The Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme gives free laptops to high-performing students at public sector universities, selected purely on academic merit through the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The last completed phase targeted 100,000 laptops, and earlier phases have distributed more than 500,000 in total. Registration for that phase is now closed and HEC has announced no new phase yet, so this page focuses on the confirmed eligibility criteria, how merit lists work, and how to be ready the day a new phase opens. School students should look at the PM Youth Chromebook Scheme instead; both are covered in our education schemes on the homepage.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme (PM Youth Programme, run by HEC) |
| Benefit | A free laptop, awarded on academic merit |
| Last phase | Phase-IV: 100,000 laptops; registration closed, merit lists issued through universities |
| Who | Regular students of HEC-recognised public sector universities and degree-awarding institutes |
| Merit floor | CGPA 2.80 (semester system) or 60% marks (annual system); first-year students: 60% in Intermediate |
| Apply at | laptop.pmyp.gov.pk, only when a phase is open |
| Rule | Nobody who already received a government laptop can receive another |
PM Laptop Scheme Eligibility Criteria
- You are a regular student at a public sector university or HEC-recognised degree-awarding institute, at its main campus or a recognised sub-campus. Students of affiliated colleges do not qualify; only the parent university’s own students do.
- You are enrolled in a PhD, MS or MPhil, or a 4-year or 5-year bachelor’s programme. MBA programmes of 3.5, 2.5 and 1.5 years have also been eligible.
- Merit: a minimum CGPA of 2.80 in the semester system, or 60% marks in the annual system. First-year students are judged on their Intermediate result, needing at least 60%.
- You are a Pakistani citizen or an AJK national.
- You have never received a laptop under any earlier federal or provincial laptop scheme.
Meeting the floor does not guarantee a laptop. Each institution gets a quota tied to its enrolment, and within it the highest-merit students are selected, so the effective cut-off at a large university can be well above 2.80. Balochistan institutions carry a fixed 18% quota under the scheme’s directives.
Is PM Laptop Registration Open Right Now?
No. As of the last official updates, Phase-IV registration has closed, merit lists have been issued through universities, and HEC has announced no new phase or last date. Treat any website or social media post publishing a new phase deadline as unconfirmed until it appears on the official portal. When a new phase opens, applications are submitted online at laptop.pmyp.gov.pk and announced by HEC and universities at the same time.
How Merit Lists and Distribution Work
- Students apply online during an open phase with their CNIC, university and result details.
- HEC verifies enrolment and results with the universities.
- Provisional merit lists are published, with a short objection window (15 days in the last phase) for corrections.
- Final lists are issued through the universities, ranked by merit within each institution’s quota.
- Selected students collect their laptop from their own university at a distribution ceremony, showing their CNIC and student card.
If you applied in Phase-IV and have not heard anything, check with your university’s focal person first: distribution is handled institution by institution, so some universities finish months before others.
How to Be Ready for the Next Phase
- Keep your CNIC valid and your university record accurate; mismatched names or results are the top cause of verification failure.
- Keep your CGPA at or above 2.80, because selection within the quota is by merit order.
- Follow only the official portal and your university’s notices. Never pay anyone who promises to add your name to a merit list; lists are system-generated from verified results.
School-level students in government schools are not part of this scheme; their device programme is the PM Youth Chromebook Scheme.
PM Laptop Scheme: FAQs
No. Phase-IV registration has closed and HEC has not announced a new phase. Any deadline published elsewhere is unconfirmed. Watch the official portal laptop.pmyp.gov.pk for the next announcement.
A minimum CGPA of 2.80 in the semester system, or 60% marks in the annual system. First-year students need at least 60% in Intermediate. Selection inside each university’s quota is by merit, so higher is safer.
No. The scheme covers regular students of HEC-recognised public sector universities and degree-awarding institutes only. Students of affiliated colleges are also not covered.
No. Anyone who has already received a laptop under any federal or provincial government scheme is not eligible again.
Merit lists are published through the universities and the official portal when a phase completes. Check with your university’s focal person and on laptop.pmyp.gov.pk.
No. Application, selection and the laptop are all free. Anyone demanding money for registration or for adding a name to a merit list is running a scam.
Before a new phase is announced, the most useful habit is a short monthly check. Look at the official portal, your university noticeboard and your department office, and keep a copy of your latest result card with your CNIC. If your name, spelling or CGPA on the university record does not match your CNIC or result card, ask your department to correct it early, because corrections take time once a phase opens. Students who keep their record clean, their CGPA above the floor and their documents ready can apply in minutes when registration opens, instead of rushing to fix errors during a short application window. That preparation also helps you spot fake announcements quickly, since any real opening will appear on the official portal and through your university at the same time. A laptop is a study tool, not a reward on its own. Use it for lecture notes, assignments, research and online learning, and protect it with regular backups so a lost device does not mean lost coursework. Finally, share only official links with classmates, and do not forward screenshots of lists or deadlines that you have not checked on the portal.
Keep exploring: Education Schemes · Federal Schemes · All Government Schemes
Last updated: November 4, 2026.