New Crop of Agriculture Students Pursue University Degrees, Thanks to U.S. Scholarships

Rawalpindi, January 30, 2012

Forty-one students are pursuing advanced degrees at the Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, thanks to need-based scholarships from the U.S. government. Dr. Marilyn Wyatt, wife of U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter, met with the scholarship students on Monday to celebrate their academic achievement and discuss their progress.

“Our work together on education is the best possible example of facing a challenge today to build a better world tomorrow,” said Dr. Wyatt. “This scholarship program is an investment that will pay dividends for the students, their employers, and Pakistan for years to come.”

The scholarships are part of a long-term commitment by the U.S. to help boost academic achievement in Pakistan. They are given by the Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Since 2004, nearly 1,600 scholarships have been awarded to talented but financially needy students, allowing them to pursue advanced study in agriculture and business administration. Arid Agriculture University is one of 11 institutions of higher education in Pakistan taking part in the scholarship program, which is administered in cooperation with the Higher Education Commission.

Students are selected for the scholarships based on their financial need, after meeting their school’s admission requirements. The program focuses on students from rural and remote areas in Northern Sindh, Balochistan, Southern Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and FATA. Twenty-five percent of the scholarships are designated for women students.

The program is also helping partner universities establish student enrollment and financial aid systems.