Scholarships open doors for deserving students: KU VC

KARACHI:

University of Karachi (KU) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said on Monday that scholarships serve as a lifeline for students who are unable to bear the rising cost of higher education due to financial hardships.

Speaking at a cheque distribution ceremony at the Karachi University Business School (KUBS), he said the country's prevailing economic situation and soaring inflation have made it increasingly difficult for parents to provide their children with higher education, turning their aspirations into a distant dream.

The ceremony was organised to distribute scholarship cheques worth Rs2.5 million among 55 meritorious and financially challenged students - 45 from 20 departments of the university and 10 from KUBS.

Prof Iraqi expressed gratitude to the Karachi University Houston Alumni Association (UKAHA) for extending financial support, calling it a commendable initiative and "a positive investment in the country's future."

Addressing the recipients, he remarked: "Today, someone else has become the means of supporting your education. Tomorrow, we hope, you will become the means for someone else's."

During the event, the UKAHA announced a new scholarship programme worth Rs10 million for deserving KU students. The financial assistance will support 10 students enrolled in the four-year BBA programme at KUBS.

According to UKAHA representative Feroz Iqbal, the initiative aims to ensure that talented students facing economic challenges are able to continue their academic journey without disruption.

Dean Faculty of Management & Administrative Sciences, Prof Dr Zaeema Asrar Mohiuddin, said many motivated students are forced to halt their studies due to financial difficulties. "For such students, scholarships are not just financial support - they are a realization of their dreams," she said.

Prof Dr Zee Asma Hanif Khan, In-charge of the Financial Aid Office, shared that the university had received 300 applications for the UKAHA scholarships.