Scholarships for Kazakh Students at US Universities

Bolashak Pays Full Cost, If You Already Have an Offer

The Bolashak International Scholarship is the largest single source of Kazakh government funding for study abroad. Kazakhstan's first President created the program in 1993 to send citizens to strong foreign universities and bring skills home. Bolashak funds bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees, plus residency training and professional internships, at approved schools outside Kazakhstan.

For US study it covers tuition, a monthly living allowance, accommodation support, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and full research funding for PhD and fellowship applicants, according to the official Bolashak program page .

Bolashak works backward from a US admission, not toward one. You need an unconditional offer from a university on Kazakhstan's approved list before you apply, so line up your US applications first and use the offer letter to support your Bolashak application.

2026 Bolashak Timeline

• Application window: March 30 to May 31, 2026, 23:59 Astana time

• Apply online at studyin.kz/admission

• Selection runs in 3 rounds: language, psychological, and subject testing, then an interview with the Independent Expert Commission, then final approval by the Republican Committee for Training of Specialists Abroad

Source: Bolashak scholarship program .

What Bolashak Asks in Return

Scholars sign a contract to return to Kazakhstan and work there for at least 5 years after graduating.

You also pledge property or provide a financial surety equal to the scholarship's value. Treat the award as a binding commitment tied to your future work location, not a free trip.

Most scholarship programs, Bolashak included, expect you to maintain a minimum GPA and stay enrolled full time to keep your funding each year. Check your award letter for the exact academic standard and report your grades to the program on schedule.

University Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships

US universities add their own money on top of any home-country award. Undergraduate programs commonly give merit scholarships based on grades and test scores, ranging from a few thousand dollars a year to a full tuition waiver for the strongest applicants at their top-choice schools. A smaller group of schools also weigh financial need for admitted international students and can combine merit and need-based aid into one package.

Graduate programs, especially at the PhD level, more often fund students through teaching or research assistantships. A typical assistantship waives your tuition and pays a monthly stipend in exchange for roughly 20 hours a week of teaching or lab work, and most run for the length of the program rather than requiring you to reapply each year.

Award types and amounts vary widely by school and department. Two programs with similar rankings can differ completely on funding, one offering a fully funded PhD seat and the other offering none. Check the international admissions and financial aid pages for each school on your list before you commit to applying there, and email the graduate department directly to ask about assistantship openings for your intended start term.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is a US government award for master's and PhD study, open to citizens of many countries including Kazakhstan. It runs through the US Embassy's public affairs section or a national Fulbright commission in your home country.

The program funds a wide range of academic fields, generally covering tuition, a living stipend, and health insurance for the length of the funded program. Funding levels, eligible fields, and deadlines change by cycle, so confirm the current round with the US Embassy in Kazakhstan before you build a plan around it.

Fees Your Scholarship Might Not Cover

Even a full scholarship rarely pays the US government fees attached to your student visa. Budget $350 for the SEVIS I-901 fee, $185 for the visa application fee, and $250 for the visa integrity fee, $785 total, according to Study in the States and the Department of State fee schedule . The visa integrity fee took effect on October 1, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, applies to F-1 and other nonimmigrant visas, and is charged when your visa is issued rather than when you apply, with no waiver or reduction available (University of Illinois Chicago OIS ).

The SEVIS and visa application fees do not come back if your visa is refused, so pay them only once your I-20 and funding are confirmed. Set aside extra cash for travel to your interview city and for the first weeks in the US before any campus stipend or scholarship disbursement arrives.

Use Your Scholarship Letter as Visa Financial Evidence

Whatever funding you secure, keep the official award letter. Your school's international student office needs proof of funding to issue Form I-20, and the US consulate reviewing your visa application asks for the same proof again at your interview. A clear Bolashak, Fulbright, or university award letter, together with bank statements covering any costs the scholarship does not, makes both steps faster.

Other Places to Look

• Employers in Kazakhstan that sponsor staff for graduate study abroad in exchange for a return-service agreement

• Subject-specific foundations and professional associations in engineering, medicine, and business, which often fund conference travel and short research stints alongside tuition

• On-campus work once you arrive. F-1 rules allow up to 20 hours a week on campus during the school term, enough to cover books and daily costs though not tuition

• Departmental travel grants and small research stipends, usually posted on a university's own graduate school website rather than a central scholarship database

Build Your Application Timeline

1. Research and apply to US universities 12 to 18 months before your intended start term

2. Accept an offer and request your Form I-20 from the school's international student office

3. Apply for Bolashak or Fulbright with your admission letter in hand, and track each program's own deadline separately from your university deadlines

4. Once funding is confirmed, pay your SEVIS fee and book your visa interview