple. FSc matters far more than Matric, and a strong FSc result can make up for a weaker Matric. If your Matric was average, do not talk yourself out of applying. Run the numbers first.
The E-Stamp income affidavit is where applications go wrong
Most of the paperwork for Honhar is ordinary. The required documents are:
- Your CNIC.
- Matric and FSc/Intermediate certificates with mark sheets.
- An income affidavit on E-Stamp paper.
The affidavit is the step that sinks applications. It is a legal declaration of your family's monthly income, and Punjab HEC is strict about its format. It must be:
- printed on official E-Stamp paper purchased from a court;
- typed using the official MS Word template from the portal, not handwritten;
- signed manually, with no digital signatures;
- stamped at a court;
- carrying a QR code that scans properly for verification;
- witnessed by someone with a valid CNIC (this person does not need to be a blood relative).
You upload it as a PDF. Before you do, scan the QR code on the uploaded copy yourself with your phone. A blurry scan that hides the code is an avoidable reason to be rejected. If you also need category certificates (for example, for the BPS 1-4 or martyr family exemptions), get those ready at the same time. Our general documents checklist has tips on organising scans and copies that apply here too.
Submitting on the Honhar portal
- Confirm your official university registration number with your university. The portal requires it, and applicants without one should wait until it is issued.
- Download the affidavit template from the portal and get the E-Stamp affidavit done.
- Apply online at the official Honhar portal and fill in personal and academic details carefully. Errors can cause rejection.
- Upload the affidavit as a PDF, plus any category certificates that apply to you.
- Submit before the deadline.
- Save your Diary Number straight away. It is your only way to track or reference the application later.
- Wait for your university or institution to contact you if you are shortlisted.
If your program does not appear in the dropdown, do not pick something close and hope for the best. Contact your university's Honhar focal person. They can add it under your institution's available programs.
How the yearly cycle runs
The last cycle followed this pattern, and the next one will likely look similar, though dates should be confirmed each year:
- August 2025: application portal opened.
- September 15, 2025: application deadline.
- October 2025: university review of applications.
- November 2025: shortlisting and notification.
- Disbursement: as announced by Punjab HEC.
The window between the portal opening and the deadline is short, and it overlaps with the weeks when 1st year students are still settling admissions and waiting for registration numbers. That is the real squeeze. Confirm the exact dates for the current cycle on the official portal or the Punjab HEC website, which carries announcements and contact details. Punjab HEC also runs a toll-free Honhar helpline during business hours; find the current details on its site.
Who should apply, and who should not bother
Apply if you are a Punjab-domiciled 1st year student, your family is under the income ceiling for your institution type, and you cleared FSc on your first attempt above the minimum for your field. MBBS and BDS students at public medical colleges in particular should not skip this, since the fee savings can be large.
Skip it if you are in 2nd year or later, if you sat improvement exams, or if you do not hold a Punjab domicile. Honhar has no flexibility on these points, and no amount of paperwork will change the outcome.
The most common mistakes are practical ones. Students leave the affidavit to the final days, then find the court queue and E-Stamp purchase take longer than expected. They handwrite the affidavit or sign it digitally. They apply before their registration number exists. They forget to save the Diary Number. All of these are fixable if you start in August rather than in September. If you are comparing Honhar with other options, our guide to all Pakistan scholarships is a good place to look.
Frequently asked questions
Are MBBS students eligible for the Honhar Scholarship?
Yes. Students enrolled in 1st year MBBS and BDS are explicitly eligible. The minimum FSc requirement for MBBS and BDS is 80%.
Can students at private universities in Punjab apply?
Yes. The income ceiling is higher for private and federal universities: Rs. 500,000 per month, compared with Rs. 350,000 per month for public HEIs. Check that your university is on the official eligible list.
How much does Honhar pay?
It provides tuition fee support, and the amount varies by institution and program. The Punjab HEC portal lists amounts by institution type. It is classed as partial funding, so plan for other costs separately.
I took a grade improvement exam. Can I still apply?
No. Students who appeared in a grade improvement exam or are repeating a class are not eligible for that cycle.
Does the affidavit witness have to be a family member?
No. The witness needs a valid CNIC but does not need to be a blood relative.
What if my degree program is missing from the portal dropdown?
Contact your university's Honhar focal person. They can add your program under your institution's list.
Before you apply, confirm the current cycle, deadline and eligible universities on the official Honhar portal, and keep our Honhar Scholarship page handy for the full details.