In a major policy shift, the Punjab government has abolished free nursing education in government colleges, a move that will significantly increase the financial burden on students seeking to enter the nursing profession.

Under the new decision, nursing students will now be required to pay thousands of rupees in tuition fees to continue their education. Alongside this, the government has also discontinued the monthly stipend that was previously provided to nursing students, removing a key source of financial support for many.

The policy further states that students living in government-run hostels will now have to pay hostel charges, which were earlier offered either free or at subsidised rates. The combined impact of tuition fees, hostel costs, and the end of stipends is expected to make nursing education less accessible for students from low-income backgrounds.

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Meanwhile, the Punjab government has issued a revised admissions policy for nursing colleges. According to the new rules, only female students securing at least 50% marks in FSc will be eligible for admission. Additionally, having a Punjab domicile has been made mandatory for all applicants.

In a separate decision, authorities announced that only male students will be admitted to the Nursing College of Shahdara Teaching Hospital, marking a gender-specific intake policy for the institution.

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Regarding seat allocation, 3,100 seats have been reserved for the morning shift and 3,000 seats for the evening shift in government nursing colleges. Nursing colleges affiliated with teaching hospitals will offer 100 seats each, while those attached to district hospitals will have 50 seats each for both shifts.

The new measures have sparked concern among students and parents, who fear the changes may limit access to nursing education across the province.