Financial Aid / Scholarships

Financial Aid Policy for Merit and Need-Based Scholarships – GC University Lahore

1. Financial Need Assessment (45%)
Parameter Weight (%) Evaluation Method
Total Household Income (low income prioritized) 20% Salary slips, income certificatGuardian’s Employment Type (5 Marks)es, tax records
Number of Dependents (more dependents = higher need) 10% Family Registration Certificate (FRC), NADRA record
Family Financial Burden (Outstanding Loans, Debts, or Essential Expenses) 10% Bank loan statements, medical certificates, Utility Bills (Electricity, Gas, Water
Guardian’s Employment Type 5% Employer verification, self-declaration (e.g., laborers, daily wage workers)
2. Academic Merit (30%)
Parameter Weight (%) Evaluation Method
Current CGPA (higher CGPA = more points) 20% Official university transcript
Consistency in Academic Performance 10% Comparison of last 2-3 semesters' grades
3. Special Circumstances (15%)
Parameter Weight (%) Evaluation Method
Orphan / Divorced or Single Parent Status 15 % NADRA certificate, death certificate of parent
OR
Disability (if applicable) 15 % Medical report verification
4. Interview & Personal Commitment (10%)
Parameter Weight (%) Evaluation Method
Genuine Need Justification 5% Face-to-face or virtual interview
Future Goals & Social Impact 5% Statement of purpose, response during interview

Financial Aid Evaluation Criteria & Scoring System (Total: 100 Marks)

Category Weight (%) Marks Allocation
Financial Need 45% 45 Marks
Academic Merit 30% 30 Marks
Special Circumstances 15% 15 Marks
Interview & Commitment 10% 10 Marks
TOTAL 100% 100 Marks
1. Financial Need (45 Marks)
Criteria Score Distribution
Total Household Income (20 Marks) <25,000 PKR = 20 Marks
25,000 - 40,000 PKR = 15 Marks
40,000 - 60,000 PKR = 10 Marks
>60,000 PKR = 5 Marks
Number of Dependents (10 Marks) 5 or more = 10 Marks
3-4 = 7 Marks
1-2 = 5 Marks
Outstanding Loans/Debts/Medical Expenses (10 Marks) High burden (>50% of income) = 10 Marks
Moderate burden (>30% of income) = 7 Marks
Low burden (<30% of income) = 5 Marks
Guardian’s Employment Type (5 Marks) Daily wage workers, laborers, etc. = 5 Marks
2. Academic Merit (30 Marks)
Criteria Score Distribution
CGPA (20 Marks) 3.8 - 4.0 = 20 Marks
3.5 - 3.79 = 15 Marks
3.0 - 3.49 = 12 Marks
2.5 - 2.99 = 10 Marks
2.40 - 2.49 = 7 Marks
Consistency in Performance (10 Marks) No decline (stable or improving CGPA) = 10 Marks
Slight decline (≤0.3 CGPA drop) = 7 Marks
Significant CGPA decline (>0.3) with documented justification (medical/emergency proof required) = 5 Marks
3. Special Circumstances (15 Marks)
Criteria Score Distribution
Orphan / Divorced or Single Parent (15 Marks) Orphan (both parents deceased) = 15 Marks
Single Parent (widowed/divorced with sole custody) = 12 Marks
Disability (if applicable) (15 Marks) Severe, Certified Disability (as per medical board) = 15 Marks
Chronic illness affecting daily activities (medical verification required) = 10 Marks
4. Interview & Personal Commitment (10 Marks)
Criteria Score Distribution
Justification for Financial Need (5 Marks) Strong & genuine = 5 Marks
Moderate = 3 Marks
Weak = 1 Mark
Future Goals & Social Impact (5 Marks) Strong vision & contribution to society = 5 Marks
General but reasonable response = 3 Marks
Unclear or impractical response = 1 Mark

Final Selection Criteria

  1. Students will be ranked based on total marks (out of 100).
  2. Higher scores = Higher priority for financial aid.
  3. A minimum qualifying score will be determined annually based on available funds.
  4. Tie-breaker: If two students have the same score, priority goes to the one with:
    1. Lower household income
    2. Higher academic performance (CGPA & consistency)
    3. More dependents
    4. Special circumstances (e.g., orphan, disability, displacement)
    5. Extra-curricular or research achievements
    Appeals & Re-evaluation
    • Students may submit an appeal within 7 days if they believe their financial need assessment was incorrect.
    • A Financial Aid Review Committee will reassess the case and respond within 14 days.

    General Eligibility Criteria

    The following are the parameters for the selection of the students for Financial Aid:

    • Students are divided into four broad categories:
    1. Orphans, major disables/Blind, Earthquake affected children.
    2. Children of Government servants upto BPS-16/Retired/Pensioner etc.
    3. Children of GCU Employees upto BPS-16.
    4. Children of private businessmen and farmers.
    • Students of category 'A' are recommended 100% concession of University dues or as recommended by the Financial Aid Committee keeping in view the financial resources of the student's guardian.
    • Students of category 'B C & D' having Parent's total monthly income less than Rs.20,000/- are recommended for the grants of financial aid as per parameters adopted by the Financial Aid Committee keeping in view the financial resources of the University and the number of applicants for the financial aid.

    Procedure to Appeal against Scholarship/Financial Aid Suspension

    To appeal against Scholarship/Financial Aid suspension, a student must be able to demonstrate the existence of mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances are defined as, but not limited to, injury or illness of the student, death of a close relative, or undue hardship caused by unusual circumstances. The following steps shall be taken in the appeal process:

    • The student shall inform in writing to the Focal Person/Chairman of Scholarship/Financial Aid Committee about circumstances under which he/she could not make satisfactory academic progress and why Financial Aid should not be terminated. Provision of relevant documents to support the appeal is strongly encouraged. The appeal must be received within two weeks of the date the student was notified about the suspension of his/her Scholarship/Financial Aid.
    • The Scholarship/Financial Aid Committee will review the appeal and determine whether or not termination of aid is justified. The decision of the Scholarship / Financial Aid Committee will be informed to the student accordingly. The committee's decision will be final and may not be appealed further.
    Providing False Information

    Providing false information may result one or all of the following:

    • Cancellation of admission
    • Rustication from the University
    • Disqualification for award of any future scholarship/financial aid
    • Refund of all the payment received and or a penalty equal to total scholarship amount.