Primary scholarship: How much money will students receive?

The results of  the Primary Scholarship Examination were published on Sunday, with nearly 80,000 students selected for scholarships across the country.

The results were announced at a press conference held at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka by Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) Director General Shahina Ferdousi.

According to the DPE, a total of 645,041 students from 78,810 schools registered for this year‍‍`s examination, while 419,982 students sat for the test. Of them, 79,246 students—38.87 percent of all examinees—were awarded scholarships.

Girls outnumbered boys among the scholarship recipients. A total of 43,354 girls (54.71 percent) received scholarships, compared with 35,892 boys (45.29 percent).

Among the recipients, 32,965 students received talent pool (merit) scholarships, while 46,281 received general scholarships. Government primary schools produced the highest number of scholarship recipients, with 57,962 students, followed by kindergartens with 9,994 recipients.

District-wise, students from Dhaka received the highest number of scholarships at 4,682, while Bandarban recorded the lowest with 188. Dinajpur had the highest number of unsuccessful candidates, with 8,898 students failing to qualify.

At present, students receiving talent pool (merit) scholarships receive a monthly stipend of Tk300 and a one-time annual grant of Tk225. Students awarded general scholarships receive Tk225 per month along with a one-time annual grant of Tk225.

However, if the proposed scholarship structure for 2026 is approved, the monthly stipend for talent pool scholarship recipients will increase to Tk600, while general scholarship recipients will receive Tk450 per month.

Speaking at the press conference, DPE Director General Shahina Ferdousi said the total number of scholarships would remain unchanged at 82,500. However, the monthly stipend for merit scholarship recipients would double from Tk300 to Tk600, while the one-time grant would increase from Tk225 to Tk450.