Benazir Taleemi Wazaif pays a quarterly education stipend to the children of Benazir Kafaalat beneficiaries, conditional on 70% school attendance. Here's who qualifies, how much it pays, and how to register.
Benazir Taleemi Wazaif: Eligibility, Stipend Amounts and How to Register Your Child
Benazir Taleemi Wazaif is one of Pakistan's largest ongoing education support programs, and for many families it makes the difference between a child staying in school and dropping out. Run by the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), it is a conditional cash transfer that pays a quarterly stipend to the children of registered Benazir Kafaalat beneficiaries, on the condition that those children stay enrolled in school and attend regularly. If your family already receives Benazir Kafaalat, here is exactly how the program works, what it pays, and how to register your child.
What the program is for
According to BISP's own description, Taleemi Wazaif is designed to raise awareness of the importance of education, increase school enrollment, improve attendance, and reduce dropout rates among children of its poorest beneficiary families, covering children from primary right through to higher secondary level.
The program has grown steadily since it was first piloted in just 5 districts in November 2012. It expanded to 32 districts in 2015, 50 districts in 2018, 100 districts in January 2020, and finally to every district in Pakistan in July 2020. As of BISP's published figures, more than 12 million children have been enrolled in the program since it began (over 6.3 million boys and 5.6 million girls), with more than Rs. 63 billion disbursed in total.
Who is eligible
To qualify for Benazir Taleemi Wazaif, a family must meet these conditions:
- The child's mother must already be an active beneficiary of Benazir Kafaalat. Taleemi Wazaif is not a standalone program you can apply to independently -- eligibility flows from the mother's existing Kafaalat status.
- The child must have a NADRA-issued B-Form (or CRC).
- The family must have a mobile number already registered in BISP's records.
BISP defines three age bands tied to school level:
- Primary level: ages 4 to 12
- Secondary level: ages 8 to 18
- Higher secondary level: ages 13 to 22
How much the stipend pays
BISP pays Taleemi Wazaif quarterly, and the amount depends on both school level and the child's gender -- girls are paid a higher amount at every level, to encourage families to keep daughters enrolled:
| School Level | Boys (per quarter) | Girls (per quarter) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Rs. 1,500 | Rs. 2,000 |
| Secondary | Rs. 2,500 | Rs. 3,000 |
| Higher Secondary | Rs. 3,500 | Rs. 4,000 |
On top of the regular quarterly stipend, girls who complete primary education receive a one-time graduation bonus of Rs. 3,000, specifically intended to reward and encourage girls to finish this stage of schooling.
The attendance condition -- this is important
Taleemi Wazaif is a conditional cash transfer, which means payment isn't automatic once a child is registered. After the first quarter's payment (released once enrollment is verified), continued payment depends on the child maintaining at least 70% school attendance in each quarter. If a child fails to meet this attendance threshold for three consecutive quarters, they are suspended from the program. Families should treat this requirement seriously, since it's the single biggest reason children lose their stipend after initially qualifying.
How to register your child, step by step
Based on BISP's own process and recent guidance published for parents, here is how registration works:
- Visit your nearest BISP tehsil office (or an active enrollment camp) together with your child. Bring the child's NADRA-issued B-Form and make sure your mobile number on file with BISP is current.
- Collect the enrolment slip issued by the BISP office.
- Take the slip to your child's school. The school will fill in details such as class, section, and the class teacher's name.
- Get the slip signed by the head teacher, confirming your child's enrollment.
- Return the completed, signed slip to the BISP tehsil office for verification.
- Once verification is complete, the stipend payment process begins.
If your child later changes schools, inform your nearest BISP tehsil office promptly so your records can be updated -- this helps avoid any interruption in attendance verification and payments.
It's free -- and a few words of caution
Registration and every other BISP service connected to Taleemi Wazaif are completely free of charge. BISP explicitly states that no one should ever be asked to pay money at any stage of enrollment, verification, or payment. If anyone demands payment in connection with this program, it should be reported to BISP directly.
Because eligibility, age bands, and payment amounts can be updated by BISP from time to time, families should confirm their current status and any recent changes directly with their local BISP tehsil office or through BISP's official channels (including the 8171 helpline) before relying on the figures above for financial planning.