The East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship pays for a master’s or PhD at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) in Honolulu for students from Asia, the Pacific and the United States. It covers graduate tuition and fees, a room in an East-West Center residence hall and a partial stipend for food and incidentals, for up to 24 months. In return, fellows live at the Center and take part in its leadership, cultural and community programmes alongside students from dozens of countries.
The deadline for fall 2027 entry is 1 December 2026 at 11:59 pm Hawaii Standard Time, and it is still open. You need two applications: one to UH Mānoa for graduate admission, and a separate East-West Center (EWC) fellowship application on Submittable. Below are the eligible countries, what the award does and does not pay, the documents and the steps, checked on the EWC application page and other sources on 25 October 2026.
What the East-West Center is
The East-West Center is an education and research organisation in Honolulu set up by the US Congress in 1960 to build understanding between the United States, Asia and the Pacific. Its campus sits next to UH Mānoa. The Center does not award degrees itself. Fellows enrol at UH Mānoa, earn their degree from the university, and live and take part in programmes at the Center.
That arrangement matters when you apply. Admission to your UH graduate programme decides whether you can take up the fellowship at all, while the EWC decides who gets the funding and the place in its residence halls.
East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Host | East-West Center with the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa |
| Level | Master’s or doctoral degree |
| Intake | Fall 2027 (August) |
| Deadline | 1 December 2026, 11:59 pm Hawaii Standard Time |
| Duration | Up to 24 months, awarded one academic year at a time |
| Funding | Tuition and fees, EWC residence hall room, partial stipend |
| Estimated value | About US$22,000 a year, as reported from EWC’s own estimate |
| Who can apply | US citizens and permanent residents, and citizens of Asian and Pacific countries, including Russia |
Eligible countries
The EWC publishes a fixed list. If your country is not on it, you cannot apply, however strong your Asia-Pacific research interest.
| Region | Eligible countries and territories |
|---|---|
| United States | US citizens and permanent residents |
| Pacific | American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna |
| Southeast Asia | Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam |
| South Asia | Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka |
| East Asia | China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan |
Students from Africa, Europe, the Middle East (other than Iran and Afghanistan) and Latin America are not eligible for this fellowship. If you are from one of those regions and enrolled at UH Mānoa, the EWC has run a Student Affiliate route that offers discounted housing and access to its programmes without the fellowship funding.
What the fellowship pays for
- Full-time graduate tuition and fees for the academic year, at UH Mānoa’s general post-baccalaureate rate.
- A single room in an East-West Center residence hall for the academic year.
- A stipend that partly covers food and incidental costs.
- The chance to compete for extra funding for field study and conference presentations during your degree.
One 2026 report says the EWC values the package at about US$22,000 a year and that supplemental help may be available if you show financial need. That figure is the value of tuition, housing and stipend combined, not a cash payment. The EWC itself says all provisions are subject to change.
Costs you still have to cover
The award is generous but not complete. Plan for these from your own funds, a sponsor or a second scholarship:
| Cost | Covered by the fellowship? |
|---|---|
| Graduate tuition and fees (academic year) | Yes |
| EWC residence hall room (academic year) | Yes |
| Food and incidentals | Partly (stipend) |
| Health insurance | No |
| Flights between your home country and Honolulu | No |
| Visa fees and the US SEVIS fee | No |
| Books and educational materials | No |
| Settling-in costs | No |
| Summer tuition and summer housing | No |
Honolulu is one of the more expensive US cities, so build a realistic budget before you accept. UH will also ask for proof of funds for the uncovered part before it issues visa documents.
Eligibility for the East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship
- Citizenship of an eligible country, or US citizenship or permanent residence.
- A four-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited US institution or a recognised institution abroad, completed before the fellowship starts.
- An academic record that meets UH Mānoa’s graduate admission standards. UH generally expects at least a B average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in your last two years of undergraduate study and any later graduate work, and some departments ask for more.
- Admission to a UH Mānoa master’s or doctoral programme in a field relevant to the Center’s work on the US, Asia and the Pacific.
- Willingness to live in an EWC residence hall and take part in the Center’s educational, leadership, cultural and community programmes.
Priority goes to applicants who show a commitment to the future of the Indo-Pacific region and whose studies match the Center’s goals. Any UH graduate programme can qualify if you make the link to the region clear in your statement.
English requirements
Non-native English speakers must meet UH Mānoa’s Graduate Division English minimums, and many departments set higher scores. The EWC does not set a separate test. Check both the Graduate Division’s English proficiency page and your department’s admission page before you book a test, and leave time for official scores to reach UH.
Documents for the EWC application
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Proof that you have applied to UH Mānoa | The application acknowledgement receipt. If it is delayed, upload a short note saying you applied and will send proof later |
| CV or resume | Academic and work history, leadership and service |
| Passport biodata page | For international applicants, if you have one |
| Names and contact details of three references | The EWC contacts them; brief your referees early |
| UH statement of objectives | Written to your department’s instructions; continuing UH students in the same degree and field do not need a new one |
UH Mānoa’s graduate application needs its own documents on top of this: transcripts and degree certificates (with English translations), test scores where your department requires them, the department’s recommendation letters and the application fee.
How to apply for the East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship
- Pick your UH programme: choose a master’s or PhD at UH Mānoa that fits the Center’s Asia-Pacific focus, and check its own deadline, which may be earlier than 1 December.
- Apply to UH Mānoa first: submit the Graduate Division application for fall 2027. UH’s online system usually opens on 1 August.
- Save your acknowledgement: the UH confirmation email or receipt is the proof of application the EWC asks for.
- Write your statement of objectives: follow your department’s instructions, then show how your plans connect to the Asia-Pacific region.
- Open the EWC application on Submittable: it is linked from the Graduate Degree Fellowship page at eastwestcenter.org. Fill in every starred field and add your three references.
- Review before you press submit: you cannot edit the form afterwards. Changes have to go by email to the EWC Registrar’s Office.
- Submit by 1 December 2026, 11:59 pm HST: that is 09:59 GMT on 2 December.
- Finish your UH file: older EWC guidance asked applicants to have all UH and departmental documents in by 10 January so the Center can process them in time.
Deadline
The EWC fellowship application closes on 1 December 2026 at 11:59 pm Hawaii Standard Time. You must have applied to UH Mānoa by then, or at least be able to upload a note confirming that your UH application is under way.
How to write the statement of objectives
Your statement of objectives does double duty. Your UH department reads it to decide on admission, and the EWC reads it to judge your fit with the Center. Write it for both.
Start with the question you want to answer, then say why UH Mānoa and the East-West Center are the right place to answer it. A good opening is concrete: “As a district planning officer in Central Java, I have watched coastal farmers lose rice fields to saltwater and move to shrimp ponds with no technical support. I want to study how coastal adaptation policy can protect food security.” Then describe your training and experience, the faculty whose work fits yours, and what you will do with the degree.
Mention the Center directly. Reviewers want to see that you understand you will live in a community of students from across Asia, the Pacific and the US, and that you would contribute to it, for example through a seminar, a cultural event or a research network.
Common mistakes
- Applying to the EWC and forgetting the UH application, or applying to a programme whose own deadline has already passed.
- Submitting the Submittable form with errors, since it cannot be edited.
- Choosing referees who will not respond quickly. The EWC contacts them after you submit.
- Writing a statement of objectives that never mentions Asia or the Pacific.
- Assuming the award covers flights and insurance. It does not.
What happens after you apply
UH departments make admission decisions and the EWC runs its own fellowship review. The EWC does not publish a fixed notification date. Fellowships start in the fall semester, so successful applicants hear in spring, accept their UH admission, and receive visa documents for the US student or exchange visa the university and Center advise. Awards run one academic year at a time and can be renewed for a second year if funding allows and you stay in good academic standing. PhD students should plan funding for the years after the fellowship, such as a UH assistantship.
Similar scholarships to compare
| Scholarship | Where | Funding | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship | UH Mānoa, Honolulu | Tuition, EWC housing, partial stipend (up to 24 months) | 1 December 2026 |
| ADB-Japan Scholarship (see our best American scholarships guide) | UH Mānoa, Honolulu | Tuition, airfare, EWC housing, stipend, insurance | Runs in alternate years; check the EWC site |
| MEXT Scholarship | Japan | Tuition, monthly allowance, return flight | Embassy rounds April to June 2027 |
| NUS scholarships | Singapore | Varies by award | Varies by programme |
If you are looking for other American options, our US scholarships with upcoming deadlines page lists awards closing between now and March 2027.
Who should apply, and who should not
Apply if you are from an eligible Asian or Pacific country (or the US), have a good bachelor’s degree, want a UH Mānoa graduate programme anyway, and care about working on Asia-Pacific issues. It is especially good value for a two-year master’s, which it can cover almost entirely apart from flights, insurance and some living costs.
Look elsewhere if you are from an ineligible region, if you need a fellowship that pays flights and full living costs, or if you want a PhD and cannot find support for the years after the first two.
FAQs
What is the East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship deadline for 2027?
1 December 2026 at 11:59 pm Hawaii Standard Time for fall 2027 entry. You must also apply to your UH Mānoa graduate programme by its own deadline.
Is the East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship fully funded?
It pays tuition, fees and EWC housing, and gives a partial stipend, but not health insurance, flights, visa fees or books. Most fellows need some personal or outside funding.
Can African or European students apply for the East-West Center fellowship?
No. Only US citizens and permanent residents and citizens of the listed Asian and Pacific countries, including Russia, are eligible.
Do I need admission to the University of Hawai’i before applying?
You need to have applied to UH Mānoa, not to have been admitted yet. The EWC asks for proof of your UH application, and you can only take up the fellowship if UH admits you.
Sources and updates
Deadline, documents and submission rules come from the East-West Center’s 2027 Graduate Degree Fellowship application on Submittable (full details at eastwestcenter.org/gdf). Benefits, eligible countries and selection priority come from the EWC fellowship announcement for 2027 (as published by Opportunity Desk, August 2026) and the East-West Center’s fellowship listing, which gives the 24-month duration. The US$22,000 value estimate and the list of uncovered costs come from ProPakistani’s October 2026 report. GPA and application timing come from UH Mānoa Graduate Division guidance and the Scholars4Dev East-West Center page, used as a comparison. Checked on 25 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
