ISLAMABAD, Feb 6: The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) has started accepting applications for Fulbright advanced degree grants for 2008 under which as many as 160 scholarships for Master’s and PhD degrees will be awarded in Pakistan under the Fulbright programme this year.

“The US government is proud of the Fulbright Commission in Pakistan and the USEFP for its long record of strong integrity of selecting excellent candidates through open competition and its transparent administration,” US Ambassador Ryan Crocker said, in a statement.

The Fulbright scholarship programme in Pakistan, which is the largest of the 141 Fulbright programmes in the world, funds tuition at an accredited university in the US as well as required textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance. The USEFP also assists with the visa process.

“The Fulbright programme is the flagship programme of all US government funded academic and exchange programmes,” the Executive Director of the United States Education Foundation in Pakistan, Dr Grace Clark said.

“The goal of all the Fulbright programmes is to increase the mutual understanding of the people of the US and the people of other countries throughout the world,” she added.

Women, minorities and students from Balochistan, Sindh and NWFP, Fata and the Northern Areas are strongly encouraged to apply for the programme.

People considering applying for Fulbright grants for degree programmes should take the GRE and TOEFL tests immediately, as these are required for the application.

Student can apply for a Master’s, Ph.D, or Master’s leading to PhD programme. The Master’s Programme is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Fulbright/USAID Master’s Programme funds up to two years of graduate study for a Master’s degree in the United States.

All disciplines are eligible, with the exception of clinical medical fields. About 100 Master’s scholarships will be awarded. Applicants for the Master’s programme must have completed 16 years of formal education.

The Higher Education Commission of the Government of Pakistan and USAID fund the Fulbright/ HEC/USAID PhD Programme. This programme supports Ph.D studies for up to four years with priority given to the pure and applied sciences, agriculture, health, economics, education and economic development.

About 50 such scholarships will be awarded. Up to another 10 scholarships for up to four years of study towards a Ph.D will be awarded under the Fulbright Regular Student Programme, funded by the US Department of State. Priority fields for this programme are arts, humanities, and social sciences.

With the exception of clinical medical fields, all disciplines are eligible to apply for both of these PhD programmes.

Applicants for PhD Programmes must have completed 18 years of formal education. The United States Education Foundation in Pakistan is a bi-national commission dedicated to improving mutual understanding of the people of Pakistan and the people of the United States of America through educational exchange opportunities. The foundation’s programmes focus on higher education experiences in the US and Pakistan.

Persons with a dual US/Pakistan nationality or who have a spouse, parent, fiance or child over 18 years of age who is a US citizen or permanent resident are ineligible.