Fulbright Awards are offered in 160 countries in the world. Since 2005, Pakistan has had the largest Fulbright Program in the world due to generous funding from the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan is also collaborating with Fulbright Program to fund 25 Ph.D. scholarships each year for the next five years. These awards will be administered under Fulbright policies and regulations.
For the Master’s degree program, eligible candidates will have either a four-year Bachelor’s degree or a Bachelor’s and Master’s combination totaling 16 years of formal education from an accredited university. Recent graduates are strongly encouraged to apply, except for MBA and Public Policy/Administration applicants, who require 2 years of work experience.
For the Ph.D. degree program, eligible applicants will have a Master’s, M.Phil, or comparable degree (a minimum of 18 years of formal education) from an accredited university. It is highly desirable that candidates have work experience in teaching, research, or the public sector in Pakistan.
All successful candidates are required to sign a contract with USEFP and, for successful Ph.D. candidates, a bond with the HEC that binds them to return to Pakistan immediately after their program in the U.S. and serve the country for the number of years equivalent to the length of their scholarship program. This contract is redeemable on a year-for-year basis minimum of two years; as long as a person fulfills the service requirement, he or she will pay nothing.
Benefits
- The grant funds tuition, textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, health insurance, visa fees, a computer, and a settling-in allowance. Fulbright awards enable grantees to live at the same standard as most American graduate students.
Eligibility Criteria
- Pakistani citizens with strong academic histories, residing (throughout the process) in Pakistan and committed to returning and serving Pakistan are welcome to apply.
- All disciplines are eligible except clinical medicine. People in the fields of energy, water, agriculture, health, education, environment, and climate change disciplines are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Eligible Master’s applicants will have a four-year Bachelor’s degree or a Bachelor’s and Master’s combination (16 years of formal education) and Ph.D. applicants will have a Master’s, M.Phil., or a comparable degree (18 years of formal education) from an accredited university.
- Applicants should be prepared to complete grants without accompanying dependents if need be.
Ineligibility
- Persons with a dual U.S./Pakistan nationality or those having a spouse, parent, siblings, or child over 18 years of age who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Employees of the Fulbright organization, the U.S. Department of State, or USAID, and their spouses, children, fiancés, siblings, dependents, and parents.
- People who have already availed one Fulbright award for any degree program.
- Persons already studying in the U.S. or on a work/residence/student visa in any country.
How to apply
A complete application package includes:
- An application form
- Three reference letters
- GRE score report
- Scanned transcripts, including an explanation of the grading scale of the university issuing the degree, should be uploaded. Please note that HEC-attested documents are preferable with the application but degree and transcripts attested by the issuing authority will be accepted at the time of application.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. An application with references and required supporting documents must be submitted online. Please note that paper applications will not be accepted.
