Access to quality higher education has long been the aspiration of countless young Pakistanis striving to forge promising careers for themselves. It is widely acknowledged that quality education is not just a privilege but a catalyst for progress. Higher education serves as a beacon for a brighter future, enabling individuals to unlock their potential and make meaningful contributions to society.
However, despite the merits and substantial advancements in Pakistan’s higher education sector over the past two decades, university education remains an elusive dream for many Pakistanis. The surge in inflation in recent years has made it challenging for Pakistani households to make ends meet, let alone secure the funds needed to send a child to university.
On average, a student attending a private university in Pakistan faces annual costs ranging from PKR 150,000 to PKR 200,000. These are conservative estimates, yet even this amount proves exceedingly difficult for the majority of Pakistani households to arrange, especially given the ongoing inflation plaguing the nation.
Abandoning Dreams
The combination of limited openings in government universities and skyrocketing inflation has compelled many academically gifted Pakistani youths to abandon their pursuit of higher education. Instead, they seek sources of livelihood to support their families. Some delve into the world of freelancing, while others seek odd jobs to earn a daily wage for themselves and their loved ones.
While this resilience underscores the determination of our youth and their ability to overcome challenges, it also underscores that many of our young talents fail to realize their potential due to a lack of financial means.
Opportunities for All
This is why initiatives that empower young people to pursue their educational dreams deserve recognition and support. The University of Management and Technology, recently ranked as Pakistan’s No. 1 Private Sector University in the Times Higher Education Rankings 2023, stands out as an institution that is enabling young individuals from all corners of Pakistan to continue their higher education journey through some of the country’s most prestigious higher education scholarships.
UMT offers a range of top scholarships for its BS programs, encompassing various categories and covering partial to fully funded awards. For example, students securing intermediate-level marks between 85% and 94.99% can benefit from scholarships ranging from 70% to 80%. This means that academically capable candidates need only cover between 30% and 20% of the actual degree fees. Additionally, all position holders enrolling at UMT are granted a 100% fee waiver.
Another noteworthy scholarship at UMT is the need-based financial aid, offered to deserving students following a thorough assessment of their financial circumstances. This scholarship functions as an interest-free loan, which students can repay comfortably over three to five years upon completing their degrees.
Furthermore, UMT provides an array of other scholarships, including alumni scholarships, scholarships for remote area students, sports and extra-curricular scholarships, scholarships for orphans, scholarships for differently-abled students, Justice AR Cornelius Scholarships, Khuram Murad Scholarships, and many more. UMT also promotes higher education among professionals, offering unique MS/MPhil scholarships like experience-based scholarships and corporate group discounts, unparalleled by any other university in Pakistan.
Over the past three decades, UMT has awarded scholarships totaling more than PKR 9 billion, benefiting over 25,000 students. It takes great pride in being an institution that offers some of the best higher education scholarships in Pakistan—an ongoing effort that deserves commendation and is urgently required for the younger generation.
As a society, we should demand similar initiatives from other private institutions to ensure that every young Pakistani has access to quality higher education, regardless of their financial means or ability to afford a degree.
Only through substantial investments in our youth on a mass scale can we cultivate a skilled human resource capable of reshaping the destiny of our nation.
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