{
  "id": 15756552,
  "title": "HEC Gives Bad News to Associate Degree Students",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/hec-gives-bad-news-to-associate-degree-students",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-20T13:49:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/20/hec-gives-bad-news-to-associate-degree-students/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has issued a directive stating that it will no longer recognize Associate Degree Programs (ADPs) obtained through annual examinations or private mode. In a public notice, the commission cautioned students, parents, and educational institutions against enrolling in or offering such programs. The HEC emphasized that associate degrees earned through annual or private examination systems would not be accepted for attestation or equivalence purposes. Universities and colleges were instructed to cease offering or advertising these programs. The HEC Undergraduate Education Policy 2023 (Version 1.1) requires students to complete ADPs through the regular semester system. An approved ADP comprises four semesters spanning two years, with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 72 credit hours required for completion. The HEC explicitly prohibited two-year BA, BSc, or Associate Degree Programs through annual examinations or private study arrangements. Students are advised to verify the recognition status and study mode of their desired degree before applying for admission. Higher education institutions were ordered to immediately discontinue new admissions in ADPs offered through annual or private systems. For information on degree recognition requirements and relevant policies, students can visit the HEC website. Additional scholarship opportunities can be explored on EduNation.",
  "summary": "The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced that it will not recognize Associate Degree Programs (ADPs) offered through the annual … Read More The post HEC Gives Bad News to Associate Degree Students appeared first on ProPakistani .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}