Sindh Opens Scholarships for Transgender Students
The Sindh government has decided that Sindh transgender scholarships will fund higher education for transgender students through the Sindh Education Endowment Fund, in a step aimed at removing the barriers the community faces in getting an education.
The decision was taken at a meeting on Thursday between Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah and a delegation of transgender representatives. The minister said special approval would be sought at a board meeting of the fund.
Dawn reported that the delegation told the minister about the difficulties transgender students face in securing admission to educational institutions and in continuing their studies. The News confirmed the decision, reporting that a comprehensive transgender education policy will also be finalised in consultation with community representatives.
Who was at the meeting
The delegation was led by Shahzadi Rai, the Sindh government’s focal person for the transgender community and a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation councillor. She was joined by Zahrish Khanzadi of the Gender Interactive Alliance and Kami Chaudhry, executive director of the Sarbang Society.
The delegation told the minister that many members of the community want to overcome long-standing economic and social barriers through education and mainstream work. For that, they said, they need government support, a welcoming educational environment and practical policy measures.
The minister agreed that the draft policy would be finalised after consultation with community representatives, so their concerns are properly addressed, and that they would be involved in its approval.
What the Sindh transgender scholarships will cover
The scholarships will come through the Sindh Education Endowment Fund, the province’s main vehicle for supporting disadvantaged students in higher education. The fund normally covers tuition fees, with stipends for books and living expenses depending on the tier of support. Fee relief for students is a wider trend: Harvard University has waived tuition fees for families earning under $200,000 a year.
No application dates or eligibility criteria have been announced yet. Those details are expected once the policy is finalised and the board gives its approval. Students should wait for the formal announcement from the education department rather than trusting unofficial lists or agents.
The decision still needs the board’s formal approval, which the minister will seek at the fund’s next board meeting. The scholarships are decided in principle but not yet open for applications.
Jobs and teaching
The meeting also covered what comes after education. The minister said the Sindh government’s recruitment policy already includes a job quota for transgender individuals, who can also serve as teachers once they hold the required qualifications.
That link between study and employment matters, because the delegation’s case was not only about fees. It was about a path from the classroom into a profession, and the minister’s answer treated the scholarship as the first step on that path rather than an end in itself.
Karachi’s own education system shows the wider strain. More than 7,000 students were declared absent in the city’s matriculation and intermediate examinations, and parents protested this week demanding an inquiry and the release of answer scripts.
A fund with a long record
The Endowment Fund is not a new scheme. Set up in 2002, it had helped 42,169 students complete higher education by June 2026, with capital of Rs12.617 billion. The province contributes Rs2 billion to it each year.
In June this year, the fund’s board approved scholarships for 2,662 new students for the 2025-26 academic year and renewed support for 5,853 already enrolled. Sindh students are now studying at 92 universities across Pakistan with its support.
Sindh also has a head start on policy. The province approved Pakistan’s first transgender education policy in November 2024, covering school admissions and scholarships. Thursday’s decision puts it into practice at the higher education level, two years on.
The federal government has moved the same way. Transgender persons were included in the Benazir Kafalat Programme, and the Benazir Income Support Programme runs educational stipends for schoolchildren of beneficiary families through Benazir Taleemi Wazaif. The Sindh scholarships extend that support into universities.
What happens next
The next step is the Endowment Fund’s board meeting, where the minister will seek the special approval needed to open the scholarships. After that, the education department is expected to publish the application procedure, eligibility criteria and payment schedule.
Higher education in Pakistan is expanding, and ninety Pakistani universities now hold places in the QS Asia University Rankings 2027, including the University of Sindh. For transgender students, the question is whether they will get a fair share of those places.
Frequently asked questions
Who will get the new scholarships?
Transgender students in Sindh who want to pursue higher education. The scholarships will be provided through the Sindh Education Endowment Fund.
When can students apply?
No date has been announced yet. Applications are expected to open after the Endowment Fund’s board gives its approval and the education department publishes the procedure and eligibility criteria.
Who decided this?
Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, at a meeting on Thursday with a delegation led by Shahzadi Rai, the province’s focal person for the transgender community, along with Zahrish Khanzadi and Kami Chaudhry.
Is there a wider policy coming?
Yes. The minister agreed to finalise a comprehensive transgender education policy in consultation with community representatives, who will also be involved in its approval.
Does Sindh already have a job quota for transgender people?
Yes. The minister said the provincial recruitment policy already includes a job quota for transgender individuals, and that they can also become teachers after acquiring the required education and professional qualifications.
What is the Sindh Education Endowment Fund?
It is the provincial fund set up in 2002 to support deserving students from Sindh in higher education. By June 2026 it had helped 42,169 students complete their studies, with capital of Rs12.617 billion.
