CM Punjab BISP Scholarship 2025: Apply for Financial Aid for Education

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One strategy to combat poverty is to pursue education ( BISP Scholarship ) beyond the intermediate level. However, there are significant disparities in the distribution of higher education access itself. For instance, compared to the national average of 10%, just 0.4% of children from the lowest poverty quintile (from the appropriate age cohort) are enrolled in higher education institutions. Eliminating this cause of unequal access is the goal of undergraduate scholarships.

Eligibility

For families to qualify for cash benefits under BISP Scholarship, their monthly income must be less than RS 25,000, or $90. [11] Additional qualifying conditions state that:

A female applicant with a valid ID card is required by families.

The candidate must be a woman who is widowed or divorced and has no male relatives.

Families with members who are physically or mentally challenged are eligible.

Pakistan is among the world’s youngest nations, per the 2017 National Human Development Report. Given the country’s demographic reality—roughly 220 million people, of whom over half are university-age—the government of Pakistan has made it a top priority to develop initiatives that promote gender equity and allow financially eligible people access. The plan is to provide equitable educational opportunities for everybody and to give a sizable portion of young people the chance to enroll in higher education.

Benazir Income Support Programme

In Pakistan, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP Scholarship) is a federal program that reduces poverty through unconditional cash transfers. Initiated in July 2008, it was the nation’s largest social safety net program, with 5.4 million recipients receiving almost Rs. 90 billion ($900 million) in 2016. [3] In 2016, the program disbursed Rs. 19,338 (approximately $195) per month using a smart card. [4] The stipend is based on the Consumer Price Index.

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development is the program’s largest foreign backer, contributing $244 million (27%) of the total funds in 2016, with the Pakistani government contributing the remaining amount. [6] [7] The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (PASS) was established as a separate ministry [8], and BISP became a part of the Poverty Alleviation and Social Security Division.

History

Following President Asif Ali Zardari’s advice, Yousaf Raza Gillani launched the Benazir Income Support Program in 2008. The program’s name honors Benazir Bhutto, the 2007 slain former prime minister and wife of President Asif Ali Zardari. [10] Since 2005, severe inflation and rising food and oil prices have reduced the purchasing power of many Pakistani families. In light of this, BISP was created as a way to combat declining purchasing power.

By giving financial transfers to female household members directly, BISP intends to empower women in addition to its economic development objectives. [12] BISP is the biggest aid program in Pakistan at the moment and receives the third-largest budgetary allocation from the government. BISP Scholarship expenditures make up 0.3% of Pakistan’s total income.

More than 3 million Pakistani families received cash transfers through BISP during the 2008–2009 fiscal year; this number represents 10% of the population living below the poverty line and 1.5% of the overall population [11]. The program was extended to include 5 million low-income households during the 2009–2010 fiscal year. [11] The Pakistani government gave BISP RS 34 billion, or $425 million, at the beginning of the program in 2008; the following year, that amount quadrupled to RS 70 billion, or $875 million.

The Benjamin Income Support Program intends to provide a new program that uses a conditional cash transfer to promote the development of human capital. Cash payments for the children of eligible families will be contingent upon their enrollment in elementary school under the Waseela-e-Taleem project. [12] For its beneficiaries, BISP opened an e-commerce site on June 18, 2017.

Program structure

The Benazir Income Support Programme has been implemented in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The program also operates in the federally administered regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. [12] In its first year of operation, recipients of BISP Scholarship cash transfers were identified and selected by Parliamentarians through a process of recommendation.

Each Parliamentarian received 8,000 forms to distribute throughout his or her constituency. Selected individuals underwent an eligibility verification process through the National Database and Registration Authority. A final list of eligible families was generated and sent to the postal service. Funds were disbursed from the Treasury directly to the postal service and then delivered to the female head of eligible households.

The procedure for determining and choosing qualified families by parliamentary recommendations was terminated in April 2009. A Poverty Scorecard is now used in the redesigned identification procedure. The Poverty Scorecard uses a proxy means test to identify families. [12] The World Bank has approved the Poverty Scorecard, which asks families to complete a survey with 13 questions about their assets and expenses.

The poverty survey will be dispersed around the country after being tested in 16 regions. [12] Systems for tracking deliveries and payment amounts to qualified families are being created internally. Another way to combat political favoritism and corruption is being proposed, which would give a third party who is impartial access to the list of eligible families so they can confirm their eligibility.

BISP has recently grown to encompass a number of unique projects. By offering small loans, the Waseela-e-Haq initiative empowers women. Members of qualified households can get up to a year of professional training through the Waseela-e-Rozgar vocation training program. The Waseela-e-Sehat program offers financial aid for the purchase of essential medical treatment. The first initiative that ties cash rewards to education will be introduced by BISP.

Families that receive cash transfers will be required to enroll children in primary school between the ages of five and twelve as part of the Waseela-e-Taleem program. [12] Additionally, BISP offers financial payments for humanitarian activities in times of need. These benefits, which are given to families impacted by terrorism, war, and natural catastrophes like earthquakes, are comparable to those received by low-income families.

WHO and BISP sign a US$ 6.257 million agreement under the Benazir Nashonuma programme to combat stunting and malnutrition in Pakistan

“By working together, we are making a significant contribution to the fight against malnutrition and guaranteeing our children a healthier future.” Sep. 25, 2024, Islamabad, Pakistan The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have inked a partnership to combat malnutrition in Pakistan. At the BISP headquarters in Islamabad, WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Pakistan Dr. Luo Dapeng and BISP Secretary Amer Ali Ahmad signed the agreement.

The partnership aims to implement evidence-based interventions, provide lifesaving treatment to severely acute malnourished children with medical complications, and support breastfeeding and nutrition education for mothers and caregivers. The signing ceremony was attended by BISP chair Ms. Rubina Khalid, BISP Director-General Mr. Naveed Akbar, and BISP’s Director of Conditional Cash Transfers, Mr. Wiqar Ahmad, alongside other dignitaries and officials from BISP and WHO.

Speaking at the event, BISP chair Ms. Rubina Khalid underlined the importance of WHO’s role in providing lifesaving medical care to beneficiaries of the program, while BISP Secretary Amer Ali Ahmad said, “This is a landmark event for BISP, marking a significant step forward in our efforts to enhance the well-being of our beneficiaries. We are committed to strengthening our partnerships with WHO to ensure that the fruits of this collaboration reach those most in need.”

“WHO is honored to partner with BISP to provide life-saving treatment to more than 75,000 severely acutely malnourished children with medical complications as well as protecting, supporting, and promoting breastfeeding as a key strategy to prevent stunting,” said the WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Pakistan, thanking BISP for the partnership. As a top priority for the Pakistani government, “WHO is committed to supporting interventions aimed at reducing stunting in the country,” Dr. Dapeng stated. The project will enhance the general health and nutritional status of undernourished children throughout Pakistan.

In order to assist disadvantaged students in continuing their education, the Punjabi government, in partnership with BISP, launched the CM Punjab BISP Scholarship 2025. It seeks to lower financial barriers and encourage low-income families to pursue higher education and literacy.

Typical eligibility requirements are as follows:

Students from low-income households signed up for BISP.

pupils attending Punjabi public schools, colleges, or universities.

Requirements for minimum academic performance (e.g., 60% or above in prior tests).

pupils from underprivileged or marginalized communities.

The application process usually involves:

Online registration through the official BISP or Punjab Government portal.
Submission of required documents (e.g., BISP registration proof, academic records, CNIC, etc.).
Verification of details by the concerned authorities.