HEC stops new admissions to annual and private associate degree programmes

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has told every university and college to stop taking new admissions to Associate Degree Programmes (ADPs) run in the annual system or for private candidates. The notification, dated 25 September 2026, says institutions that keep offering or admitting to these programmes can face regulatory action.

If you were planning to enrol in a two-year associate degree as a private candidate this autumn, or in a college that examines once a year, this is the programme HEC is shutting to new students.

What HEC has ordered

The directive does not separate the arts, science and commerce versions (often sold as ADA, ADS and ADC); it covers any ADP that does not follow HEC's undergraduate policy, ProPakistani reported.

Why: the old BA and BSc under a new name

HEC abolished the two-year BA, BSc, MA and MSc years ago. Its Undergraduate Education Policy allows a two-year associate degree only in a fixed shape, according to Pakistan Observer:

• Four semesters over two years, not one annual exam a year.
• 60 to 72 credit hours in total.
• 30 credit hours of general education and 30 to 42 of major courses.
• An optional 3-credit internship.

Universities were to move to this model from Fall 2023. HEC's complaint is that some kept the old annual BA and BSc and simply renamed it an associate degree, often with private candidates sitting the exams without attending classes. In June 2024 it had already warned that degrees from such programmes would not be recognised or attested.

What it means for you

Planning to enrol now: do not pay a fee for an annual or private ADP. Ask the college in writing whether the programme is semester-based, how many credit hours it carries, and whether it is approved by the university's statutory bodies. If it is not, the degree may not be attested later.

Already enrolled: the notification stops new admissions; it does not say what happens to students already in these programmes. Keep your enrolment letter and fee receipts, and ask your university's controller of examinations in writing how your cohort will be examined and whether your degree will be attested. Universities have to report current enrolment to HEC, so a clear answer should follow.

Moving on to a BS: an associate degree is meant to let you join the fifth semester of a four-year BS. That route depends on having the credit hours HEC recognises, which an annual or private ADP may not give you. Our CGPA calculator converts semester grades on HEC's 4.0 scale if you are comparing transcripts.

How to check a programme before you pay

1. Ask for the programme's scheme of studies and check it shows four semesters and 60 to 72 credit hours.
2. Confirm the college is affiliated with a university HEC recognises, and that the programme is listed by that university.
3. Avoid any offer of "private admission" or "exam only" for an associate degree.
4. Keep every document: admission form, fee challan, enrolment card.

Related: exam results for other admissions are in our NTS result check guide.