Top 25 Scholarships in the USA for International Students

If you’re an international student looking to study in the United States, you might wonder which scholarships are available to you and how to apply for them. You’ve come to the right place! We’ve gathered our top 25 scholarships based on financial value and eligibility criteria so that you can find the perfect scholarship for your specific situation. Here’s everything you need to know about scholarships in the USA for international students and how to find them if you’re looking to return to school in America.

The United States is one of the ideal destinations for students who are looking to benefit from a top-notch and widely recognized international education. In the United States, more than 6 million international students come from countries all over the world to study at one of the thousands of colleges and universities in America. However, gaining admission to study abroad in a country like the USA could be money-consuming, except if you have some sponsorship.

With so many students coming from abroad, it’s not hard to see why there’s a need for international scholarships in the USA that are specifically designed to help cover the costs of education and living expenses. To help you, we’ve compiled a list of US colleges and universities scholarships in the USA and scholarships granted by the US government and institutions. Read on to learn more about how to find, apply for, and win these scholarships!

Government Scholarships in the USA for International Students

Here are USA Government scholarships for international students to study in the country.

Foreign Fulbright Student Program

The Fulbright Program is a full scholarship in the USA for international students who wants to pursue a Master’s or Ph.D. degree. The scholarships can also be awarded for non-degree postgraduate studies. The grant covers tuition fees, textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance.

Humphrey Fellowship Program

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program provides a year of professional enrichment in the United States for experienced professionals from designated countries throughout the world. Fellows are selected based on their leadership potential and commitment to public service in either the public or private sector. The fellowships are entire grants covering all related expenses.

University Scholarships in the USA for International Students

Furthermore, here are the US colleges and universities that offer scholarships for international students.

American University Scholarships

American University (AU) awards a limited number of generous partial merit scholarships to academically-qualified incoming international first-year undergraduate students. No need-based financial aid is available to international students. The merit scholarship range from U.S.$6,000 to U.S.$25,000 per academic year (renewable subject to conditions).

Check Also: AU Emerging Global Scholarship Program

Amherst College Scholarships

Amherst College currently runs a need-based financial aid program that assists financially needy international students. Once you have been admitted, your financial need is determined. An award of financial assistance equal to your market will then be offered. The award is sometimes called an “aid package” because it may include both self-help (employment) and gift aid (scholarships and grants).

Berea College Scholarships

Berea College is the only school in the United States that provides 100% funding to 100% of international students for the first year of enrollment. This combination of financial aid and scholarships offsets the costs of tuition, room, board, and fees. In subsequent years, international students are expected to save $1,000 (US) per year to contribute toward their expenses. The College does provide summer jobs to international students so that they may meet this obligation.

Clark University Scholarships

Clark University offers the Clark Global Scholars Program, which is open to first-year applicants (not transfer students) who have attended school overseas for at least four years and international citizens attending school in the United States. A scholarship of $15,000 to $25,000 per year (for four years, contingent upon meeting academic standards for renewal) and a guaranteed $2,500 taxable stipend for a paid internship or research assistantship taken for academic credit during the summer following your sophomore or junior year is included with the award.

Colby-Sawyer College Scholarships

International students are eligible for merit-based financial aid offered by Colby-Sawyer College. The scholarship value increases based on academic ability (measured in GPA) and ranges from $15,000 to $28,000 per year. The college does not meet its total financial need.

Columbia College Scholarships

Columbia College offers scholarships and awards to outstanding international students. The awards are one-time cash grants or 15%- 100% tuition reduction.

Concordia College Scholarships

Concordia prizes international students’ contributions on campus and is pleased to provide partial financial assistance to international students. The International Student Scholarship is based on academic ability and family needs, amounting to $28,000 per year. International Excellence Scholarships are competitive, merit-based scholarships awarded to international first-year or transfer students for up to four years and can go as high as $28,000.

Dartmouth College Scholarships

Dartmouth College meets the demonstrated need of all admitted undergraduates, including those from other countries. Moreover, Dartmouth College has scholarships and loans available to international students, which include an allowance for travel to the United States.

East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State University (ETSU) offers the International Students Academic Merit Scholarship for new international students seeking a graduate or undergraduate degree. The scholarship value per academic year is $12,500 for Undergraduate students and $11,500 for Graduate students.

East-West Center

The East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship provides funding for up to 24 months for Master’s or Doctoral degree study for graduate students from Asia, the Pacific, and the U.S. to participate in the educational, residential, and leadership development programs at the East-West Center while pursuing graduate study at the University of Hawai’i.

Emory College Scholarships

Emory College offers need-based financial aid awards to a select group of international students each year. International applicants are also encouraged to apply for partial to full merit-based scholarships through the Emory University Scholars Program (November 15 deadline).

Illinois Wesleyan University Scholarships

Merit-based scholarships are offered to qualified international applicants with outstanding academic achievement and test scores on the required entrance exams. These awards range from $16,000 to $30,000 annually and are renewable for up to four years. In addition, two full-tuition President’s International Student Scholarships may be awarded each year to qualified international students for up to four years of study.

Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships

International freshmen will be considered for a limited number of merit scholarships. Scholarship selection is competitive based on a holistic review of SAT or ACT scores and high school marks/grades. The awards range from $2,000 to $10,000 and are renewable.

Michigan State University International Scholarships

Michigan University provides a limited number of scholarships and grants to deserving international students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. These financial packages are not designed to support your complete academic program at MSU.

New York University Wagner Scholarships

The merit scholarships are offered to a limited number of admitted students each application cycle, including international students. The scholarships are partial to full tuition, ranging from $25,000 to $47,000.

Oregon University Scholarships

Each year, the University of Oregon awards more than one million dollars in financial aid and scholarships to international students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. One of their scholarship programs is the ICSP Scholarship which awards tuition-waiver scholarships ranging from partial to full tuition for up to 15 credits per term each year. Scholarships are based on financial need, academic merit, and the ability to make presentations to diverse groups of people.

Stanford University Scholarships

Stanford University Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship for international students. This scholarship is offered for Masters and Ph.D. studies. This scholarship provides total tuition fees, traveling allowance, Living allowance, and educational expenses.

Wesleyan University Scholarships

However, financial aid for international students is minimal and awarded based on exceptional qualifications and demonstrated needs. The Freeman Asian Scholars Program provides full-tuition scholarships for a four-year course of study at Wesleyan toward a bachelor’s degree for 11 exceptionally able Asian students. In addition to the 11 Freeman Asian Scholars, the University is expected to offer financial assistance to approximately 30 international students from a pool of roughly 600 such applicants.

University of the West Scholarships

The University of the West offers scholarships to new international students who achieve high academic standards and demonstrate a financial need, such as the President’s and Dean’s scholarships. Scholarship recipients will have the total cost of tuition waived for 7.5-15 undergraduate or 6-12 graduate units per semester.

US Scholarships Offered by Institutions

Institutions that fund international scholarships for study in the US

Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarships

The Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program provides full scholarships to students from World Bank member countries to pursue development-related studies at selected universities worldwide. Students can choose to study at 8 participating USA Universities, including Harvard University, John Hopkins University, University of Chicago, Cornell University, and Columbia University.

AAUW International Fellowships

AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University Women) awards international fellowships for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not US citizens or permanent residents. The scholarship are worth $18,000 for Masters, 20,000 for PhD and $30,000 for Postdoctoral students.

Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme

The Aga Khan Foundation provides a limited number of scholarships each year for postgraduate studies to outstanding students from selected developing countries who have no other means of financing their studies. The studies can be undertaken anywhere, including in the US. Scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant: 50% loan basis through a competitive application process once a year.

Final Thoughts

The USA is a prime destination for international students. There are many scholarships in the United States, but only so few are fully funded. The good thing about US scholarships is that they are offered by the US government, American-owned organizations and bodies, and American Universities. Local students also have several merit-based and sport-based scholarship opportunities in the US. More than 1100 scholarships are available at USA top universities for international students for the academic year 2023.

These scholarships provide an average monthly stipend of $2000, tuition fees, accommodation charges, health insurance, and travel allowance. Find the exemplary scholarship in the United States for various academic degrees, including business and management scholarships, engineering scholarships, law school or medical school scholarships, sports, arts, or music scholarships to help pay for your studies abroad.