US Scholarships for Pakistani Students to Study Abroad

The U.S. Department of State sponsors a wide range of exchange programs through which approximately 800 Pakistanis travel to the United States each year. In this blog, we have compiled a list of U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students, spanning high school students to doctoral students to mid-career professionals. Each of these U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students has a different application process and timeline. Please review the details below carefully.

US Scholarships for Pakistani Students
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1. The U.S. Summer Sisters Exchange Program

The Summer Sisters Institute offers female high school students an opportunity to attend pre-college summer programs at prestigious American universities. Summer Sisters has partnered with:

  • Harvard University
  • Smith College
  • American University
  • George Washington University
  • Babson College
  • Vassar College

2. Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES)

The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES) provides U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students to spend up to one academic year in the United States. High school students live with host families, attend high school, engage in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about Pakistan and Pakistani culture.

In keeping with the U.S. Government-sponsored initiatives, the competition for the YES scholarship is merit-based and open at no cost to all applicants who meet the following requirements:

  • Be between the ages of 15-17 by the start of the program;
  • Have earned minimum marks of 60% in all major/core subjects (English, Mathematics, Sciences) in the last class attended without any failing grades, and have an overall minimum average marks of 60% in past three years;
  • Be enrolled in a secondary school in Pakistan, and be in 9th or 10th grade or ‘O’ Levels at the time of application;
  • Meet U.S. J-1 visa eligibility requirements;
  • Be able to communicate in English;
  • Must not have traveled to the United States;
  • Be a citizen of Pakistan and reside in Pakistan; and
  • Not have spent a total of more than 90 days in the U.S. in the last five years.

Please visit https://www.yesprograms.org/countries/pakistan for more details.

3. The Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on Public Policy

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders are five-to-six-week U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students between the ages of 18 and 25 to improve their understanding of the United States and to develop their leadership skills. Institutes include a four-week academy residency and one-week educational study tour to a different region of the United States.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Be between the ages of 18 and 25 and have at least one semester left of college or university;
  • Not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States;
  • Demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities;
  • Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English;
  • Have little or no prior travel or student experience in the United States; and
  • Eligible to receive a United States J-1 visa.
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Prospective participants should contact their American Embassy for up-to-date information about the event.

4. Global Undergraduate Semester Exchange Program

The Global Undergraduate Semester Exchange Program is designed to award undergraduate Pakistani students enrolled at a university in Pakistan. It is a non-degree program that offers undergraduate Pakistani students the opportunity to spend a semester studying at a U.S. university.

Applicants of this program are required to be in either their 14th or 15th year of formal education. Students enrolled in either a four-year bachelor’s program or a two-year bachelor’s programs are eligible to apply. Additionally, applicants must meet the following requirements to apply to these U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students:

  • Pakistani citizens;
  • 25 years or younger;
  • Currently enrolled in a college or a university and committed to returning to their home universities following the completion of the program;
  • In their 14th or 15th year of formal education; and
  • Submit current or most recent transcripts with applications.

Please visit https://www.usefp.org/scholarships/global-ugrad.cfm for more information.

5. Fulbright Degree Program

The Fulbright Master’s and Ph.D. Program funds graduate study in the United States. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, these grants cover tuition, required textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance. For both the Master’s and Ph.D. programs, all academic disciplines are eligible, except clinical medicine. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE General) is required for all applicants.

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. On the contrary, for the Ph.D. degree program, eligible applicants will have a Master’s, M. Phil or comparable degree from an accredited university. Applicants should be prepared to complete grants without accompanying dependents, if need be.

Please visit https://www.usefp.org/scholarships/fulbright-degree.cfm for more details.

6. Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program brings accomplished mid-career professionals with demonstrated leadership potential to the United States for a year of graduate-level non-degree academic coursework and professional development activities. This ten-month program consists of academic coursework and internship in a relevant professional organization. Approximately 18 campuses have been selected through a competitive process to host fellows in group with thematic and subject affinities.

Successful applicants must be committed to serving Pakistan to be considered for these U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students. They must be Pakistani citizens with a minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional/work experience, coupled with 16 years of education (four-year Bachelor’s or two-year Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree) and a guarantee of reemployment upon return to Pakistan. Additionally, applicants must possess a high level of fluency in spoken and written English. Most importantly, successful candidates should be poised to assume leadership positions in their field.

Please visit https://www.usefp.org/scholarships/humphrey.cfm for more information.

7. Fulbright Scholar Program

The Fulbright Scholar Program funds up to 12 months of lectureship, post-doctoral research, or a combination of the two at a U.S. college or university with one fully covered dependent. Persons selected are expected to share information about Pakistani society and culture with students, colleagues and community groups in the U.S. On returning to Pakistan, Fulbright scholars are expected to make a significant contribution to Pakistan’s development.

Scholars, professionals and artists from all disciplines are welcome to apply to these U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students, with the exception of clinical medicine. Every applicant must either hold Ph.D. or terminal degree in his/her field. Successful candidates will have an excellent command of written and spoken English. Also, they will have a clear and well-formulated proposal about what they would like to accomplish in the U.S. and how it relates to their work in Pakistan. Most importantly, people applying for the lectureship must have demonstrated ability to teach in a university setting.

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Please visit https://www.usefp.org/scholarships/fulbright-scholar.cfm for more details.

8. Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA)

The Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program provides Pakistani secondary school teachers of English from government and foundation schools with the opportunity to develop expertise in their subject area, enhance their teaching skills and English proficiency, and increase their knowledge about the United States. The program is offered to in-service English teachers only.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must:

  • Be a secondary-level (6-10th grade) English teacher;
  • Work full-time in a government or foundation school that serves a primarily local (not expatriate) population;
  • Have at least two years of classroom experience in English language teaching;
  • Be a citizen and current resident of Pakistan;
  • Hold at least a Bachelor’s degree (includes BS and BA), preferably in English subject;
  • Be proficient in written and spoken English;
  • Demonstrate a commitment to continue teaching in Pakistan for at least five years after completion of the program; and
  • Have submitted a complete application with Institutional Support and Reference Form (ISRF), signed and stamped by school management.

Please visit http://tea.org.pk/ for more information.

9. Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA)

The FLTA Program is a nine-month, U.S. Department of State funded, non-degree program that provides young teachers of English an opportunity to refine their teaching skills, increase their English language proficiency and extend their knowledge of the society and culture of the United States, while teaching their native language to U.S. students and strengthening foreign language instruction at U.S. colleges and universities.

Applicants are required to meet the following requirements to apply for the program:

  • Pakistani national with a valid Pakistani Passport;
  • Resident in Pakistan throughout the nomination and selection process;
  • Be a young, early career educator;
  • Minimum of 16 years of formal education;
  • Be a teacher of the English language or a related field at the college or university level; and
  • Prior teaching experience is preferred.

Please visit https://www.usefp.org/scholarships/flta.cfm for more details.

10. Professional Fellows Program (PFP)

The PFP for economic empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa is a two-way exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and designed to promote mutual understanding, enhance leadership and professional skills, and build lasting, sustainable partnerships between mid-level emerging leaders committed to strengthening their communities through social entrepreneurship and workforce development. The program takes place in Virginia and Washington D.C. with Fellowship placements in either Austin Texas or Washington DC.

The program is designed for:

  • Entrepreneurs and Social Innovators.
  • Small and medium business Owners and Managers who are investing in innovative socially conscious products and programs.
  • Individuals working in Civil Society/NGOs working on youth workforce training and development, increasing the role of marginalized populations in the economy, building financial literacy, training in technology use and IT development, and other efforts around economic empowerment.
  • Individuals working in University incubators, accelerators, and job-readiness programs, and programs focusing on business development, financial literacy, sustainable tourism, or economic development.
  • Individuals working in Government Agencies/Ministries, national policy offices, think-tanks, and offices working to increase the presence of underrepresented citizens in the economy.

For more details, please visit https://www.legacyintl.org/pfp/.

11. Professional Fellows for Governance and Society, South and Central Asia

The Professional Fellows for Governance and Society, South and Central Asia program brings young professionals from Pakistan to the U.S. to exchange ideas, strategies, and best practices in legislative process and policymaking. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by World Learning.

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Through this two-way exchange from emerging leaders ages 25-40 from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the United States, participants will exchange ideas and best practices, while also improving leadership skills and developing sustainable and enduring linkages with professional counterparts. For more details, please visit https://www.worldlearning.org/.

12. University of Iowa’s International Writing Program (IWP)

University of Iowa’s IWP is the oldest and largest multinational writing residency in the world. IWP annually brings authors from every continent to the University of Iowa. The goal of the IWP is to provide authors a one-of-a-kind inter-cultural opportunity and the time and space to write, read, translate, study, conduct research, travel, give readings, stage work, and become part of the vibrant literacy and academic community at the university and in Iowa City.

A qualified writer should:

  • Be primarily a writer of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, drama, or screenplays;
  • Have at least one published book or volume, or a sizable number of works in significant publications over the last two years;
  • Display forms of national or local recognition for their literary work;
  • Have a facility in speaking English sufficient to benefit from a 10-week writing residency;
  • Be comfortable with cross-cultural dynamics and interested in close interaction with artists from diverse cultures and backgrounds;
  • Not be a resident of, nor currently residing in, the United States; and
  • Provide 10 to 15 pages of work in both the original language and as translated into English that gives a good sense of the writer’s strengths and style.

For further information, please visit https://iwp.uiowa.edu/residency.

13. Between the Lines (BTL)

Since 2008, BTL has hosted young writers of the University of Iowa for a cultural exchange program that focuses on the art and craft of creative writing. Participants ages 15-18 came together in Iowa City for an intensive two-week session. Through honing their craft together and engaging in open-hearted discussions, a new community of young writers will connect the dots between their home cultures, sparking friendships throughout the U.S. and around the globe. For more information about these U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students, visit https://iwp.uiowa.edu/programs/between-the-lines.

14. OneBeat

OneBeat is the gathering place for the musical leaders of the 21st century. Launched in 2012, OneBeat began as an annual U.S.-based residency and tour program that brings early-career musicians together from around the globe to collaboratively write, produce and perform original music, and develop strategies for arts-based civic and social engagement. These U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students are open to musicians of all genres.

OneBeat provides a chance for musicians and artists from an incredible diversity of backgrounds to seek common ground, create new musical combinations, push the boundaries of music technology, and find ways to involve all members of society in the process of musical creativity. It endeavors to be the nexus of a new way of thinking about how music and artistic expression can help us collectively build healthier communities, prosperous societies, and a more peaceful world.

For more details, please visit https://1beat.org/.

15. The U.S.-Pakistan Professional Partnership in Journalism

The U.S.-Pakistan Professional Partnership in Journalism program builds lasting connections between Pakistani journalists and their U.S. counterparts, with the goal of raising understanding in media organizations and among their audiences about each other’s countries. These U.S. Scholarships for Pakistani students provide participants with an in-depth look at U.S. media practices, while also exposing them to American life and culture.

Through a competitive merit-based selection process, working Pakistani print and broadcast journalists have the opportunity to participate in individual three-week fellowships at U.S. media outlets nationwide. Participants must:

  • Be a citizen of Pakistan;
  • Be a working professional journalists with Pakistani-based media outlets;
  • Be in mid-level positions of their careers (minimum three years of experience);
  • Be proficient in written and oral English; and
  • Have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Please visit https://exchanges.state.gov/non-us/program/pakistan-professional-partnership-program-journalism for further information.

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