Al Mehdi Falahi Trust Launches Its Largest Scholarship Cycle Yet for 2026

KONDUS, GHANCHE, Al Mehdi Falahi Trust this week opened applications for its 2026 scholarship cycle, the largest in the organisation's history. The programme covers five distinct tracks spanning school-level, college-level, university, and vocational training, and is expected to support at least fifty students across Kondus and surrounding valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan when it concludes its disbursement round in mid-2026.

Scope of the programme

The 2026 cycle marks a roughly forty-percent increase in awarded seats over the previous year. Trust chairman Nazir Abbas, speaking to a small gathering of volunteers in Kondus last week, described the expansion as the result of two years of planning and a gradual widening of the donor base. "Our education committee had been prepared to grow more slowly," he said. "But the applications kept coming, and the community kept giving. This is what happens when the need is clear and the trust is mutual."

The five tracks announced this year are: a Matric Merit Scholarship for outstanding tenth-grade students from low-income families; an FSc Pre-Medical and Pre-Engineering Scholarship covering tuition and MDCAT or ECAT preparation costs; an Undergraduate Support Grant for students pursuing bachelors-level degrees at recognised Pakistani universities; a Vocational Skills Training Scholarship for six-month trade courses; and a smaller pilot for women returning to education after a family-care break. Each track has a dedicated selection committee made up of local educators and trust members.

Eligibility and selection

All applicants must demonstrate financial need, a domicile of Kondus, Ghanche, or another Baltistan district, and prior academic performance appropriate to the programme. For the Matric Merit track, a minimum grade of eighty percent is required. For FSc tracks, seventy percent in Matric is the threshold. Applications are free and fully online at almehdifalahitrust.com/scholarships, with paper submissions accepted for applicants who lack reliable internet access through coordinators stationed in each participating village.

The selection committees will review applications in two rounds. The first round is a desk review based on submitted academics and household income. The second round, for shortlisted applicants, is a brief in-person or telephone interview to understand the student's circumstances and goals. Results will be communicated privately within two weeks of the closing date for each track, followed by a public announcement of the total number of awards without naming individual recipients.

Amounts and coverage

The Matric Merit Scholarship covers PKR 50,000 per academic year, enough to fully fund books, uniform, and tuition for a year at most government and low-fee private schools in the region. The FSc track is PKR 80,000 per year, which includes tuition and a preparatory course for the MDCAT or ECAT entrance exams. The undergraduate grant is PKR 120,000 per year and is designed to make up the gap between government-university fees and a student's own contribution. The vocational track covers full course fees for approved trade programmes. The pilot women-in-education grant amounts will be finalised after applications close.

Across all tracks, the total scholarship fund committed for 2026 stands at approximately PKR nine million, funded by a combination of local contributions, the Baltistan diaspora in Karachi, Islamabad, and the Gulf region, and a small number of corporate partners. Trust treasurer Sakhi Ahmed confirmed that the fund is fully subscribed for the first round and that additional contributions received mid-cycle will be rolled over to 2027 rather than distributed outside the committed budget. "We operate on a strict policy of matching pledges before awards," he said. "It's a slower way to grow but it's the only honest way."

Deadline and application process

The Matric Merit track closes forty-five days from announcement. The FSc Science track closes in twenty days due to coinciding admission cycles at most colleges in the region. The undergraduate and vocational tracks remain open for longer windows, with specific deadlines published on each scholarship's page at almehdifalahitrust.com/scholarships. Applicants are encouraged to begin the application early; incomplete applications are not carried forward to the review.

Applicants will need to provide a recent academic transcript, a CNIC or B-Form copy for family members, an approximate household income, and a short written response on why they are applying. The committee has deliberately kept the essay requirement short, two hundred words minimum, to lower barriers for students from families where long-form English or formal Urdu writing may be difficult. Applications can be submitted in either language.

Looking ahead

In a brief statement issued alongside the programme launch, the trust reaffirmed its commitment to the five-year target of doubling the annual scholarship portfolio by 2030. This year's growth represents the first major step toward that goal. "Every seat we add is a future we didn't have a year ago," Abbas said. "Our work is the work of the whole valley, the scholarships, the welfare, the accountability. This is what Kondus is building for itself."

Prospective applicants, donors, and volunteers can find detailed track pages, eligibility criteria, and the application form on the trust's website. Queries may be directed to almehdifalahitrustkondus@gmail.com or to any local coordinator. The trust has also opened a dedicated WhatsApp line for applicants who need clarification on eligibility or documentation.