Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund changes lives through education scholarships for talented and poor students.
Discover PEEF’s impact, programs, and role in promoting equitable education throughout Pakistan, while learning how it empowers the youth and speeds up national development.
The education sector in Pakistan is exceedingly deficient, and presents a variety of issues such as limited access to adequate education, financing, and substantial gender disparities.
With 26 million children out of school (denoted in a declaration of an Education Emergency in 2024) advocacy for innovate strategic approaches that leverage transformative consequences are sorely needed .
Education provides the foundation of national development and helps pull people out of poverty, and helps develop the competencies needed to contribute to economic productivity. Yet, for many gifted students financing remains a significant barrier to achieving their educational dreams.
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) seeks to help ameliorate this issue. Initiated in 2008 by the Government of Punjab, PEEF has emerged as a beacon of hope for students seeking equity, and justice in education. PEEF is one of the largest scholarship programs in South Asia for deserving and needy students in Pakistan.
Although it (PEEF) commenced as the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, the Fund has subsequently branched out to address the responsibilities of students residing in all of Pakistan’s provinces and territories; to include – Azad Jammu and Kashmir, FATA, Gilgit Baltistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory.
The funding structure of the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund subjects scholarships that cover education from matriculation to doctoral study. In summary, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund provides executive capacity in addressing barriers to undertaking post-secondary education and helps students achieve educational objectives.
This article examines how education is transforming lives through the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund. We look at PEEF’s mission in empowering marginalized communities, how it’s contributing to a skilled labor force, their goals and objectives, and educational scholarship programs.
If you are a student looking for opportunities, or a stakeholder looking to bring educational reform, this guide is an insightful and comprehensive look at PEEF’s role in shaping a better tomorrow for Pakistan.
| Aspect | Details |
| Establishment | Founded in 2008 by the Government of Punjab, registered under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984. |
| Objective | Provide scholarships to talented and needy students for quality education with equal opportunities. |
| Initial Funding | Started with a seed fund of PKR 2 billion in 2008, increased to PKR 8 billion, with a pledge to reach PKR 10 billion by FY 2012-13. |
| Scholarships Awarded (Total) | Over 490,000 scholarships awarded by July 31, 2024, worth more than PKR 28 billion. |
| Scholarships (2024-25) | Expected to exceed 490,000 with the inclusion of the current year’s scholarships. |
| Beneficiaries | Students from Punjab, other provinces (including Azad Jammu Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, FATA, Islamabad Capital Territory), and Punjab Board for Technical Education. |
| Educational Levels Supported | Intermediate, Graduate, Masters, PhD, and vocational programs. Includes partnerships with Centers of Excellence like LUMS, NUST, FAST, IBA Karachi, GIKI Swabi. |
| PhD Foreign Scholarship Program | Awards scholarships for PhD studies at top-ranked global universities, with quotas for Punjab and other federating units. |
| Special Quotas | Supports marginalized students through special quotas, including those from underserved areas. |
| Impact Example | Enabled students like Margus from Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan, to complete BS Nursing and earn a gold medal in MSN 2021 at Shifa College of Nursing. |
| Historical Context | Previously known as National Endowment Scholarships for Talent (NEST) since 2015, rebranded to PEEF to focus on nursing, arts, and culture. |
| Nursing Program | Fully funded program for nurses to work as US-RNs in the USA, including six months of training for NCLEX-RN, OET exams, soft skills, computer skills, CGFNS documentation, and USA state board registration. |
| Social Media Claims | Posts on X claim over 350,000 scholarships worth PKR 18 billion awarded by 2019, and 375,000 by 2018, though these figures are unverified. |
| Criticism and Challenges | Limited public spending on education (1.7% of GDP in 2023-24) impacts effectiveness. Efficient allocation needed alongside increased funding. |
Table of Contents
Background of Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) was formed back in 2008 under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif, who was the Chief Minister of Punjab at the time.
PEEF is a non-profit entity and was established under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984
The objectives of establishing PEEF was to provide education to talented students who cannot afford proper education to develop and serve the nation.
Funds came in and the fund totaled was Rs. 2 billion initially. The government of Punjab created an endowment fund and made a serious investment towards educational equality.
From these beginnings the fund has grown tremendously in size and scale with support from the Punjab government and smart investment and management with the growth of the fund leading to scholarships for hundreds of thousands of students all over Pakistan.
As the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, PEEF originally only assisted students within Punjab.
However, ultimately the objective broadened to help students all across Pakistan; and to help students from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, FATA, Gilgit Baltistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory; PEEF became the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund. This change reflects PEEF’s primary `Mission’ which is to ensure no student who deserves help is overlooked due to ethnicity or economic disadvantage.
PEEF works with top institutions, and Centres of Excellence including universities such as LUMS, NUST, and IBA Karachi. PEEF has also expanded its programs to offer help in the education system from matriculation and junior high all through doctoral programs.
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund has a finance model that is clearly structured around sustainability and impact. The fund allocates 80 percent of its returns toward scholarships, or direct student support. Ten percent is returned to the fund for growth, and the remaining ten percent is allocated toward administrative costs.
The endowment fund continues smoothly because it has been structured to be transparent and accountable, while also scaling its operations and administration. With contributions from the Government of Punjab, as well as an emerging possibility of partnerships with private sectors, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund solidifies its place in enhancing lives through education and serves as a point of reference for scholarship programs within the region.
University Of Agriculture Faisalabad : Pioneering Excellence In Agricultural Education And Research
Objectives of Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) is driven by a clear and ambitious mission to transform Pakistan’s educational landscape by empowering deserving students. Its objectives are thoughtfully designed to address both immediate educational needs and long-term national developmental prospects, ensuring talent development without regard to financial or social capital.
Promoting Academic Excellence
PEEF’s mission acknowledges the long-standing commitment to creating and fostering academic excellence in Pakistan. PEEF provides merit-based scholarships to high-achieving students at all levels of education, from secondary school to doctoral degrees or equivalent degrees.
PEEF recognizes talent and achievement to create space and resources for individuals to pursue their chosen fields of study, contributing to a culture of intellectual achievement in Pakistan.
Supporting Marginalized Communities
PEEF is equally committed to inclusivity by providing quota scholarships to marginalized groups of students, including women, children without parents, children with disabilities, and students from regions of Pakistan that have high levels of poverty, such as FATA and Gilgit Baltistan.
This commitment to inclusivity ensures that the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund can reach students who might otherwise fail to benefit from educational opportunities due to systemic barriers by promoting social equity and empowering vulnerable groups.
Building Human Capital
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund looks to build a strong pool of qualified professionals to meet Pakistan’s challenges in advancing its economic and social development. By investing in education, PEEF provides students with the knowledge, and skills to help fill gaps in essential sectors such as healthcare, engineering, and technology.
This goal connects with national priorities which allows PEEF to play a vital role in developing and providing a competitive workforce in the near future.
Addressing Sector-Specific Needs
PEEF has adapted to the changing needs of the economy on a national and global scale to target scholarship offerings to work-ready sectors that face skills shortages, and emerging challenges. Some of these sectors are nursing, cybersecurity, environmental sciences, and the arts.
PEEF works with all regions of Pakistan to ensure we are filling human resource gaps, while also responding to more immediate developmental needs in Pakistan with the array of services. By working with human resource development and workforce development targets for student and educational development, PEEF provides students with skill sets and contributions to society.
Through the explanation of the objectives, and target scholarship sectors, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund not only has the one-off opportunity to change an individual, but also help in laying the groundwork for a more educated, equitable, and prosperous Pakistan in the long term.
The strategic objectives of PEEF to be a leader in becoming part of educational excellence, equitable offerings, and relevant educational offerings sets out the responsibility of becoming part of the educational ecosystem of Pakistan, where we help to drive change.
PEEF Scholarship Programs
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has developed an extensive suite of scholarship programs specifically designed to support students at different stages of their education.
PEEF’s scholarship programs are built to embrace different needs so that financial barriers do not limit students’ access to high quality education. PEEF aims to give students across Pakistan access to educational opportunities it is their choice to take advantage of.
Types of Scholarships
PEEF offers different types of scholarships to suit different student situations. Merit-based scholarships allow high-performers to be rewarded for their excellent grades when transitioning to intermediate or degree college. Need-based scholarships help economically disadvantaged students mitigate the costs of pursuing an education.
In addition to offering merit and need-based scholarships, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund also offers special quota scholarships to support marginalised populations like, women, orphans, students with disabilities, and students from remote areas like FATA and Gilgit Baltistan.
This strategy aims to give all students equitable access to educational opportunities.
Academic Levels Covered
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund provides assistance to students at every level of education, from matriculation through doctoral programs. PEEF provides scholarships for secondary education, intermediate (higher secondary) education, undergraduate programs, master’s programs and PhD programs.
PEEF works with public and private institutions, including top-tier Centers of Excellence such as LUMS, NUST and IBA Karachi , to help students have access to world-class education. This ensures that there will be students at every educational level benefitting from PEEF scholarships.
Application Process
Applying for a scholarship is simple, and the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) provides a web-based interface that is easy for students to use. Eligibility requirements include academic performance for merit-based scholarships, financial need for need-based scholarships and specific eligibility requirements students must meet for special quota scholarships.
Applications can be made through the PEEF official website (www.peef.org.pk), and supporting materials such as academic transcripts, income documents, and identity-based identification must be submitted along with the application. The application process is clear and the guidelines are easily understood, which helps ensure students at different education backgrounds can access PEEF.
Scale of Impact
PEEF’s scholarship programs have a remarkable impact. By July 2024, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund has made over 465,000 scholarships, distributing more than Rs. 28 billion to deserving students.
PEEF has enabled students to study in a wide range of fields – from engineering and medicine to the arts and environmental sciences. PEEF expects to reach 490,000 scholarships by 2025 to extend its transformative influence even further.
The numbers here illustrate the fundamental role PEEF plays as an educational support in Pakistan, with the result being a generation of scholars ready to make positive change.
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund is removing barriers to educational opportunity for students and communities nationwide through its diversity and inclusive scholarship programs and supporting a brighter future.
Aga Khan University (AKU) Karachi : Shaping Future Leaders In Healthcare
Impact of Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has created a transformative impact on educational opportunity for Pakistan and is empowering individuals, uplifting communities, and contributing to national development.
By providing the opportunity to pursue scholarships for over 465,000 students as of July 2024, PEEF is not only changing lives but also laying the groundwork for a more equal and prosperous future. PEEF has broad impacts across multiple areas of society which include significant individual success stories, and improving opportunities for society overall.
Transforming Individual Lives
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has helped countless students, and helped to support students who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to realize their academic dreams. These scholarships provided students with the ability to attend some level of quality education and, in turn, allowed PEEF Alumni to achieve milestones such as earning PhDs, or shifted to careers as engineers, psychologists, and nurses.
PEEF scholars have offered multiple stories of considerable hardship making their way to graduation at a prestigious institution (NUST, LUMS), and were able to secure careers to support their families and their communities. PEEF scholarships ultimately provide more than significant financial support; it provided confidence that they could realize dreams for themselves, families and communities.
Empowering Communities
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund is not only contributing to the individual success of young people in Pakistan, but it is also contributing to social mobility in the most underserved parts of the country. By giving priority to students from marginalized areas like FATA, Gilgit Baltistan and rural Punjab, PEEF is ensuring that education reaches the most deprived students.
PEEF graduates often begin to come back to communities where they originated, as professionals, and collaborate to build local economies while setting an example for their peers to follow in pursuit of an education. This helps to strengthen the resilience of a community and cultivates an understanding of the importance of education in places where schools have been absent for decades.
National Development
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund is also pivotal for building a skilled workforce for Pakistan’s economic and social advancement. Its support of students in health, technology, and environmental sciences is addressing workforce shortages and supporting the country in taking on the challenges of the modern world.
PEEF-supported nursing graduates, for instance, are building and solidifying Pakistan’s health system, while scholars studying cyber security are strengthening Pakistan’s digital environment. By developing human capital across their nation, PEEF will help Pakistan compete in the global economy, while developing and fostering innovation in our communities.
Gender Inclusivity
PEEF’s impact is not just academic, but a key pillar of its impact lies in its commitment to reducing the gender gap in education. The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has special quotas for female students, with a particular emphasis on students from rural locations and marginalized groups, where cultural and economic barriers often limit access to networking, schooling, and educational opportunities.
Education offers women a pathway out of dependent or submissive roles in society, while, at the same time, PEEF enhances the societal benefit of having an educated female workforce. Female PEEF scholars are breaking down stereotypes by entering fields such as engineering and medicine and serving as an inspiration for future generations.
PEEF’s impact goes above and beyond scholarships, creating a legacy of opportunity, equity, and advancement. By investing in education, PEEF is paving a path to a brighter future for all individuals, communities, and the nation.
PEEF’s Role in Addressing Pakistan’s Educational Challenges
Pakistan’s education sector continues to struggle with financial constraints, disparities in access to institutions with quality education, and a large number of out-of-school children.
To support its efforts, PEEF has become an important vehicle for intervention, with specific and concrete solutions to improve access and fairness in education.
To some extent, by aligning its work with national priorities, PEEF has actively contributed to the possibility of changing Pakistan’s education landscape to offer possibilities for all.
Tackling Financial Barriers
The cost associated with education (consisting of tuition, books, and living expenses) provides an immense obstacle for many capable students across Pakistan.
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund contributes to this challenge by providing need-based scholarships to cover essential costs associated with getting an education, allowing students from low-income households access to their education.
Whether they are secondary school students or PhD students, PEEF has worked to ensure that financial cost does not cause them to lose their potential, allowing scholars time to concentrate on their studies, and reach academic excellence.
Enhancing Access to Quality Education
High-quality education is generally difficult to come by, especially for students living in remote or underserved communities. This is where the PEEF comes in. By developing agreements with some of the best schools, like Centres of Excellence (LUMS, NUST, IBA Karachi) or the leading schools/superior schools in the community, especially government ones, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund provides scholarships allowing students to attend schools even if it is not in their original community.
They offer highly talented students from vernacular schools an opportunity to receive world-class education, regardless of their geography and socio-economic background, all because of scholarships. Access to quality education prepares graduates to compete in a global environment.
Supporting Out-of-School Children
With over 26 million out of school children, as a result of Pakistan’s 2024 Education Emergency, a national crisis exists due to the exacerbation of chronic early school dropout rates and lack of access to quality education.
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund contributes to addressing this crisis by offering scholarships to students that incentivize enrollment and high attendance levels at school, especially marginalised groups of students who may not have had a chance to learn previously.
Within the Secondary and Intermediate levels, PEEF aims to bring back out-of-school children into the education system; this approach confirms the government regulation for bringing out-of-school students back into the educational system and guaranteeing a higher chance of sustaining them within that system based on retention; and an added specific focus of being able to increase literacy levels with the identified student groups.
Promoting Equity
Educational inequity in Pakistan continues to be a major issue, with inequalities by gender, region, and socioeconomic status.
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund is an advocate of equity (and inclusion) through its special quota scholarships that prioritize women, students with disabilities, orphans, and those who are disadvantaged, particularly in remote areas such as FATA and Gilgit Baltistan.
The EEF aims to guarantee educational opportunities for underrepresented groups so they may escape from the cycle of low educational attainment and poverty and make meaningful contributions to society.
Through this approach, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund is effectively tackling educational inequity, poverty alleviation, and identity creation, and actually, offering an opportunity to work on building a more inclusive and educated Pakistan.
Their strategic focus on addressing inequities of context and inclusions has the potential to provide broader educational opportunities and access to education for the youth and future generations of Pakistan.
Online Education VS Physical Education In Pakistan
Partnerships and Collaborations
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has been hugely successful because of its partnerships and collaboration efforts for extended reach and impact; as well as sustainability. By working with government bodies, educational institutions, and potential allies in the private sector; PEEF can ensure that its scholarship programs align with the priorities of the nation and the global educational landscape.
These partnerships make a significant contribution to PEEF’s overall initiative to provide equitable education to all students across the country.
Government Support
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund was established with strong backing from the Government of Punjab, who provided PEEF with the initial endowment and the promise of funding for future phases.
Because of this government support, PEEF has been able to grow, evolving from an initiative with regional applicability, to a national initiative with relevance to students from all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, FATA, Gilgit Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Governmental partnerships are pivotal to PEEF’s approach to offering scholarship programs.
In addition to working with governmental departments, PEEF collaborates with provincial governments to assist and streamline the disbursement of scholarships and to address educational priorities established regionally. Creating partnerships with provincial governments makes PEEF’s overall strategy to address educational hurdles in Pakistan cohesive and systematic.
Institutional Partnerships
In order to gain access to world-class education for its students, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has partnered with world-class institutions such as Centers of Excellence LUMS, NUST, and IBA Karachi. Such partnerships allow PEEF scholars to study at top-tier institutions in Pakistan and abroad, particularly for PhD programs.
By partnering with such institutions, we can help ensure that PEEF scholars are part of progressive academic programs which will contribute to a new generation of high-skilled individuals who are able to tackle national and global challenges.
Private Sector and NGOs
While the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund mainly gets its funding from government sources, there is a lot of room for public-private partnerships to broaden its reach. Ideas, like Daanish Schools, which leverage both public and private assets for poor students, can provide inspiration for PEEF in its next steps.
Partners include NGOs and corporate donors, which can bring more diversity in sources of funding and allow PEEF to reach more students and broaden scholarship offerings. Partnerships can also help PEEF facilitate mentorship programs and job opportunities for PEEF scholars moving into their post-education stage.
International Recognition
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund is aligned to global educational goals and frameworks such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).
Through its focus on supporting students pursuing studies in environmental sciences, cybersecurity, and health care, PEEF is engaged in issues that reflect global priorities and Pakistan’s education needs. Partnerships with international universities for PhD scholarships are just one example of how PEEF continues to deepen its global identity and impact, and demonstrate leadership in educational equity.
Connecting with global educational organizations gives PEEF greater credibility and legitimacy, along with new opportunities for collaboration.
Working with international partners enables the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund to optimize its resources and impact, and create an expanding international network of support and educational progress.
By promoting linkages locally, nationally and internationally PEEF is building a sustainable model for helping students and transforming lives through education.
Challenges and Future Directions
While the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has made significant progress in changing the educational environment in Pakistan, there are several challenges that PEEF will need to address to maintain and increase that impact.
By acknowledging and understanding those challenges and finding a productive way forward, PEEF can continue to positively impact students and the national development of Pakistan. Below are the significant challenges and prospects for the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund moving forward.
Current Challenges
First, while PEEF has achieved great success, it is important to recognize that it exists within a much larger frame with many educational needs. It may be difficult to comprehend the scale of Pakistan’s out-of-school population—the total exceeds 26 million children!
The scale of the current need far exceeds the current total of the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund’s endowment amount. Funding is limited when compliant to the scale stated above, which reduces the number of scholarships PEEF can offer.
Additionally, administrative issues, such as reaching students located in remote and impoverished regions such as FATA, Gilgit Baltistan, and possibly others will complicate the distribution of scholarships and reaching students. There are logistical challenges in delivering an efficient and transparent scholarship in these areas as well.
Opportunities for Growth
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund has significant potential to broaden its scope and benefit. The endowment fund will be able to fund even more students and add additional variety to its scholarship offerings if it can increase government and private sector funding contributions to the endowment fund.
PEEF should also focus on utilizing data and technology. For example, increasing the use of digital platforms to enable application processing and scholarship follow up may help PEEF to reduce operating efficiency and provide more access to students in remote areas.
A data based approach allows PEEF to find deserving applicants better and to make scholarshiop programs accessible in innovative ways, which is extremely important in meeting the emerging educational needs so that students can make the most of their scholarships with significant impact.
Future Goals
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund wants to substantially increase its scholarship numbers to meet the education crisis ahead of it and aims to reach 490,000 scholarships by 2025.
In addition to increasing the number of scholarships available, PEEF will increase programs in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, climate resilience, and allied health sciences, allowing it to begin to align with global and national ambitions to prepare students for challenges in the future.
PEEF will also be able to provide better outreach to marginalized communities and promote educational equity and accessibility even better, by providing better opportunities for women and students with disabilities.
Policy Recommendations
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) must continue to take advantage of GIPE’s (Government of Pakistan) Pakistan Education System policy changes and recommend broader policy reform in the education field. Increases to the national education budget would provide PEEF with enough funding to grow its work and target more students in more locations.
PEEF has formed enough relationships with both provincial governments and education boards to facilitate better data collection and identification of eligible students so that no talent is “lost.” PEEF can also advocate for policies that encourage and stimulate private-market participation (via donations or scholarships) in education, which together, will build an ecosystem for funding educational scholarships and students.
If PEEF addresses GIPE’s challenges and takes advantage of these opportunities, PEEF will continue to serve as an institution in the service of education reform in Pakistan. PEEF will continue to shape and change lives while creating a brighter, better, and more inclusive future.
Conclusion
With a history of innovation and change, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has become a dynamic solution for education in Pakistan and represents hope and opportunity for hundreds of thousands of students today.
As of July 2024, PEEF has promoted equality and equity in education by issuing more than 465,000 scholarships—with a net financial scholarship disbursement greater than Rs. 28 billion—enabling talented and needy people to break down financial barriers to acquire and achieve quality education.
PEEF had an impact at the secondary school level, undergraduate level, and PhD scholars completing their education at the finest universities and colleges in Pakistan. PEEF is recognized as a successful public policy precedent that will leave a legacy of impact for individuals, communities, and the entire nation.
The Fund’s commitment to equity and inclusion is paramount: quotas for women, orphans, and students from the weakest regions of Pakistan have been adopted to reduce barriers and promote social equity, framed within Pakistan’s broader aspirations for a more educated and equitable society.
For students throughout Pakistan, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund stands as an opportunity for a brighter future. Students should review PEEF’s scholarship programs and apply via the user-friendly, web-based platform available at www.peef.org.pk.
For partners such as government entities, private sector organizations, and educational institutions, it represents an opportunity to invest in the youth of Pakistan by providing funding, forming partnerships, and advocacy. PEEF’s partners will have the chance to grow PEEF’s impact and help address the nation’s educational issues and challenges in partnership with PEEF.
In the years ahead, the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund is positioned to lead Pakistan into a more educated and inclusive future. By 2025, PEEF plans to reach 490,000 scholarships and expand programs in high-need fields such as artificial intelligence and healthcare. PEEF is ready to be the change agent for innovation and growth.
PEEF envisions that every deserving student can fulfill their potential, regardless of their background. PEEF has a potential catalyst for change for Pakistan. PEEF will continue improving the lives of individuals through education. Their work helps build a Pakistan that offers opportunities for talent, hope for the future, and a space where dreams can be realized.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund
What is the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF)?
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund(PEEF) is a not-for-profit-based intervention established by the Government of Punjab in 2008, primarily to promote endowed scholarship opportunities for all talented and underprivileged students across Pakistan.
Who qualifies for PEEF scholarships?
There are numerous categories of eligibility for PEEF scholarships: high scoring students for All merit based, Financially needy students for Financially needy students and Educationally disadvantaged students(marginalized), such as women, orphans, disabled, etc. for special quotas.
What level of education does PEEF cover?
PEEF provides scholarships for students’ educational pursuits at the matri level to matri level and at the doctoral level, which will include secondary, intermediate, undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs at public and private institutions.
How do I apply for a PEEF scholarship?
Applications are applied through the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund’s official website(www.peef.org.pk). Application documents requested are academic documents, certified proof of income and other relevant documents.
What kind of scholarships does PEEF have?
PEEF provides scholarships for merit-based, need-based, and special quota; merit based for academic performance; need based for financially disadvantaged students; special quota for marginalised communities.
How many scholarships has the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund awarded to date?
As of July 2024, PEEF has awarded over 465,000 scholarships valued at over Rs. 28 billion, with plans to award 490,000 by 2025.
Which institutions are PEEF’s partners?
The Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund works with Centres of Excellence, such as LUMS, NUST and IBA Karachi, and also with foreign universities in relation to PhD scholarships.
Does PEEF help students from all parts of Pakistan?
Yes, PEEF helps students from all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, FATA, Gilgit Baltistan and Islamabad Capital Territory, with a promise for nationwide access.
How does the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund foster gender equality?
PEEF is providing scholarships on a quota basis for female students, especially in rural areas, to reduce the gender gap and encourage women’s education.
How is the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund funded?
PEEF has an endowment fund of Rs. 2 billion. They use 80% of profits from the endowment for scholarships, 10% to reinvest and 10% to meet their administrative costs. They anticipate help from the government, and private sources.
Disclaimer
The information shared in this article about the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) is based on verified public information and official sources as of May 2025.
All effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information but please note that the particulars on various scholarship programs, eligibility requirements, application process, and other details of PEEF are subject to change.
Readers are encouraged to refer to the official PEEF website (www.peef.org.pk) or to contact PEEF authorities for accurate and up-to-date information. This article is for informational purposes only and does not act as either formal advice or formal endorsement from PEEF or related organizations.
Sources
- PEEF Official Website
- Wikipedia – Punjab Educational Endowment Fund
- PEEF Introduction Page
- UNICEF Pakistan
- Paradigm Shift Pakistan
- Study Abroad PEEF
- X posts by @CMShehbaz
The Article You May Like
Unlocking Knowledge : The Rise Of Online Education In Pakistan In 2025
What is Education? How I Discovered Its True Meaning Beyond the Classroom