The AAUW International Fellowship is money for women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who already have a place in a master's, doctoral or postdoctoral program at an accredited U.S. college or university. It is run by the American Association of University Women, and it has been going since 1917. For a Pakistani woman who has an admission letter in hand but a funding gap still to close, it is one of the more realistic awards to add to the pile.
It is also a partial award. That one fact shapes everything about how you should approach it, so most of this guide is about planning around it. You can see the full scholarship details on our site, and the official rules live on the AAUW International Fellowships page.
The short version in one table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | American Association of University Women (AAUW) |
| Funding type | Partial funding (fixed stipend) |
| Stipend | $20,000 for master's/first professional degree, $25,000 for doctoral |
| Levels | Master's, PhD, postdoctoral |
| Fields | All fields |
| Where you study | Any accredited college or university in the United States |
| Application window | Opens August 17, 9:00 AM ET. Closes September 17, 5:00 PM ET (for the following academic year) |
| Official site | aauw.org |
Who this fellowship actually suits
This award is a good fit if three things are already true for you. You are a woman (or identify as one). You are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. And you have already been admitted to, or are enrolled in, a graduate or postdoctoral program at a U.S.-accredited institution. Pakistani women fit the nationality side of this without any special conditions, since the only citizenship test is that you are not American and do not hold U.S. permanent residency.
The admission point is where most people trip up. AAUW does not fund the search for a university place. It funds the study once the place is secured. If you are still waiting on decisions from U.S. universities, you are not ready for this application yet, and AAUW will not consider an application that is still pending admission.
The fellowship also leans toward women who plan to use their education for their home country or community. AAUW gives some preference to women whose work addresses the needs of women and girls, though this is not an absolute requirement. A Pakistani applicant in public health, education, engineering, the social sciences or a STEM research area, with a clear plan for applying that training back home or in a global setting, sits comfortably inside what the selection committees look for.
Who should probably skip it? Anyone who needs a fully funded package from a single source and has no other funding lined up. The stipend alone will not carry you through a U.S. program.
What $20,000 or $25,000 really means for your budget
The fellowship is a fixed stipend, not cost-of-attendance coverage. Master's and first professional degree fellows receive $20,000. Doctoral fellows receive $25,000. The money is paid in two equal installments across the fellowship year.
For postdoctoral fellows, the stipend amount is not listed in the information we have, so check the current figure on the official AAUW page before you build any budget around it.
AAUW is clear that the award is meant to be combined with university funding, assistantships or other scholarships. In practice, that means you should treat it as one piece of a funding plan. If your university has offered a partial tuition waiver or a teaching or research assistantship, the AAUW stipend can help cover the rest. If your university has offered nothing, the stipend will rarely cover a full U.S. program on its own.
Beyond the cash, fellows join the global AAUW International Fellows alumnae network, and alumnae can access further AAUW community action and career development grant opportunities. Those are useful later in your career, but they will not pay your rent in the first year, so do not count them in your budget.
When your U.S. visa interview comes around, you will need to show how the full cost is covered. If the AAUW stipend is only part of the picture, read our guide on bank statements and proof of funds so the rest of your funding is documented properly.
The September 1 to April 30 rule
One eligibility condition is easy to miss. Your program of study must begin on or before September 1 and continue through at least April 30 of the fellowship year. If you have been admitted for a spring start, or your program runs on an unusual calendar, check this carefully against your offer letter before spending time on the application.
The other formal requirements are a strong academic record and clear research or professional goals. Neither is defined with a minimum GPA or test score in the information available, so the committees are judging the overall picture rather than a single cut-off.
Paperwork AAUW asks for
The application is not document-heavy compared with many government scholarships, but every item matters. You will need:
- The completed online AAUW International Fellowship application
- Proof of admission or enrollment at a U.S.-accredited institution
- Academic transcripts
- A personal statement describing your study or research plans and your future goals
- Letters of recommendation from academic or professional referees
- Proof that you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Your transcripts and degree documents are probably already in order if you have secured U.S. admission, but if anything still needs verifying, our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide explains the process.
A one-month window, and how to use it
The application portal opens on August 17 at 9:00 AM ET and closes on September 17 at 5:00 PM ET. That is roughly a month, which is tight if you start from zero when the portal opens. Confirm the exact dates for your cycle on the official portal, since they apply to the following academic year and can shift.
Both times are given in U.S. Eastern Time. Convert them to Pakistan time yourself before the window opens, and do not plan to submit in the final hours.
The process itself runs like this:
- Secure admission or enrollment at a U.S.-accredited college or university.
- Create an account on the AAUW online application portal once it opens.
- Complete the application form and personal statement, and upload your transcripts and proof of admission.
- Arrange for your recommenders to submit their letters through the portal before the deadline.
- Wait for review by AAUW's fellowship selection committees, which takes place over winter and spring.
- Expect award notifications, typically in the spring ahead of the fellowship year.
Notice the timing. You apply in August and September, and you hear back in spring. That means you are usually applying for the academic year after next, or for continued study in a program you have already started. If you are a first-year master's student whose program lasts long enough, this can work well as funding for a later stretch of your degree, provided you meet the September 1 to April 30 rule.
Writing a personal statement AAUW will take seriously
The personal statement is where most of the competition happens. AAUW places a strong emphasis on how you intend to use your education for your home country or community, and on women's leadership and empowerment. Your statement should answer that directly.
Be concrete. If your field is not obviously about gender, you can still connect it to opportunities for women and girls. An engineering student might write about the women she has mentored in her department or the barriers she has seen women face in her industry in Pakistan. A public health researcher can tie her work to maternal care or girls' health in specific districts. Vague lines about "giving back" do much less than one clear plan with a place, a problem and a role you will play.
Leadership counts. Any community engagement, leadership roles, or mentorship of other women should appear in the statement and ideally in at least one recommendation letter as well.
Mistakes that sink otherwise strong applications
Applying before admission is the most common one, and it is fatal. If you do not yet have an offer letter, wait.
Leaving recommenders until the portal opens is the second. Referees often need weeks of lead time,. Ask them in early summer, give them your draft statement and CV, and remind them that letters go through the portal before September 17.
Treating the stipend as full funding is the third. If you plan your finances as though $20,000 or $25,000 covers everything, you may end up short when you face the visa officer or arrive on campus. Pair your AAUW application with a funding request to your university for assistantships or tuition support.
The last one is inconsistency. Your personal statement, CV and recommendation letters should tell the same story about your goals. If your statement says you will return to work in rural education and a letter describes you as heading to industry research, the committee will notice. Proofread all of it side by side.
For a broader look at scholarship paperwork, the international scholarships documents checklist is a useful companion. You can also browse all United States scholarships to find awards that could be stacked with this one.
Frequently asked questions
Will AAUW help me get admitted to a U.S. university?
No. You must already be admitted to, or enrolled in, a U.S.-accredited program when you apply. The fellowship funds study once your place is secured.
Is the AAUW International Fellowship fully funded?
No. It is a fixed stipend of $20,000 for master's or first professional degree study and $25,000 for doctoral study, meant to be combined with other funding. It does not cover the full cost of attendance.
Can Pakistani women apply?
Yes, as long as you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and meet the other conditions, including admission to an accredited U.S. program.
Do I have to study a women's or gender-related subject?
No. All fields are eligible. Preference may go to work that addresses issues affecting women and girls, so it helps to show how your field connects to that, but it is not an absolute requirement.
Can men apply?
No. The fellowship is open only to women or those who identify as women.
Is it limited to certain universities?
No. You can study at any accredited college or university in the United States. AAUW does not restrict the fellowship to partner institutions.
Before you start, check the current cycle's dates and stipend amounts on the official AAUW website, and keep the AAUW International Fellowships scholarship page handy for a quick summary.