Thousands of students benefiting from the Maryam Nawaz Honhaar Scholarship are facing growing uncertainty as delays in the release of scholarship funds threaten to disrupt their education across Punjab. With university fee deadlines fast approaching, many students have begun receiving warning notices from their institutions over unpaid dues.
Around 85,000 scholarship recipients enrolled in nearly 100 public and private universities and colleges have been affected by the delay. Officials at the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) say the issue is not a shortage of funds but an administrative lapse by universities that have failed to submit mandatory fee invoices.
PHEC Chairman Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan confirmed that only 25 out of the 100 participating institutions have submitted the required invoices so far. He explained that scholarship installments cannot be disbursed until the commission receives verified fee details from the concerned universities.
In response to the growing concern, the commission has issued a one-week deadline to all defaulting institutions to submit their pending invoices. Dr. Khan warned that failure to comply within the given timeframe will result in the cancellation of scholarships for students of non-compliant universities.
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The development has shifted pressure onto university administrations, as students fear that bureaucratic delays beyond their control could jeopardize their academic progress. Education stakeholders are urging institutions to act swiftly to ensure that deserving students are not penalized for procedural shortcomings.
