Scholarships for Iraqi Students at US Universities

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Iraq is a US government funded scholarship for up to two years of master's study in the US, open to almost any field except clinical medicine and other direct patient care disciplines. It covers tuition, a monthly stipend, round-trip airfare, and health insurance. The US Embassy in Baghdad and AMIDEAST run the program locally, and AMIDEAST's Iraq office handles the application process.

Applicants must be Iraqi citizens or permanent residents, and US citizens or permanent residents do not qualify. After the program, Fulbright grantees are subject to a two-year home residency requirement under section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, meaning you return to Iraq for two years before you can apply for most other US visa categories. The most recent cycle for Iraq closed on May 1, 2026. Watch AMIDEAST Iraq's scholarship page and the embassy site for the next round's announcement.

Other AMIDEAST-administered programs

AMIDEAST's Iraq office lists additional US-bound exchange opportunities beyond Fulbright, including undergraduate exchange years in the US aimed at improving English and academic skills before returning to finish a degree at home. Check the current openings directly on AMIDEAST Iraq's scholarship listing , since specific exchange programs open and close on their own schedules.

Fulbright and AMIDEAST-listed programs are competitive and cover only a small number of students each cycle, so treat them as one part of a wider funding plan rather than your only option. Apply to a mix of fully funded government-backed programs, need-blind universities, and merit-based awards at the same time, since each has separate deadlines and separate odds.

Need-blind US universities that fund international students

A small group of highly selective US universities, including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Amherst, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, and Washington and Lee, admit international applicants need-blind, meaning your ability to pay has no effect on your admission decision. Brown and Notre Dame are extending need-blind admission to international applicants starting with their Class of 2029. At these schools, admitted students, including Iraqi students, receive aid to cover 100 percent of demonstrated financial need, on the same basis as US citizens, according to Harvard College's international applicants page . This route depends entirely on being admitted to one of these schools, so it works only for applicants with a very strong academic record.

To be considered for need-based aid, you typically submit the CSS Profile or a school's own international financial aid application alongside your regular application, listing your family's income, assets, and any outside scholarship support. Submit this at the same time as your admission application rather than after, since most schools set the same deadline for both and will not backdate an aid request.

Merit scholarships at other universities

Outside the need-blind group, many US public and private universities offer partial merit scholarships to international undergraduates based on grades and test scores, separate from need-based aid. Amounts and eligibility rules differ widely by school, so check the international admissions or financial aid page of each university on your list rather than assuming a fixed amount applies everywhere.

Graduate assistantships for master's and PhD applicants

At the graduate level, many US departments fund PhD students and some master's students through teaching or research assistantships. In exchange for teaching sections, grading, or working on a professor's research, the department waives your tuition and pays a monthly stipend. This funding comes from the department, not a scholarship office, so ask about assistantship availability directly when you contact professors or graduate coordinators in your field, since practice varies widely between departments and disciplines.

Iraq's own funding: HCED

Iraq's Higher Committee for Education Development (HCED) is funding 5,000 postgraduate scholarships between 2025 and 2030, at a rate of about 1,000 a year, covering master's, PhD, and medical training. As of 2026, the approved list under this program covers 72 universities in the United Kingdom, with no US institutions included, and study must be full-time and in person. If you are counting on Iraqi government funding for a US program, confirm current eligibility directly at hcediraq.org rather than assuming it applies, since the program's country coverage can change between cycles.

Before you apply

• Get your transcripts evaluated by a NACES member, such as World Education Services , before you submit any scholarship application that asks for US-equivalent grades.

• Confirm the receiving school is SEVP certified through Study in the States , since a scholarship does not replace the I-20 requirement for an F-1 visa.

• Read the return-to-home-country terms of any government or exchange scholarship before you accept it, since programs like Fulbright carry binding conditions after you finish.

• Contact the Iraqi Cultural Office in Washington, DC if your funding comes through Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, since it helps place and support government-sponsored students at US schools.

• Ask your target school about a fee waiver for the application fee itself, since many US universities waive it for applicants who show financial hardship, saving you money before you even know whether you are admitted.

Sources

• AMIDEAST: Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Iraq
• AMIDEAST Iraq scholarship listings
• Harvard College international applicants
• HCED Iraq eligibility
• Study in the States school search
• Iraqi Cultural Office, Washington DC