US universities open scholarship program for Pakistani students

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has announced PhD scholarship opportunities for the 2027 admission in top world-ranked US universities under the US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor initiative.

The scholarships are available for Pakistani and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) nationals seeking admission to top 100 QS World Ranked universities in the United States.

According to HEC, the program is only for PhD-level studies and does not cover Master’s or MS leading to PhD programs.

Applicants admitted to eligible US universities will receive different financial support depending on the institution’s QS ranking.

Category I: Top 50 QS-ranked US universities

Successful candidates will receive: Full tuition fee support according to the university invoice, a yearly stipend of $19,200 and health insurance coverage of $2,000 per year.

Category II: Universities ranked 51–100 in QS World Rankings

Selected candidates will receive: Tuition fee support of up to $12,000 per year, yearly stipend of $19,200, and health insurance coverage of $2,000 per year

Eligibility:

Applicants must be Pakistani or AJK nationals and hold at least a four-year bachelor’s degree (16 years of education), and have no lower than a second or third division throughout their academic career for Category I and II scholarships.

Age Requirement:

Up to 40 years for regular government employees, public-sector university faculty members, and employees of approved public-sector R&D organizations, and up to 35 years for all other applicants.

Not be receiving any other scholarship. Candidates must also secure admission to a qualifying US university before applying.

Application process

Applications must be submitted online through the HEC scholarship portal: scholarship.hec.gov.pk

HEC advised applicants to arrange additional university funding where required, as scholarship support may not cover all expenses.

Deadlines for applications:

Spring/Summer 2027 intake: 30 October 2026

Fall 2027 intake: 30 March 2027