AIOU forms financial assistance policy

Assessment committee will review all cases

ISLAMABAD: With the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic forcing the government to impose a lockdown, resulting in the loss of jobs and businesses and causing financial hardships, the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has formulated a policy to provide financial assistance to deserving students.

Students who have applied for assistance in the second phase of the Spring semester 2020 will only be required to provide attested documents in support of their applications, to their respective regions.

These documents will be verified by the Regional Assessment Committee (RAC) and as per policy, and then approved by the Vice-Chancellor Dr Ziaul Qayyum. Thereafter, students will be accommodated in the fees for the upcoming semester based on the committee’s recommendation.

AIOU Director Students Affairs Rana Tariq Javed said that the university's regional offices in the country will follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for meeting with students to decide the merit of their applications.

The university in its recent annual budget has allocated Rs100 million for the grant of financial assistance to deserving students, in line with its policy.

In addition to this annual budgetary grant, the vice-chancellor has also approved additional financial requirements submitted by the regions to ensure that the no needy person is deprived of future studies.

According to an estimate, recently there has been a 500 to 600 per cent increase in financial assistance provided, as compared to past years.

The regions have been directed to call the meeting of the Regional Assessment Committee (RAC) members as early as possible. However, it was decided that students will not be called at the campuses for appearing before the RAC.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2020.