Fulbright Scholarship 2027 in USA – Fully Funded – Closed

Status: Closed. The Fulbright Scholarship 2027 in USA — the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for graduate study in the United States — closed for applications in Pakistan on 1 April 2026. This article describes the programme for the 2027 cycle as published by the Fulbright Foreign Student Program and by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP), which manages the scholarship in Pakistan. It gives the benefits, the eligibility rules and the timeline, so that readers can prepare properly for the next cycle. Do not try to apply for the 2027 cycle now.

Fulbright is the flagship educational exchange program of the U.S. government. The Fulbright Foreign Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States. It operates in more than 160 countries worldwide, and approximately 4,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year. In each country, the application and selection process is administered by a binational Fulbright Commission or Foundation or by a U.S. Embassy. In Pakistan, that administrator is USEFP.

Summary

What the scholarship covers

The scholarship funds graduate study at universities all over the United States for a Master’s or PhD degree, including tuition, required textbooks, airfare, a living stipend and health insurance. USEFP adds an important condition: Fulbright awards are always contingent upon USEFP budget allocation for the relevant program year. That is a reminder that the award depends on the programme’s funding for that year, and that the details of your grant are set out in the contract you sign with USEFP when you are selected.

Because the award covers tuition and living costs, the main financial barrier to a U.S. graduate degree is removed. The living stipend covers the costs of living in the United States during the degree, and health insurance is included, which matters in a country where medical costs are high. Airfare covers travel to and from the United States. Textbooks are covered too, which is a smaller but real cost for a graduate student. Together, the package is why the award is described as fully funded.

Who can apply (Pakistan)

For the Master’s degree program, eligible candidates will have either a four-year Bachelor’s degree or a Bachelor’s and a Master’s combination totalling 16 years of formal education from an accredited university. Recent graduates are encouraged to apply, except for MBA and Public Policy/Administration applicants, who require two years of work experience in the relevant field. For the PhD degree program, eligible applicants will 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 PhD candidates have work experience in teaching, research, or the public sector in Pakistan.

All academic disciplines are eligible, except clinical medicine. USEFP says that people seeking degrees in the Sciences, Technology and AI, Trade and Economics, or Natural Resource Management are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants must possess a high level of fluency in spoken and written English, and the selected candidates will be required to take the TOEFL.

There are also clear ineligibility rules. You cannot apply if you hold dual U.S./Pakistan nationality, or if your spouse or a child over 18 years of age is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Employees and contractors of the Fulbright organization, the U.S. Department of State or USAID, and their spouses, children, siblings, dependents and parents, are also ineligible. People who have already received a Fulbright scholarship award for any Fulbright program cannot apply again, and neither can people who are already studying in the United States or are on a work, residence or student visa in any country. Applicants should be prepared to complete grants without accompanying dependents if need be.

Tests: GRE and TOEFL

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE General) is required for all applicants. Under the new scoring system, a minimum score of 145 is required on each section of the GRE examination, with a higher score on the section most applicable to your field of study. That threshold is set by USEFP for the Pakistan programme, and it is one of the first things to check: if your GRE scores are below 145 on a section, your application will not pass the threshold. The TOEFL is required of candidates who are selected, and your application should show the level of spoken and written English the programme asks for.

Prepare for the GRE early. It takes time to reach a competitive score, and the score must be ready when you submit your application — the application needs your GRE score report as part of the package. Do not leave it until the month before the deadline.

The rule about returning home

Fulbright is an exchange programme, and it expects its scholars to return home. All successful candidates are required to sign a contract with USEFP, and successful PhD candidates must also sign a bond with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) that binds them to return to Pakistan immediately after their program in the United States and serve the country for the number of years equivalent to the length of their scholarship program. That contract is redeemable on a year-for-year basis with a minimum of two years, meaning that, as long as you fulfil the service requirement, you will pay nothing. The return commitment is not a formality — it is a condition of the award, and it should be part of your decision before you apply.

Deadline and timeline: 2027 cycle

For Pakistan, the 2027 cycle closed on 1 April 2026, and USEFP lists the current status of the programme as Closed. The cycle that followed that deadline ran on a longer timetable: the application review and interview process continued until August, and results were announced in mid-September. After selection, the university submission and placement process continued until April, and visa interviews took place until June, July and August. Departure to the United States commenced in July onwards, depending on the reporting dates of the universities.

That timetable is the reason the article is marked Closed, and it is also the reason to start early for the next cycle. The application deadline is in April, but the selection, placement and visa steps run for more than a year after it. If you plan to apply next time, treat the GRE, your references and your transcripts as work to do well before the deadline, not in the final weeks.

How to apply

A complete application package includes an application form, three reference letters, a GRE score report, and scanned transcripts, including an explanation of the grading scale of the university issuing the degree. HEC-attested documents are preferable with the application, but a degree and transcripts attested by the issuing authority will be accepted at the time of application. Your high school and post-secondary diplomas or certificates do not need to be officially verified or attested. Incomplete applications will not be considered, and applications with references and required supporting documents must be submitted online. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Eligibility and selection procedures vary widely by country, so if you are not applying from Pakistan, use the Fulbright Foreign Student Program’s Apply page to find the information for your home country, including its eligibility requirements and application guidelines. Two placement models are used in the programme: IIE-Placement, where IIE’s placement service works to secure degree and non-degree opportunities on behalf of Fulbright candidates, and Self-Placement, where candidates apply to universities directly and manage their applications with the universities themselves. Discuss the placement approach with the Fulbright office in your country before you apply, because it affects how you choose universities.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Fulbright Scholarship fully funded?
Yes. The scholarship funds graduate study including tuition, required textbooks, airfare, a living stipend and health insurance, according to USEFP.

What are the education requirements?
A four-year Bachelor’s degree, or a Bachelor’s and Master’s combination totalling 16 years, for a Master’s degree; a Master’s, M.Phil or comparable degree totalling 18 years for a PhD.

Is the GRE required?
Yes. The GRE General is required for all applicants, with a minimum score of 145 on each section.

Can I apply for clinical medicine?
No. All academic disciplines are eligible except clinical medicine.

Is the 2027 application still open in Pakistan?
No. The deadline was 1 April 2026, and the current status is Closed.

Official source

All benefits, eligibility, deadline and timeline details in this article were checked against official Fulbright pages on 13 November 2026.

Official page: Foreign Student Program — Fulbright Foreign Student Program
Official page: Fulbright Degree Program — United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP)

Last checked: 13 November 2026. Dates and conditions vary by country; the official Fulbright pages for your country are the authority.