The Punjab government has scrapped the monthly stipend and free hostel accommodation for nursing students, triggering widespread criticism and raising concerns about the future of accessible nursing education in the province. The move rolls back a long-standing support system and contradicts earlier commitments by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to expand educational opportunities for women, especially those from low-income backgrounds.
Under the new policy, the Rs31,600 monthly stipend for students enrolled in the four-year BSN (Generic) programme has been abolished. The simultaneous removal of free hostel facilities means students and their families must now manage the full cost of tuition and living expenses. A senior official described the decision as making nursing education “prohibitively expensive,” warning that it may discourage capable young women from entering the profession.
Critics argue that the policy undermines the Chief Minister’s vision of free and accessible nursing education. Some suggest Maryam Nawaz may not have been fully informed about the broader financial repercussions of the decision, which disproportionately affects families already struggling to make ends meet.
Health experts caution that this marks a shift toward the gradual privatisation of nursing education, a change they fear could worsen the existing shortage of qualified nurses in Punjab’s public hospitals. They warn that financial barriers will limit the number of new entrants into the profession, ultimately weakening the province’s healthcare workforce and impacting patient care.
The new admission framework places all nursing college entries under the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore. It includes 3,100 morning-shift seats across 45 public nursing colleges and introduces 1,400 additional seats for evening programmes in 15 institutions. The guidelines clarify that no student, regardless of shift, will receive any stipend.
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For years, government-funded stipends and hostel facilities allowed women from working-class families to pursue stable careers in nursing. The withdrawal of this support has sparked widespread frustration, with many fearing the decision will shut the door on countless young women who viewed nursing as a viable and dignified path to financial independence.