WASHINGTON: In his last week in office, US President Donald Trump signed the Malala Yousfzai Scholarship Act into a law that would award at least 50 percent scholarships under a merit-based higher education scholarship programme to Pakistani women.
A statement released by the White House said, “On Jan 13, the President signed into law the Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act, which directs the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to award at least 50 percent of Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Programme scholarships to Pakistani women.”
Earlier this month, the US Congress passed the proposed law and sent it to the White House for the president to sign. The bill was first passed by the House of Representatives in March 2020.
The bill would direct 50 percent of scholarships under a Pakistan-based higher education scholarship programme to Pakistani women, from 2020 to 2022. Wide range of academic programs will fall under this scholarship where students can apply after meeting the eligibility criteria.
The bill also requires USAID to consult with and leverage investments by the Pakistani private sector and Pakistani diaspora in the United States to improve and expand access to education programmes in Pakistan.
