Pakistan Scholarships 2026-27: All 22 Guides in One Place

Searching for a scholarship "in Pakistan" turns up two quite different groups. Most of the 22 entries here are domestic: funding for study at Pakistani colleges and universities, run by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), provincial governments, universities, professional bodies and charities. A smaller group covers study in Portugal, Finland, the Netherlands, Panama and Germany, and these are listed because Pakistani students ask about them. This page gathers every guide in one place so you can see what exists, what it pays for and when it opens.

If you are finishing intermediate and plan to stay in Pakistan, the domestic options are the realistic starting point. If you already hold a bachelor's degree and want to go abroad, read the foreign entries carefully, because several of them are narrower than their names suggest.

All 22 scholarships at a glance

Several deadlines are for a past cycle or are estimates, so treat the table as a map of when each programme tends to open, not as a calendar to rely on. Always confirm the current window with the provider.

Fully funded options inside Pakistan

These five cover the most, and each one is tightly targeted. That is the catch: the money is generous because the eligibility rules are narrow.

• LUMS National Outreach Program (NOP) is fully funded for financially deserving students with strong academics at Pakistan's top-ranked university. You apply in the annual December-February window using the LCAT or SAT. For a strong student from a modest background, it is among the most valuable entries on this page (full details).
• KDDP Scholarship - Kohat Division Development Program is a fully funded Government of KPK scholarship for students from Karak, Hangu, Kohat and Lakki Marwat. It covers MBBS, BS Nursing, Engineering, AI, Data Sciences and Robotics at approved public universities, with 154 seats in the 3rd Batch (2025-26). You need a BISP-NSER poverty score of 0-45 (full details).
• PEEF Special Quota Scholarship (Punjab) is a fully funded Punjab Educational Endowment Fund scholarship for special categories: orphans, minorities, disabled students, children of BPS 1-4 government employees and children of martyred civilians (full details).
• Scotland Pakistan Government Scholarship (Women) is Scottish Government funding for Pakistani women doing a Bachelor's or Master's at HEC-recognized universities in Pakistan. It covers tuition, hostel costs and twice-yearly travel, and needs no test. Selection rests on your personal statement, financial need and academic record (full details).
• Chief Minister IT Internship Program Punjab is not a degree scholarship. It places IT and Computer Science graduates in private software houses with a Rs. 50,000/month stipend for 5 months. It is for permanent Punjab residents who graduated within the last 4 years (full details).

HEC programmes and how they differ

The Higher Education Commission appears six times in this list, and the guides are easy to confuse. The funding label for most is "Full / Partial", which means the outcome depends on the programme and your case, so read the guide before assuming anything.

• HEC Need-Based Scholarship is the one most undergraduates should check first. It covers full university fees for the whole undergraduate degree plus a monthly stipend of Rs. 6,000, at public universities, for fresh and enrolled students in all disciplines. You apply through your own university's Financial Aid Office (full details).
• HEC Merit Scholarship for Undergraduate Studies (Pakistan) supports undergraduate students on academic merit (full details).
• HEC Indigenous MS/MPhil and PhD Scholarships supports MS, MPhil and PhD study inside Pakistani universities (full details).
• HEC Indigenous PhD Fellowship Programme (Pakistan) is the doctoral-only programme, also for study at Pakistani universities (full details).
• HEC Pakistan Research Grants and Fellowships funds university research, technology development, international linkages and academic mobility (full details).
• Prime Minister Youth Programme Scholarships is a government initiative offering educational and professional development through digital and skill-based schemes (full details).

Deadlines for all of these except the need-based one are listed as varying, so check the official site each time.

Partial funding for Pakistani students at home

• Alkhidmat Foundation Academic Scholarship (Pakistan) is need-based, for talented but financially disadvantaged students in colleges, universities and technical institutes. You need minimum 70% marks (full details).
• DIYA Pakistan Scholarship is need-based and asks for at least 60% marks at any academic level. Applications are rolling, and payment goes by cheque to your institute, cashed at any Meezan Bank branch (full details).
• Honhar Scholarship Program (Punjab HEC) is merit-cum-need for first-year students including MBBS and BDS. The award weights Matric at 30% and Intermediate at 70%. It requires Punjab domicile and a monthly family income under Rs. 350,000 (full details).
• ICAP CA Scholarship Pakistan has two tiers for CA students: the merit-based High Achievers Scholarship (CAT-HA), covering full fees and a monthly stipend, and the need-based Student Financial Support (CAT-SFS), a 75%+ tuition discount through RAETs. An interest-free loan is also available (full details).

Scholarships for study abroad

This is where expectations need adjusting. Only one entry in this group is labelled fully funded, and it is closed at the time of the data.

Portugal

FCT Doctoral Research Scholarships (Portugal) are research grants from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia for doctoral candidates in all scientific domains, with general lines plus tracks such as non-academic environments and Maria de Sousa virology grants. The General Line and Non-Academic Line closed in March 2026, so this is one to plan for next cycle (full details).

Netherlands

The Dutch entries come in three guides. NL Scholarship (Holland Scholarship) gives a 5,000 euro contribution to non-EEA students on a full-time bachelor's or master's at participating Dutch institutions (full details). NL Scholarship Programme describes the national programme, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and 47 Dutch institutions, formerly known as the Holland Scholarship (full details). VSB Scholarships are privately funded and managed through Nuffic as part of Dutch educational exchange (full details). For all of them, deadlines depend on the institution or provider.

Finland, Germany and Panama

Finland Government Scholarships is a clarification rather than an opportunity: no general Finnish government scholarships exist for Bachelor's and Master's students, and the former EDUFI Fellowships for doctoral students ended in 2025. Support comes as competitive university-specific scholarships and tuition fee waivers (full details). e-fellows.net German Scholarship and Career Platform offers non-monetary career benefits and free subscriptions to students, doctoral candidates and legal trainees in Germany, for a maximum of one year, and it can be combined with other state funding (full details). Panama IFARHU Government Scholarship covers government scholarships and educational credit programs for national and international study, including general competition scholarships and social assistance programs (full details).

Which scholarship suits which Pakistani student

My reading of the data is simple. For undergraduates who need money, the HEC need-based scholarship has the broadest reach and the clearest terms, with full fees and a stipend. LUMS NOP is the strongest if your marks are high and your family cannot pay. If you fall into a regional or special category, KDDP and PEEF are fully funded and worth the paperwork. Women choosing a Pakistani university should look hard at the Scotland scholarship, since it needs no test.

For postgraduates, the HEC Indigenous programmes keep you at a Pakistani university. For study abroad, the Dutch NL Scholarship is a fixed contribution rather than full funding, so you would still need other money for the rest.

Check three things before you invest time: whether you meet the hard filters (domicile, marks, income, district), whether the deadline in the guide still applies, and whether the funding is full or partial. Then prepare documents early. Our documents checklist lists what most applications ask for, and the general scholarships guide gives the wider picture.

Frequently asked questions

Which scholarships here are fully funded?

The entries labelled fully funded are the Chief Minister IT Internship Program Punjab, FCT Doctoral Research Scholarships, KDDP, LUMS NOP, PEEF Special Quota and the Scotland Pakistan Government Scholarship for women. Several HEC and other entries are labelled "Full / Partial", so the result depends on the programme.

I want to stay in Pakistan. Where should I start?

Start with the HEC Need-Based Scholarship if you are at a public university, then check LUMS National Outreach Program (NOP) and the provincial options that match your domicile.

Is there a Finnish government scholarship for a bachelor's or master's?

According to the guide, no. Finnish funding for these levels comes through university-specific scholarships and tuition fee waivers. Read Finland Government Scholarships for the detail.

Can I apply to a scholarship whose deadline has passed?

Not for that cycle. Several entries show a past date, such as October 31, 2025 for Alkhidmat. Use the date as a guide to when the next window may open and confirm it on the provider's website.

What marks do I need?

It varies. Alkhidmat asks for minimum 70% marks, DIYA for at least 60%, and Honhar weights Matric at 30% and Intermediate at 70%. Check each guide for the exact rule.

Where to go next

Open the individual guide for any scholarship above and follow its link to the official website, since eligibility rules and windows change between cycles. Apply only through the provider's own channels.