PhD Scholarships for US Universities [Fall 2021 - Spring 2022]

Applications are invited for HEC PhD Scholarships for US Universities for Fall 2021 & Spring 2022 under US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor. The Scholarship is open for all Pakistani and AJK nationals who fulfill the required eligibility criteria.

The application are open for HEC PhD Scholarships for Fall 2021-2022 till January 10, 2021.

Eligibility Criteria for PhD Scholarships for US

Those who satisfy all the following requirements are eligible to apply:

A. General eligibility criteria

Pakistani/AJK nationals
Minimum 4 years bachelor degree (4 years B.S/ B.Sc./B.E/ Equivalent – (16 years of formal education)
Maximum age on the closing date of advertisement for the scholarship is 35 years or less. However, in the case of regular faculty members of Public Sector Universities/ Govt Colleges and researchers of R & D organization, maximum age is 40 years or less. For category-I of below, the application portal will be open round the year, in which case maximum age is calculated on the date of closing the applications advertised for the same session i.e January 10, 2021.

Candidates applying must meet the criteria of any one of the following three categories while applying:

Category I: Secured admission along with tuition waiver in any specified US University at https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/scholarshipsgrants/US-Pakcorridor/Documents/List-Selected-Universities.pdf
Category II: Secured admission in top 300 (World QS Ranked) US University having valid GRE scores.
Category III: Having a valid GRE General Score /HAT Score (HEC does not guarantee the admissions of the applicants of this category, however, can facilitate in the placement process by sharing their details with the partner universities. candidates, in any case, will have to complete the admission requirements of the host university)

B. Academic criteria:

Maximum 1-second division and no 3^rd division or grade ‘D’ in the entire academic career
Not less than 50% marks in the entire academic career
AEF formula and GRE Scores may be used while shortlisting candidates.

IMPORTANT:

All applicants will be required to show commitment to serve in Pakistan after completion of studies
The grant will be offered for a maximum period of 5 years.
HEC attested documents are not required with the application. Those who are shortlisted will be asked to submit the required documents later. However, the applicants are advised to download the filled application form for record purpose.
Misstatement/ misrepresentation of information in the application form can lead to disqualification/ cancellation of the scholarship award at any stage of the program.
Postal address for correspondence

Project Management Unit (PMU)
US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor
13 B/ 11, HRD Building
Higher Education Commission (HEC)
Sector H-8, Islamabad.

General Instructions

Please fill out the application form according to the following instructions:

Questions must be answered completely and carefully. Please make every effort to limit your responses to the space provided
Before you begin this application, you should make sure that you are aware of all deadline dates and requirements
If you do not hold a valid Pakistani passport, apply for one immediately after the initial shortlisting
All successful candidates will be required to sign a contract /bond with HEC that binds them to return to Pakistan immediately after their program completion in the U.S. and serve the country for the number of years specified in the agreement. As long as a person fulfills the service requirement, he or she will pay nothing, otherwise, a grantee will be legally liable for the cost of his or her scholarship program in the U.S. No grantee will be required to pay anything as long as they fulfill their contractual/ bond obligation

Specific Instructions

A complete application has the following components:

Item —Name: It is very important that you list your name exactly as it appears (or will appear) on your passport.

Item—Education: Mention the field of study most appropriate to your study objective. Institutions: Please list all post-secondary institutions attended in reverse order (putting the most recently attended first).

Item—Work Experience: Please select the position title which best describes the activity in which you are currently (or most recently) involved and all previous experiences.

Item—Study/Research Objective: The study/research objective description that you provide is an essential and highly important part of your application. You should take great care to write a clear and very detailed description of the program you want to pursue. Clearly identify the area(s) within your field of study in which you want to specialize or concentrate. If there is a specific research that you want to accomplish, please describe it

Item—Personal Statement: The personal statement is a narrative statement explaining what is special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story. It may include details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals), explain your interest in the field you propose to study, and demonstrate that you are well suited to this field. It should also touch on your career plans and your purpose in applying for study in the U.S.

Note: Please review your application thoroughly before submission. Attach readable copies of the required documents.

Agreement Documents For Selected Students for PhD Scholarships for US

Agreements/DOU’s With US-Universities

The scholarship covers living expenses and return airfare; however, it does not cover Tuition Fee
Higher Education Commission (HEC) has negotiated tuition fee waivers for Pakistani students, with different ranked US Universities. HEC shall refer potential candidates – who meet the basic eligibility criteria for award of HEC scholarship – to partnering US Universities, for consideration of admission and tuition fee waiver. Candidates selected by the host US University after satisfying respective admission criteria shall be offered HEC scholarship under ‘US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor’ project.
The US-Universities with whom Tuition- Fee waivers are negotiated under “Document of Understanding are as follows:

List of Selected US Universities under US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor
(QS Global Ranked & Land-Grant Universities)

List of universities can be obtained from: QS Global Ranked & Land-Grant Universities

How To Apply Online – PhD Scholarships for US

HEC provides opportunities for applicants to pursue Ph.D. studies in Top US Universities under the “US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor”. Interested applicants can apply online through the link:

Scholarship Portal

New User Registration:

To Login please visit https://scholarships.hec.gov.pk/
To create a profile for a first-time user, fill in the available form on the link mentioned above.

Click on ‘Register’ for new users and follow the steps stated below:

You will be required to create a user ID by using your CNIC (without dashes) as a User ID and select your password.
Create an Account and fill in the required information available on the screen.
Click and obtain ‘Mobile Code’ on your provided mobile no. for further process. (Currently, MNC / Ported numbers are not supported)
After receiving the code on your mobile enter the code.
Enter your email ID and click Send Code. You will receive a code on your provided email.
Please enter a valid email ID.
Perform code verification and click on submit.
You will be registered successfully. Please check your email for further information.
You will be required to enter your created ‘User ID’ & ‘Password’ then ‘Sign in’ on the HEC portal.
Complete online profile section-wise at https://scholarships.hec.gov.pk/
Click ‘Scholarships and Grants’ on left ‘Navigation’ and then ‘US-PAK Knowledge Corridor Application’.
Now follow instructions, fill and submit the form successfully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are eligible to apply?

Those who satisfy all the following requirements are eligible to apply

Pakistani citizen/ AJK Nationals
Minimum 4 years bachelor degree (4 Years B.S/B.Sc./B.E etc.) – 16 years of formal education
Those who:

Have secured admission (along with tuition support in case of category -III) in any specified US University OR
Have valid GRE General

What is the maximum age limit?

Maximum age on the closing date of advertisement is 35 years or less. However, in case of regular faculty members of Public Sector Universities/ Colleges and researchers of R & D organization, maximum age is 40 years or less on the closing date of the applications.

I wish to apply to US – Pak Knowledge Corridor for PhD scholarship. Do I need a Master’s degree to apply?

Not usually. A four years undergraduate degree (BS/B.Sc./B.E/Equivalent) (16 years of formal education) is acceptable. Most of the Graduate Schools of many US Universities accept 4 years bachelor’s degree for PhD. Program, with some exceptions.

What are the different categories of Ph.D. scholarship under US – Pak Knowledge Corridor?

(From the point of view of financial support, the scholarship award is divided into three categories.)

Those having valid GRE General Score and after being shortlisted, secure admission in top 50 (QS World Ranked) US Universities. The scholarship award in this category comprises of return airfare and living expenses plus tuition fee.
Those having valid GRE General Score and after being shortlisted, secure admission in top 300 (QS World Ranked) US Universities, over and above the top 50 Universities mentioned above. The scholarship award in this category comprises of return airfare and living expenses plus tuition fee (Tuition fee within defined limits on negotiated cost with the host university)
Those who secure admission along with tuition waiver in QS World Ranked/Land grant/Public Sector US Universities, over and above the top 300 (QS World Ranked) US Universities. The scholarship award in this category comprises of initial settlement allowance, return airfare and living expenses only and do not include tuition fee of any kind.

I have already submitted the application. Do I need to apply afresh?

Candidates need to apply afresh for 2021.

I have Secured admission but no tuition waiver. Can I apply?

Those who have secured admission along with tuition waiver can apply. However, those who have a valid GRE General Score can also apply for further process. If shortlisted, HEC can send a support mail to the university but the decision of the tuition support lies with the university. HEC does not guarantee the tuition support for the students applying in category-III.

I have secured admission along with tuition waiver but application deadline of US – Pak Corridor has closed.

E – Portal will be open round the year for those who secure admission along with tuition waiver in specified US Universities. However, the candidate must meet the basic eligibility criteria of the scholarship on the closing date.

Is TOEFL/GRE – General Compulsory for applying to US – Pak Knowledge Corridor?

GRE General is compulsory. TOEFL is not compulsory but is preferred by most of the universities in USA.

Is IELTS acceptable?

TOEFL or IELTS are not the requirements of US – Pak Knowledge Corridor (USPKC – HEC) and therefore a prospective applicant can apply to USPKC (HEC) without either of these scores, provided he/she satisfy all other requirements. TOEFLE is considered as a plus point in some US Universities while in others TOEFL may be a condition for admission or tuition waiver. However some Universities may sometime accept IELTS as a substitute for TOEFL.

What is Talent Farming?

Those who aspires for Ph.D. scholarships under US – Pak Knowledge Corridor are trained under Talent Farming component of the project. The training is offered in GRE- General, TOEFL and IELTS etc.

How can I join the training?

Offer for training is generally advertised on the HEC website and official social networks such as Facebook and Twitter etc. and the potential applicants are asked to apply online on the HEC website. However, sometimes, public sector universities are contacted directly for their nominations of potential participants (students and non- PhD faculty) for the training.

Who is eligible for the training?

Those who satisfy all the following requirements are eligible?

Those who are otherwise eligible for PHD scholarship under US – Pak Knowledge Corridor (Please read FAQs)
Maximum age shall not exceed 33 years on the closing date of offer for training. However in case of non- Ph.D. faculty of public sector Universities and researchers of approved R & D organizations, maximum age for participation in training shall not exceed 38 years.

What are the benefits of participation in training(s)?

GRE – General is a pre-requisite for the scholarship and for admission and/or tuition waiver in most US Universities
TOEFL/IELTS is considered as a plus point for admission and/or tuition waiver in US Universities
The training is offered at very subsidized rates by professional trainers/ Resource persons.
Partial/full Refund of the actual test fee (GRE-General, TOEFL/IELTS) in case of outstanding performance in the actual test.

PhD Scholarships for US Universities – Apply before January 10, 2021

Dr. Hassan Jalil Shah, Adviser (HRD) HEC briefs about requirements and procedure for obtaining “PhD Scholarships for US Universities” for Fall 2021 & Spring 2022 under ‘US – Pakistan Knowledge Corridor’ initiative of HEC.