Program 2 · Our flagship
The Rising Star Scholarship
When our students are ready, they pass the admission tests of mainstream schools, and SKF pays every cost of their education from that day on.
The challenge
Getting into school is only half the battle
Admission fees, monthly tuition, uniforms, books and exam fees put regular school out of reach for families earning as little as $60–$120 a month. Without support, even the brightest children drop out.
The Rising Star Scholarship, launched in August 2020, removes that barrier entirely. Families of SKF scholars pay nothing to send their children to public and private schools.
What we do
What the scholarship covers
- Admission fees
- Monthly tuition
- Uniforms and shoes
- Books and stationery
- Exam fees
- Daily snack money
- School trips
- Extra tuition and test preparation when needed
How students are selected: after two to three years at an SKF Learning Center, students are assessed on the syllabus and their overall progress. Selected students prepare for and sit the school’s own admission test. Progress is reviewed every term, and scholars must keep passing grades to continue.
Cohorts
Six cohorts, 22 Rising Stars
Each year our strongest students take the next step. Here is how the program has grown.
- COHORT 1 · AUGUST 20202 students (1 girl, 1 boy) admitted to a reputed public school. Read their stories
- COHORT 2 · 20213 students: one boy to a public secondary school, two girls to a private school.
- COHORT 3 · AUGUST 20224 students (2 girls, 2 boys) admitted to a reputed public school. Meet them
- COHORT 4 · NOVEMBER 20223 students to a private school. Meet them
- COHORT 5 · 202311 students, our largest cohort yet. Read more
- COHORT 6 · 20264 children (1 from Multan and 3 from Peshawar) moved into a private school.
- TODAY22 Rising Star scholars study in grades 4 to 11 in Multan and Peshawar.
Cohort 6 · Peshawar
From our Learning Center to a new school
Three girls from our Peshawar Learning Center joined a private school in 2026 as Rising Star Scholars. This is how far they have come.
Before SKF
Rising Star
Before SKF
Rising Star
Before SKF
Rising StarResults
Our scholars are thriving
Stories
Meet the children
Zahoor: From a Learning Center to Cadet College
His family couldn't afford school. Six years later, Zahoor is studying at a Cadet College on his way to becoming an army…
Hoor ul Ain: First in Her Class, Ranked Nationally
One of SKF's first Rising Stars, Hoor ul Ain came first in her class, then placed 27th in Pakistan in the Kangaroo…
Kamran: From House Helper to Pre-Engineering Student in Grade 11
At 11, Kamran had never been to school and worked as house help. He is now a pre-engineering student at a reputed…
Read more
Related reports
From a Learning Center to Cadet College: Zahoor’s Journey (2025)
How one of SKF's first Rising Star scholars went from the Multan Learning Center to a Cadet College.
Year-End Report 2024: A Second Learning Center for Girls in Peshawar
SKF opens its second Learning Center, a girls-only center in Peshawar, alongside free eye screening and SKF's first year as a sponsor…
Mid-Year Report 2024: National Rankings and the First Donor Iftar
Six years of the Multan center, Ramadan food for 180 families, two Rising Stars ranked nationally in the Kangaroo contests, and 90…
Sponsor a Rising Star
Your monthly gift keeps a scholar in school: fees, books, uniform and exams, all year.
