The Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) has opened the latest phase of the Chief Minister's Honhaar Undergraduate Scholarship Program for 2026, and the application window closes on November 9, 2026. If you are an undergraduate student in Punjab struggling with tuition costs, this scholarship is one of the largest fee-waiver programs in the province, and it is worth understanding exactly who qualifies and how to apply correctly the first time.

The scholarship pays 100 percent of tuition fees directly to the university or college for one academic year, and recipients must reapply for continued coverage in subsequent years. It does not cover hostel, transport, books, or a monthly stipend, so budget for those separately even if you are awarded the scholarship.

Who Can Apply

To be eligible for the 2026 cycle, you generally need to meet the following criteria:

• Domicile: You must hold a Punjab domicile certificate from any district. Students domiciled in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, or Azad Kashmir are not eligible for this particular scheme.
• Enrollment: You must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program (including BS, MBBS, or BDS) at a PHEC-recognized public or private university or college in Punjab, in one of the approved disciplines.
• Household income: According to the 2026 program announcement, the combined family income must fall below Rs. 350,000 per month for students at public-sector universities and colleges (including public medical and dental colleges), or below Rs. 500,000 per month for students at partner federal or private-sector institutions. Because income thresholds have varied slightly between past cycles, always cross-check the exact figure shown on your application form on the official portal before submitting.
• Academic record: Past cycles of this scholarship have required at least 70 percent marks (or equivalent CGPA) in your last qualifying exam for science disciplines, and at least 65 percent for arts and social sciences, with no failed or repeated subjects in the preceding semester.
• No overlapping scholarship: You generally cannot hold another full-tuition government scholarship, such as the HEC Need-Based Scholarship, at the same time as Honhaar.

Documents You Will Need

Gather these before you start the online form, since incomplete uploads are the most common reason applications get delayed or rejected:

• A clear scan of your Punjab domicile certificate
• A notarized income affidavit on judicial stamp paper, signed by the head of household
• Your CNIC (or B-Form if you are under 18), plus a parent's CNIC, front and back
• Your latest semester result card or annual marksheet showing you meet the minimum percentage
• Your current university enrollment letter or a recent fee challan
• Matric and FSc (or equivalent) certificates with detailed marksheets
• A recent passport-size photograph with a plain background

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Go to the official Honhaar portal at honhaarscholarship.punjabhec.gov.pk and register using your own valid CNIC, entered without spaces or dashes.
2. Fill in your personal details, academic record, enrolled program and semester, and family income information accurately.
3. Upload all required documents listed above, making sure each scan is legible and within the portal's file-size limit.
4. Carefully review every field on the form. Saving a draft is not the same as submitting; you must click the final Submit button for the application to count.
5. After submission, note down the confirmation message and application ID the portal provides, since you may need it to track your status later.
6. Submit well before the November 9, 2026 deadline. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances, and portals often slow down in the final days due to heavy traffic.

A Few Practical Warnings

PHEC has repeatedly warned applicants about fraudulent websites that mimic the official Honhaar portal and ask for payment; the real application process has no application fee. Always type the official URL directly rather than clicking links from unverified social media posts or forwarded messages. Also double-check that your degree program is on the approved discipline list for your institution category before you spend time preparing documents, since programs outside that list are not eligible no matter how strong your grades or financial need are.

If anything on the live portal differs from what is described here, treat the portal as the authoritative source, since PHEC updates specific figures like income thresholds between cycles.