Punjab's Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has opened the fourth phase of the Honhaar Scholarship Program, and the application window is short: online applications close on November 9, 2026. If you or your child are studying in Punjab and money is a factor in continuing your education, this guide walks through exactly who qualifies, what documents you'll need, and how the application process works.

A Program With a Track Record

Honhaar isn't a one-off scheme - the government says it has already supported roughly 160,000 students across 70 different academic disciplines since it began. Phase IV extends that support to a new round of applicants, covering two distinct groups of students with different eligibility rules.

Who Can Apply: Two Separate Tracks

Track 1: New entrants (Fall 2026 first semester/first year students)

This includes students - including newly admitted MBBS and BDS students - starting their first semester or first year in Fall 2026. To qualify:

• Monthly family income must be below Rs. 350,000 if you're enrolled at a public-sector institution, or below Rs. 500,000 at a partner federal or private institution.
• Minimum academic requirements vary by institution type: roughly 65-70% in intermediate exams for science and arts students at public and private universities, rising to 80% for students entering public medical and dental colleges.

Track 2: Continuing students

This covers students already in their second semester or beyond at public universities, public medical and dental colleges, or Higher Education Department colleges. Note: private and federal institutions are not included in this continuing-student category - only Track 1 new entrants at those institutions qualify.

• Monthly family income cap is Rs. 350,000.
• Minimum GPA or annual-exam requirements range from 60% to 70%, depending on your field and institution.

How Merit Is Calculated

For all applicants, regardless of track, Honhaar uses a weighted formula:

• Intermediate (FSc/FA/ICS) results: 70%
• Matric results: 30%

This means your intermediate performance carries far more weight than your matric result, so make sure the intermediate marks you enter on the form are accurate and match your official certificate.

Documents You'll Need Before You Start

Gather these before you sit down to apply, since the portal typically expects everything uploaded in one sitting:

1. A recent passport-sized photograph
2. Both sides of your CNIC (scanned or clearly photographed)
3. Matric certificate
4. Intermediate certificate
5. Punjab domicile certificate
6. A sworn income affidavit confirming your family's monthly income

Eligibility Rules That Trip People Up

A few conditions are easy to miss:

• Punjab domicile is mandatory. There's no exception for students studying in Punjab without a Punjab domicile.
• No age or gender restrictions apply to this program - it's open broadly within the income and academic criteria above.
• Register with your own CNIC. Applying using someone else's identity information is explicitly flagged as a disqualifying offense, so don't let a sibling or parent "help" by using their own CNIC on your behalf.
• Check the participating list first. The scholarship is limited to students enrolled in specific disciplines and institutions on the program's official participating list. Before you spend time filling out the form, confirm your institution and program actually qualify.

How to Apply

1. Go to the official Honhaar Scholarship Program portal.
2. Register using your own CNIC and basic personal details.
3. Select the correct applicant track (new entrant vs. continuing student) based on your current enrollment status.
4. Upload all six required documents listed above.
5. Fill in your matric and intermediate marks accurately, since these drive your merit score directly.
6. Submit before November 9, 2026 - there's no indication of a grace period in the announcement, so don't wait until the last day.

Bottom Line

Phase IV is a real opportunity if you fall into either eligible group, but the two-track system means it's worth reading the fine print carefully before you apply - a continuing student at a private university, for instance, won't qualify under Track 2, while the same student would have qualified as a new entrant under Track 1 last year. If you're unsure which track applies to you, check your enrollment semester and institution type against the criteria above before submitting.