Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi Islamabad, April 18 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with multiple higher education institutions in order to ensure availability of financial assistance for deserving students studying at select institutions, reports WealthPK. The education assistance program has been ongoing for multiple years and is only available for students enrolled at the public sector universities. 100 students from Federal Urdu University, 200 from Women University of Mardan, and 100 students from Thal University Bhakkar will be eligible for the financing. Vice chancellors of the institutions were present at the signing ceremony. Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division recently launched the National Data Exchange portal allowing government institutions to access the economic data. Utilization of the database would allow both Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal and partner institutions to make faster decisions. As per Pakistan Demographic Health Survey (2012-2013), 10.3% of women aged 15-19 become pregnant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. By lowering the cost of enrolling at the academic institutions, the assistance program empowers women to learn skills that will translate into improved living standards and a more robust population. School dropout rates in Pakistan range between 40 and 50 percent. Academic assistance programs such as the one financed by PBM serve as safety nets for prospective students eager to develop themselves into productive members of the society. At the time of partition in 1947, the University of Punjab was the only institution of higher learning in Pakistan. As of April 2022, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has recognized 143 universities and degree granting institutions (public). The higher education institutions serve as engines of socio-economic growth in the country. Educated youth is vital for spearheading innovation and speeding up human capital development. As of 2018, 64% of Pakistan’s population was younger than 30.