East West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship 2027 in USA

Applications are now open for the East West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship 2027, a funded opportunity to study for a master’s or PhD at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in Honolulu, USA. The fellowship covers general tuition and fees, a single room in an East West Center residence hall, and a stipend toward food and daily expenses, worth about $22,000 per year.

It is open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States and citizens of many Asian and Pacific countries, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, and Indonesia. It is not open to all nationalities. The deadline is December 1, 2026. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details:

• Offered by: East West Center, Honolulu
• Host country: United States (Hawai‘i)
• Degree level: Master’s and PhD
• Open for all nationalities: No. Only citizens or permanent residents of the listed countries can apply
• Application deadline: December 1, 2026, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time
• Supporting documents deadline: January 10, 2027

What This Scholarship Offers:

• Full time graduate tuition and fees up to the general UH Mānoa rate
• A single room in an East West Center residence hall for the academic year
• A stipend for food and daily expenses, with the total package worth about $22,000 per year
• Automatic consideration for EWC Alumni and Foundation scholarships
• Travel grants for field study and conference presentations
• Leadership experience through projects, internships, and community service
• A lasting network of friends and contacts from across Asia, the Pacific, and the US
• Post completion academic training for eligible international fellows after graduation

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Eligibility Criteria:

Who Can Apply

You must be a citizen or permanent resident of one of these places:

• United States
• Pacific region: American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna Islands
• Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam
• South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
• East Asia: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan

Academic Requirements

• A four year bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited US college or a recognized university abroad. You must have it before the award starts.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or the equivalent, in your last four semesters or six quarters of undergraduate study and in any postgraduate work.
• Admission to a graduate program at UH Mānoa.
• EWC asks for a minimum TOEFL score of 79 or an IELTS Academic band score of 6.5.
• UH gives an exemption only if you studied in a country where English is the first language and received your degree within the past five years

Also Check: CRG International PhD Programme 2027 in Spain

Important Things to Know:

Visa Rules

International fellows come on a J1 Exchange Visitor visa. After the program, you must return to your home country for an aggregate period of two years.

Housing and Family

• Fellows who are single, or married with no children under 18, must live in the EWC dormitories. Pets are not allowed.
• The fellowship does not support spouses or dependents.
• You must come to Honolulu alone for the first semester.
• From the second semester, a spouse may stay in a double room, and you pay the extra cost.
• Fellows with children under 18 must live off campus. From the second semester, they receive a housing allowance equal to the single room rate.

No Deferral

You cannot postpone the fellowship to another semester or year. If you cannot arrive in early August 2027, you will need to reapply the following year.

Working While You Study

You can request permission to work on campus to help with living costs.

Total Funding Limit

You can receive this fellowship for no more than two academic years in total.

Also Check: University of Central Asia Cambridge Scholarship Programme (2027-2028)

Tips for a Strong Application:

• Show a clear commitment to Asia, the Pacific, and the US through your work, research, or volunteering.
• Choose a field of study that matches EWC’s goals.
• Ask referees who know both your academic ability and your community work, and remind them early about the January 10 deadline.
• Start your UH application early. It must be complete by January 10, even if your department’s own deadline is later.
• If you need TOEFL or IELTS, book your test early so the score reaches EWC by January 10.

How to Apply:

1. Apply to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. If you are not already a UH graduate student, submit your admission application by December 1.
2. Start your EWC application online.
3. Upload your documents by December 1.
   1. CV
   2. resume
   3. your UH Application Acknowledgment
   4. Your passport biodata page .
4. Arrange three letters of reference.
5. Make sure these reach EWC and UH by January 10, 2027.

Also Check: Wellington PhD Scholarship at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand