ISLAMABAD – US Consul General Colleen Crenwelge joined Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar and more than 70 talented young Pakistani students in celebrating the US government-funded Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program (MNBSP), which supports deserving but financially constrained students who could not otherwise afford to earn degrees.
“This program exemplifies the long and productive partnership between the United States and Pakistan in higher education,” Consul General Crenwelge said. “We are confident the many talented, bright scholarship recipients will help create a prosperous future for all,” said a press release issued here on Tuesday.
MNBSP was a partnership between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and 30 Pakistani universities. Scholarships cover tuition, housing, and textbooks; provide a food stipend, and include financial aid management and career development services.
Governor Sarwar commended the United States’ support for higher education in Pakistan, noting MNBSP reserved 50 percent of scholarships for female students.
HEC Chairperson Dr. Tariq Banuri said that the scholarship program focused on fields vital to Pakistan’s economic development, including agriculture, business, engineering, medicine, and social sciences.
“Our objective is to create opportunities for talented students, faculty, and researchers, so they can help build a vibrant society,” he remarked.
Since its establishment in 2004, MNBSP had awarded scholarships to more than 5,300 deserving yet economically disadvantaged youth across Pakistan.
In Punjab, MNBSP had awarded scholarships to 2,300 students attending 10 partner institutions, including the University of Health Sciences and its affiliated medical colleges.
