The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced Undergraduate Scholarships for the students of Balochistan and erstwhile FATA. According to official sources, the applications are invited from the outstanding students of Balochistan and erstwhile FATA who intend to pursue undergraduate studies in HEC-recognized public/private sector universities/Degree Awarding Institutions of Pakistan. They said the scholarships are being offered for the academic year 2022-23 in all areas of study/disciplines under the project entitled “Provision of Higher Education Opportunities for the Students of Balochistan & erstwhile FATA (Phase-III)”, Batch-I. As per eligibility criteria, the applicants must have a valid Domicile/Local certificate of Balochistan/erstwhile FATA duly signed by the district administration. Maximum age must be 22 years on the closing date of advertisement, they added. Applicants must have completed 12 years of education with at least 60% marks in FA/F.Sc./I.COM/ICS/DAE or equivalent for the scholarship programme. The applicants who are already availing of other HEC/Government scholarships are not eligible to apply. Applicant must have acquired the requisite academic qualification on or before the closing date of the advertisement. Result-awaiting students are not eligible to apply. It is pertinent to mention here that the scholarships will be awarded on Merit and District Quota basis. Meanwhile, the applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of Aptitude Test scores (conducted by HEC) and academic credentials. Applicants must secure at least 50% marks on the test. The scholarship and reserved seat distribution ratio for the applicants of Balochistan & erstwhile FATA is 50:50. Placements on reserved seats will be on open merit within the selected scholars only. PM&DC/PMC minimum eligibility criteria/rules and regulations will be applicable. Those who are already enrolled in Medical/Dental Colleges and Engineering Programmes will not be considered against the reserved seats but shall be considered for an offer of scholarships, if on merit. However, students already enrolled in any Bachelor’s program may also apply. Please make sure to visit http://hec.gov.pk/site/bf3 for further details and IN/OUT category explanation before filling out the application form. The applicants are required to submit their application online through the HEC website http://hec.gov.pk/site/bf3. Hard copies of applications and any other documents are not required at this stage. The original bank payment record/slip must be uploaded with the online application, and it should be kept safe by the applicant to present it at the test (No one will be allowed to sit in the test without producing the original bank deposit slip). The applicant must submit the online application after completing the application form. Saved and incomplete applications in any respect will not be considered. HEC reserves the right to postpone or cancel the scholarship process at any stage without assigning any reason. The last date for submission of online application is Monday, February 13, 2023. The applicants are advised to check their emails and HEC website regularly for any updates and are required to apply well before the closing date to get assistance in case of any inconvenience.