Minority Scholarship 2026-27 in Pakistan: Who Can Apply and How
Minority Welfare Fund scholarship 2026-27: non-Muslim students in government institutions with 50% marks can apply online. Rules, documents and the deadline.
The federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has opened its Pakistan Minorities' Welfare Fund scholarships for 2026-27. Non-Muslim students of government schools, colleges and universities can apply online at mora.gov.pk if they scored at least 50% in their last annual exam and their parents earn Rs 80,000 a month or less.
We read the ministry's advertisement, its covering letter dated 3 September 2026 and the online form itself on 1 October 2026. The advert gives 30 days from publication to apply online. It went up on the ministry's website in early September, so the online window closes around the first week of October. The ministry has not printed a fixed closing date, so apply now rather than count days.
The form was open when we checked. It takes about 15 minutes if your bank details and marks sheet are in front of you.
Who can apply for the 2026-27 minority scholarship
The scholarship is only for non-Muslim students in regular study at a government institution. You must have passed your last annual exam within the past year with at least 50% marks, and your parent's income must not be above Rs 80,000 a month.
The form lists the communities it accepts: Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Jain, Zoroastrian (Parsi), Jewish, Buddhist, Ahmadi, Bahai, Kalash and other non-Muslims. Students from all four provinces, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir can apply.
The advert also shuts several groups out. Read this list before you fill anything in:
- Students at private schools, colleges or universities cannot apply.
- PhD, MPhil and LLB students cannot apply.
- Anyone already getting a scholarship, stipend or other financial help from another source cannot apply.
- If your institution uses GPA, you need its evaluation sheet, not just your grade.
That third rule matters. A student who already gets money from a provincial scheme, a university or a charity is not eligible here. If you hold a CM Punjab Minority Card, that is a family cash grant rather than a study award, but ask the ministry before you apply if you are unsure.
Levels covered and how much the scholarship pays
The scholarship covers six levels: primary, secondary, intermediate, graduation, masters and professional. The 2026-27 advert says payments follow the ministry's policy and rates for this year, but it does not print the amount for each level.
So we cannot give you a rupee figure per student from the ministry's own papers, and we would not trust one that we saw elsewhere without a source. The ministry's Minorities Welfare Fund page shows a separate allocation of Rs 40 million for scholarships to minority students "on merit". The money goes into the student's own bank account, which is why the form asks for a working account and IBAN.
| Item | Federal scheme 2026-27 (Ministry of Religious Affairs) |
|---|---|
| Who | Non-Muslim students of government institutions only |
| Levels | Primary, secondary, intermediate, graduation, masters, professional |
| Not eligible | Private institutions, PhD, MPhil, LLB, anyone with another scholarship |
| Marks | At least 50% in the last annual exam, passed within the last year |
| Family income | Rs 80,000 a month or less |
| Amount | Set by the ministry's 2026-27 rates, not published in the advert |
| Deadline | 30 days from the advert (early September), then hard copy within 5 days |
How to apply online at mora.gov.pk
Apply online first, then post a signed hard copy. The ministry says it will only accept an application that was submitted online in the first place. A paper form on its own will be rejected, however complete it is.
- Open the form. Go to mora.gov.pk, open the Minorities Welfare Fund page and click "Apply For Financial Scholarships".
- Fill in your details. The form asks for your CNIC or B-Form number, community, province, phone and WhatsApp numbers, guardian's job and monthly income, class, institution and last exam marks.
- Add the bank account. Give the account title, account number, IBAN, bank, branch name and branch code. A joint account is allowed if you state the relation.
- Submit and save the number. The system gives a computer-generated number. Print the form with that number on it.
- Get it attested. The head of your school, college or university must sign the form and certify your marks sheets.
- Post the hard copy within 5 days of submitting online, to the ministry at the 8th Floor, Green Trust Tower, Blue Area, Islamabad.
Check the details twice before you press Register. The form says no changes are allowed after registration.
Documents to send with the hard copy
Five documents go in the envelope with your printed form. The one that trips most families up is the bank letter, because a plain account number is not enough. The ministry wants it on the bank's own letterhead.
- The printed application with its computer-generated number, attested by the head of your institution.
- Attested copies of the marks sheet or DMC of the last annual exam. For semester systems, the last two semesters. For GPA systems, the evaluation sheet.
- Your father's or guardian's income certificate, in original.
- An attested copy of your CNIC or B-Form.
- An account maintenance certificate from your bank, on its letterhead, showing the account title, number, branch code and IBAN.
The head of the institution is also told to check the family's financial position before signing the income certificate. So be honest about income. A false figure can sink the application and the institution's signature with it.
Provincial minority scholarships are separate
Provinces run their own minority scholarships with their own rules and dates. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's last round, for 2025-26, published fixed amounts by level and closed on 25 February 2026. Its 2026-27 round had not been announced when we checked.
The KP scheme is a useful comparison because it prints its rates. These are the 2025-26 figures from the KP Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority Affairs Department, not the federal rates:
Unlike the federal scheme, KP's last round accepted students at recognised private colleges and universities in the province, and covered MS, MPhil and PhD. It did not accept students of federal institutions outside KP. Applications went through scholarships.kpitb.online. Students in other provinces should check their own minority affairs department. Students at government universities who miss the federal window can also look at the HEC need-based scholarship, which is not tied to religion, and Bait-ul-Mal education stipends for public sector students.
Common questions
What is the last date for the minority scholarship 2026-27?
The advert gives 30 days from publication. It was posted in early September 2026, so the online window ends around the first week of October. The hard copy must reach the ministry within 5 days of applying online.
Can Muslim students apply?
No. The form states that only non-Muslims are eligible.
Can a private university student apply?
Not for the federal scheme. It is for regular students of government institutions only. KP's provincial scheme accepted private institutions in its last round.
How much money will I get?
The ministry has not published the 2026-27 amounts in its advert. It says rates follow its policy for this year. Ask the ministry if you need the figure before applying.
Who do I contact with a problem?
The Section Officer (IH-II) at the ministry, on 051-9208487, or sop2@mora.gov.pk, during office hours on working days.
Can I apply if I get another stipend?
No. Students who receive financial help, a stipend or a scholarship from any other source are not eligible.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 1 October 2026. We read the 2026-27 advertisement in English and Urdu on mora.gov.pk, the ministry's covering letter dated 3 September 2026, its Minorities Welfare Fund page, and the online application form linked from that page, which was open. We read the KP department's 2025-26 notice for the provincial figures. The per-student federal amounts are not published in the advert, and the exact closing date depends on the publication date, which the ministry has not stated on its website.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
