ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has allocated Rs 170 million in its annual budget to provide financial support to the needy students in form of fee-waivers.
The annual budgetary allocation to this effect has almost been doubled in the recent years, in order to ensure that the financial constraint should not be a hurdle in continuation of future study, a  press release said on Tuesday.
We are fulfilling our social responsibility to take care of marginalized sections of the society, said Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui.
The scholarships could be availed during the on-going admissions that will continue till 5th September.
The AIOU is only University in the country that had the distinction of providing free education to the disabled persons, prisoners, drop-out girls and transgender community.
The University has also announced free Matric education to the students of FATA and Baluchistan. The University provides special scholarships to its enrolled students on scoring 75% and above marks in their latest results as its policy of encouraging talented students.
According to Director Students Advisory Affairs Rana Tariq Javed, the deserving students could contact the University’s offices in their respective region to apply for the concession.
They may download the application form from the link given on the University’s website and send it to
the relevant department in the University.
In all nine scholarship schemes are being offered by the University. These are: Earn to learn Scheme, Outreach Scholarship Scheme, Final Year Project Grant Scheme, Scholarship for
Communities, Scholarship for Women, Fee Installment Scheme and Alumni-Sponsored Scholarship.
The merit scholarships scheme is an initiative to generate competition among students and encourage brilliant students.