The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has opened applications for the Commonwealth Scholarship Program 2027–28, offering opportunities for Pakistani and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) nationals to pursue master’s and PhD studies.
The deadline to submit online applications is October 20, 2026. HEC is administering the scholarship program in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the United Kingdom.
The program offers scholarships for master’s and PhD programs for the 2027–28 academic year. Applicants can review detailed information about the available scholarships and study levels through the Commonwealth Scholarship information provided by HEC.
Eligible candidates must be Pakistani or AJK nationals and permanent residents of Pakistan or AJK. Dual nationals are not eligible to apply, while there is no upper age limit for applicants.
For a master’s scholarship, candidates must have a first-division bachelor’s degree representing at least 16 years of education in the relevant field.
For a PhD scholarship, applicants must hold a first-division master’s, MS, or MPhil degree representing 17 or 18 years of education in the relevant field. Candidates must also not have a second or third division in their most recent degree.
Students awaiting their final results may also apply. However, they must obtain and submit their final degree and transcript before the start of the academic session in August or September 2027.
Applicants must also satisfy the separate eligibility requirements set by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for their selected scholarship.
HEC has made a Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT) score of at least 60 out of 100 mandatory for all applicants.
Eligible HAT tests taken on or after October 25, 2024 will be considered. Applicants can use HAT-I, HAT-II, HAT-III, or HAT-IV scores for scholarship nominations.
HEC clarified that HAT tests conducted specifically for admission to Pakistani universities will not be accepted for the Commonwealth Scholarship Program.
Applicants can visit HEC’s Commonwealth Scholarship page and follow the instructions for the 2027–28 scholarship program.
Candidates should carefully review the eligibility criteria and required documents for their selected degree before completing the online application.
The final deadline for online applications is October 20, 2026. Eligible students are advised to complete their applications and submit all required information before the deadline to avoid any issues.
