A growing financial crisis has placed the higher education of more than 900 students in jeopardy after over Rs 262 million in scholarship funds remained unpaid under a key welfare program in Punjab, triggering alarm across academic and labor circles.
The delay involves the Punjab Workers Welfare Fund, which is responsible for financing education, housing, and related support for children of factory workers. Under its agreement with the COMSATS University Islamabad, deserving students were granted admissions on the assurance that their expenses would be covered through the scholarship scheme.
According to official records, around 610 students enrolled under an earlier agreement are owed approximately Rs 139 million, while only Rs 38 million has been disbursed so far. In a newer batch under a revised arrangement, 325 students admitted for the Fall 2025 semester are awaiting nearly Rs 123 million in funding.
University sources say COMSATS has continued to shoulder academic and residential costs despite the non-payment, straining its internal budget. The institution is reportedly struggling to maintain hostel facilities, meals, and operational expenses for the affected students, with financial pressure now also impacting staff salary disbursements.
The situation has raised serious concerns that students could be barred from semester registration if funds are not released urgently, potentially derailing their academic progress and degree completion.
Most affected students come from low-income families, where parents work in factories and industrial units on modest wages. For these households, the scholarship program represents the only viable pathway to higher education, making the current delay a direct threat to their social mobility and future prospects.
Education observers have criticized the situation as a contradiction to repeated claims of expanding educational access for underprivileged communities. The delay has intensified frustration among students and families, who argue that bureaucratic delays are effectively blocking opportunities meant for the poorest segments of society.
Affected students, parents, and civil society groups have urged Punjab authorities, including Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, to intervene immediately. They have demanded swift release of pending funds, protection of student registrations, and a transparent mechanism to ensure timely disbursement in the future.
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