Fulbright Scholarship for USA for Masters and PhD

The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan is now accepting applications for the 2026 Fulbright Student (Master’s and Ph.D.) and Fulbright-Higher Education Commission (HEC) Ph.D. program, which fully funds graduate study at top universities in the United States. The application deadline is March 15, 2025. The Graduate Record Examination GRE is required for all applicants.

For the Master's degree program, candidates are required to 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 need to 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.

Application deadline: The last date to apply for the USEFP Fulbright graduate program is March 15, 2025.

For the application form and details, visit: www.usefpakistan.org/fulbright

For queries, email info@usefpakistan.org

Eligibility Criteria for USEFP Fulbright MS and Ph.D. Scholarship

• Candidates applying for Masters program must have Bachelor’s degree (16 years of formal education) and Ph. D applicants must have Masters degree (18 years of formal education)
• Candidates with all the academic disciplines are eligible to apply except clinical medicine.
• Candidate applying for Public Policy/Administration or MBA are required to have at least 2 years of professional experience in desired field.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required during application process and minimum score required to be eligible for application is 145 in each section of GRE.
• High level of proficiency is required in English language both in written and oral communication. Selected candidates will have to submit TOEFL certificate after their selection.
• It is mandatory for the selected candidates to sign a bond with HEC confirming that they will return to Pakistan after completion of degree program and will serve Pakistan at least for a period equivalent to their degree program duration.

Ineligibility

• Persons with a dual U.S./Pakistan nationality or those having a spouse, parent, fiancé, or child over 18 years of age who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Employees of the Fulbright organization or the U.S. Department of State and their spouses, fiancés, siblings, dependents, children, and parents. For programs funded by their agencies, employees of USAID or the HEC and their spouses, fiancés, siblings, dependents, children, and parents.
• As a general matter, preference for Fulbright student opportunities will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Fulbright student grant.
• Persons already studying in the U.S. or on a work/residence visa in any country.

How to apply for the Fulbright MS and Ph.D. Scholarship

The Fulbright Scholarship Program is fully administered by The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USFEP), the official educational entity of US government, which works closely with the US Embassy in Pakistan and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

Applications for Fulbright scholarships are submitted through the online application portal available on the USEFP website.

In order to apply for the Fulbright scholarship, applicants are to visit the USEFP website https://www.usefp.org. Under the scholarship tab, they would find their desired scholarship program. On clicking the “Start Application” button available on the scholarship page, candidates are automatically redirected to application portal.

A complete application package includes:

• An application form
• Three reference letters
• Your GRE score report and
• 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.