Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) has launched PhD scholarships for the 2027 academic session, offering students the chance to study at the world’s top 100-ranked universities in the United States. This initiative took place under the US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor, which is one of HEC’s initiatives.
Eligibility requirements
- Applicants must be citizens of Pakistan or Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)
- Candidates must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree (BS, BSc, BE) or an equivalent qualification with 16 years of education
- Applicants must have no second or third division throughout their academic career
- Candidates must not be receiving any other scholarship at the time of application
- The maximum age limit is 35 years for general applicants
- Government employees, public university faculty members, and researchers maximum age limit is 40 years
Scholarship categories and benefits
Category I
- Category I is for students admitted to top 50 QS-ranked universities in the United States
- HEC will pay the full tuition fee according to the university’s official invoice
- Scholars will receive an annual stipend of US$19,200 and US$2,000 per year for health insurance
- Applicants must have secured admission to a top 50 QS-ranked US university and must have either a minimum GRE score of 300 or at least 60% marks in the HEC Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT)
Category II
- Students admitted to US universities ranked between 51 and 100 in the QS World University Rankings
- HEC will provide tuition support of up to US$12,000 per year, along with an annual stipend of US$19,200 and US$2,000 for health insurance
- Applicants are required to have admission to an eligible university and meet the same testing requirements of a minimum GRE score of 300 or at least 60% in the HEC HAT test
Application deadlines
The HEC has set two different intake deadlines:
- October 30, 2026, for the Spring/Summer 2027 intake
- March 30, 2027, for the Fall 2027 intake
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