The Sindh government has approved scholarships for 2,723 students pursuing higher education. The decision was made during a board meeting of the Sindh Education Endowment Fund Trust (SEEF), chaired by Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah. The scholarships, approved for the academic year 2023-24, are intended for students from Sindh currently enrolled in universities across the country. Minister Shah chaired the meeting in his capacity as Chairman of the SEEF Board of Trustees. The meeting, held in Karachi on Tuesday, was attended by College Education Secretary Shahab Qamar Ansari, School Education Secretary Zahid Ali Abbasi, Additional Secretary Judicial & SEEF Iqbal Jamani, SEEF board members, and other relevant officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Shah stated that the Sindh Education Endowment Fund was established to support the higher education of underprivileged and talented students. He added, “Through the SEEF scholarships, students from Sindh can pursue higher education at over 90 public and private universities across the country.” “Our goal is to provide equal opportunities for quality education to bright students from financially challenged backgrounds,” he said. The board also approved the renewal of scholarships for 4,877 existing students, bringing the total number of beneficiaries this year to 7,600. The meeting was informed that SEEF’s total capital has reached Rs. 9.2 billion, and the profit generated from this amount is used to pay the students’ fees. Over the past two years, an additional Rs. 2 billion has been invested to further strengthen the fund.
The board resolved to present recommendations in the next meeting on linking SEEF scholarships with university admissions. Minister Shah emphasized the need to persuade universities to simplify the admission process for students awaiting scholarship approval. “Many students cannot reach universities due to financial constraints. We aim to further streamline the scholarship acquisition process,” he said. He instructed the complete digitization of the scholarship application process, making it entirely paperless. A digital dashboard and automated scrutiny system will also be developed to enhance transparency.
Minister Shah expressed displeasure over the absence of university vice-chancellors, who are board members, stating that they should attend and offer suggestions to ease students’ access to education. Since its establishment in 2003, the Sindh Education Endowment Fund Trust has supported over 37,550 students in completing their higher education through scholarships.