Balochistan Opens Fully Funded Foreign PhD Scholarships: BEEF Applications Close 30 April 2027

Short answer: The Balochistan Education Endowment Fund (BEEF) is taking applications for the Chief Minister Merit Foreign Scholarship for PhD, a fully funded PhD abroad for people with a Balochistan domicile. The closing date on BEEF's page is 30 April 2027. You need an unconditional offer letter from a top 100 QS-ranked university, at least 60% marks and to be 40 or younger on the closing date.

On 4 October 2026 the provincial government announced fully funded foreign PhD scholarships for students of the province. Press reports said ten scholars would be chosen every year. That number is a report, because we did not find it on BEEF's scheme page.

We read the BEEF scheme page for the PhD programme on 12 October 2026. The page shows the status as open and lists the rules below. This is a province-level programme, so it applies only to people from Balochistan.

What the scholarship pays for

BEEF says it covers tuition fees, living allowances, health insurance, airfare and visa processing fees, with upper ceilings fixed by BEEF. The page does not show the monthly living allowance, so we cannot give you a rupee or dollar figure.

The ceilings matter. If your university charges more than BEEF's upper limit, you must cover the difference or choose another university. Ask BEEF for the ceiling table before you accept an offer.

Who can apply

You must hold a Balochistan domicile, be at most 40 years old on the closing date, have at least 60% marks throughout your studies and hold an unconditional PhD offer from a top 100 QS-ranked university. Permanent public sector faculty are not eligible.

• You hold a local domicile of Balochistan and a CNIC, with a residence certificate from the district administration.
• You are not older than 40 years on the closing date.
• You scored at least 60% marks throughout your academic career. One second division is allowed, and MS or MPhil is excluded from this count.
• You have an unconditional or valid PhD offer letter from a top 100 QS-ranked university.
• You have never received a foreign PhD scholarship before.
• You are not a permanent or regular faculty member in the public sector.
• You have no criminal record and you pass the BEEF aptitude test.

If you need a domicile first, our guide on Balochistan domicile through NADRA centres explains the route.

The 70 and 30 split by subject

BEEF says 70% of places go to STEM subjects and 30% go to social sciences, humanities and arts. A science applicant therefore competes for a larger pool than an arts applicant, but there are also more science applicants.

Choose your subject area with care. The page asks you to match your offer to the QS list that BEEF provides as a downloadable file. The page mentions both a 2025 ranking session and a 2027 list, so check which year's list BEEF applies to your application.

How to apply

Get your offer letter first, then submit BEEF's online application form with your documents, and sit the BEEF aptitude test. The university admission and language test, such as IELTS, remain your own responsibility.

1. Choose a PhD programme at a university in the QS top 100 list on the BEEF page.
2. Apply to the university and get an unconditional or valid offer letter.
3. Collect your documents: application form, offer letter, district residence certificate, CNIC showing your Balochistan address and two reference letters.
4. Submit the BEEF application form through the BEEF website before 30 April 2027.
5. Sit the BEEF aptitude test when BEEF calls you.
6. Meet the university's own admission and language conditions.

Other BEEF schemes if this one does not fit

BEEF lists more than ten schemes on its site. If you study inside Pakistan, the BEEF out of province scholarship is for Balochistan students at public universities elsewhere. A fund for lawyers is also on the BEEF list, and we cover it in our guide to the BEEF lawyers endowment.

Outside Balochistan's own funds, the HEC and DAAD PhD scholarship and the Pakistan AI plan PhD scholarship are open to students from any province.

Common questions

What is the closing date for the BEEF foreign PhD scholarship?

The BEEF page gives 30 April 2027 as the closing date. We read it on 12 October 2026, so check the page again before you apply.

How many scholars will BEEF choose each year?

Press reports said ten a year. The BEEF scheme page we read did not state a number, so treat ten as reported.

Do I need an offer letter before I apply?

Yes. BEEF asks for an unconditional or valid PhD offer letter from a top 100 QS-ranked university.

Can a government lecturer apply?

Not a permanent or regular faculty member of a public sector institution. The page excludes them.

Is there an age limit?

Yes. You must be at most 40 years old on the closing date.

Does the scholarship pay my airfare?

Yes. BEEF lists airfare, health insurance and visa processing fees among the covered costs.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the Chief Minister Merit Foreign Scholarship for PhD page and the scheme list at beef.org.pk/cmspp on 12 October 2026. We did not read the monthly allowance or the tuition ceiling. The ten-a-year figure and the 4 October announcement date are from press reports that we could not match to a BEEF page.