US discontinues 15-year global UGRAD programme for Pakistan

April 09, 2025 (MLN): The United States has decided to discontinue the Global Undergraduate Exchange programme (Global UGRAD) for students from Pakistan, bringing an end to a 15-year initiative that provided hundreds of Pakistani students with the opportunity to study in the United States.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the United States Educational Foundation (USEF) Pakistan announced the termination of the programme, citing instructions from the US State Department to cease the initiative for Pakistan.

The post stated, We understand that this news may be disappointing, especially for those who applied this year and were looking forward to this opportunity, as per the press release.

Over the years, the Global UGRAD programme has provided life-changing experiences to thousands of students, fostering academic growth, cultural exchange, and leadership development.

We are immensely proud of the impact this programme has had on its participants and the communities they have touched, it added.

The decision has come as a shock to many aspiring students in Pakistan who hoped to gain exposure and enhance their learning through this prestigious exchange programme.

This move also reflects a broader trend of the US revoking visas for foreign nationals as part of an extensive national security review, a process that has raised concerns and uncertainty among students and Green Card holders alike.

Launched in 2010, the Global UGRAD Pakistan Programme, funded by the U.S. government, has benefited over 2,500 Pakistani students.

The programme was designed to enhance students' community engagement, leadership skills, and commitment to service.

Alumni of the programme have gone on to serve in various fields, uplifting their communities and earning worldwide recognition for their contributions.

The programme’s discontinuation marks the end of a significant initiative that has had a long-lasting impact on Pakistani students, who gained valuable international exposure and developed critical skills.

The US Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP), which has overseen the initiative, is a bi-national commission established in 1950 by the governments of the US and Pakistan.

Its mission is to foster mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries through educational and cultural exchange programmes.

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