The US Capitol building in Washington DC viewed from the lawn.

United States For the 2027-28 term of study, the eligibility window opens 15 September 2026 and the last day to submit an Eligibility Form is 15 December 2026

P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship

The P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship is a quiet, long-running award from a American women's philanthropic organisation founded in 1869, and it is one of the more realistic supplementary funding sources for Sri Lankan women already heading to a US or Canadian graduate programme. The maximum award is USD 12,500 for a year of study, roughly LKR 4 million, with smaller amounts awarded according to assessed need. Be clear about what that is and is not: it is a substantial contribution towards a US Master's or doctorate, not a full ride. American graduate tuition frequently exceeds USD 12,500 on its own, so this award works best stacked on top of a departmental assistantship, a partial university scholarship or family funding. It is renewable for a second year if you still have coursework remaining. The programme's logic is in the name. P.E.O. funds women from outside the United States and Canada on the explicit premise that they will return home and use the education there, and the selection process gives real weight to how convincingly you describe that return. Sri Lankan applicants are eligible; there is no country quota and no government involvement. The one procedural quirk to plan around is that you cannot simply file an application. You must first submit an online Eligibility Form during a fixed window, and only if you clear that stage are you connected with a local P.E.O. chapter near your university, which then recommends you. That chapter relationship is part of the award — many scholars describe it as the more valuable half.

P.E.O. Sisterhood International

External Organization-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Maximum Award

USD 12,500 per year (LKR ~4M) — lesser amounts by need

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Renewable

Possible for a second year if coursework remains

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Who It Is For

Women who are not US or Canadian citizens or residents

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Women Applicants Only

This is a gender-restricted award from a women's organisation. It funds women pursuing graduate study; men are not eligible. There is no age limit.

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Not a US or Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident

You must be a citizen of a country other than the United States or Canada, and must not hold or be applying for permanent residency in either. Sri Lankan citizens qualify. Holding dual citizenship with the US or Canada disqualifies you.

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A Full Year of Coursework Remaining

At the time of the award you must have at least one full year of formal coursework left, and be enrolled and physically in residence in the US or Canada for the whole school year. Students in a dissertation-only or research-only final phase generally do not qualify.

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Admission to an Accredited Institution

You need proof of admission to an accredited US or Canadian college or university for graduate study. You cannot apply speculatively before you have an offer — this is funding for a place you already hold, not a route to one.

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Intention to Return to Sri Lanka

P.E.O. states plainly that recipients are expected to return to their home country and use the education there to contribute to peace. Selection weighs this. Applicants whose stated plan is to remain and work in North America are not the target group.

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Demonstrated Financial Need

Awards are scaled to assessed need, so the application asks for a full picture of your resources and costs. Presenting an honest, itemised budget in US dollars — tuition, health insurance, housing, and what your family in Sri Lanka can actually contribute — works better than understating.

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Secure your US or Canadian admission first

Complete your graduate applications and hold an admission offer before the P.E.O. window opens. The Eligibility Form asks for evidence of your programme and start date.

Submit the online Eligibility Form in the window

For the 2027-28 term, the window runs from 15 September to 15 December 2026. This is a screening step, not the application. Missing it means waiting a full year.

Get connected with a local P.E.O. chapter

If you clear eligibility, P.E.O. links you with a chapter near your university, which recommends you for the scholarship. Respond promptly and treat the chapter contact seriously — they are your sponsors, not an administrative formality.

Complete the full application with references

The full application covers your academic record, financial need, study plan and your intentions after graduation. References and transcripts are required. Write the return-home section about a specific problem, employer or sector in Sri Lanka.

Notification and disbursement

Awards are announced ahead of the academic year and paid towards your costs of study. Confirm with your university's international office how an external award interacts with any institutional aid you already hold, since some US universities reduce need-based aid pound for pound.

Plan the rest of the funding honestly

Treat USD 12,500 as one component. Sri Lankan students should also pursue departmental assistantships, which at many US universities carry a tuition waiver plus a stipend and are worth far more than any external scholarship.

Why P.E.O.?

P.E.O. is a philanthropic educational organisation founded in Iowa in 1869 that has funded women's education for over 150 years, and the International Peace Scholarship has supported women from more than 175 countries since 1949. For a Sri Lankan woman it has two specific advantages over the more famous US scholarships: it is decided on need and character rather than on standardised test scores, and it comes with a local chapter of women who will host you, drive you to the airport, and know where to find winter clothing — a practical support network that most international students in North America simply do not have.