USEFP Fulbright Degree Program (Master’s and PhD) — Master's Scholarship

The USEFP Fulbright Degree Program funds Pakistani students to pursue master’s or PhD degrees at universities across the United States. It is managed by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan under Fulbright policies, with university placement handled by the Institute of International Education.

USEFP hoped to make 100 awards for the 2027 cycle. The program covers all academic disciplines except clinical medicine, while particularly encouraging sciences, technology and AI, trade and economics, and natural resource management.

Benefits & funding

Tuition and required textbooks
Airfare and visa fees
A living stipend and health insurance
A computer and settling-in allowance
University placement support through the Institute of International Education

Eligibility

Applicants must be Pakistani citizens residing in Pakistan throughout the application process and must commit to return and serve Pakistan.
Master’s applicants need either a four-year bachelor’s degree or a bachelor’s-plus-master’s combination totaling 16 years of formal education from an accredited university.
PhD applicants need a master’s, M.Phil., or comparable accredited qualification totaling at least 18 years of formal education.
Work experience is not generally required, but MBA and Public Policy/Administration applicants must have two years of relevant experience; teaching, research, or Pakistani public-sector experience is desirable rather than mandatory for PhD applicants.
All disciplines are eligible except clinical medicine; research-focused fields such as public health remain eligible.
Every applicant must take the GRE General before the deadline and score at least 145 in each section. Selected candidates take the TOEFL.
Ineligible applicants include dual U.S.–Pakistan nationals; people with a spouse or child over 18 who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; specified Fulbright, U.S. Department of State, or USAID employees, contractors, and close family members; previous Fulbright scholarship recipients; and people already studying in the United States or holding a work, residence, or student visa in another country.
Successful candidates must return to Pakistan within 30 days after completing the program and meet the service requirement, which is at least two years and, for PhD recipients, equals the scholarship length.

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Eligible nationalities
Pakistan
Residence required
Pakistan
Education required
Bachelor · Master

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Application process

1
Take the GRE General before the application deadline and arrange for USEFP and IIE to receive the scores.
2
Complete the online form and prepare three reference letters, the GRE score report, and scanned transcripts with the issuing institution’s grading scale.
3
Submit the complete application and supporting documents online; paper applications are not accepted.
4
Applications are screened and shortlisted before in-person or virtual interviews, nomination, and final approval by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Program timeline

January 20, 2026
USEFP announced that applications for the 2027 program were open.
Application deadline.
April 1, 2026
Shortlisted applicants interviewed in person or virtually.
June–August 2026
Results announced.
Mid-September 2026
University submission and placement process.
Through April 2027
Visa interviews.
June–August 2027
Departures to the United States begin according to university reporting dates.
July 2027 onward