Can private school students apply for Prime Minister's Youth Chromebook scheme?

ISLAMABAD: Questions have emerged regarding whether students enrolled in private schools are eligible to apply for the Prime Minister’s Youth Chromebook Scheme.

According to details, concerns have been raised over the eligibility of private educational institutions’ students under the Government of Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Youth Chromebook Scheme, which aims to distribute hundreds of thousands of Chromebooks among students.

According to the data currently available on the official government portal, only students enrolled in public-sector schools are eligible to apply for the scheme at present.

The official registration portal of the Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC) currently allows top-position holders from Grade 9 in public schools across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan to apply, based on the annual examinations held in 2026.

Meanwhile, Grade 10 position holders from public-sector schools affiliated with educational boards in Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are also eligible to apply.

At the time of the scheme’s launch announcement, it was indicated that students enrolled in private schools operating under provincial Education Foundations, as well as students studying at registered religious seminaries (Madaris), would also receive devices.

However, the current registration portal does not provide any application option for students enrolled in private schools.

Authorities have advised students to distinguish between general announcements made during the scheme’s launch ceremonies and the official eligibility criteria currently listed on the registration portal.

Students who are uncertain about their institution’s eligibility have been advised to verify the details with the relevant education authority or the Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC) before submitting an application.