Students in the United States have access to numerous excellent scholarship possibilities. Scholarships are non-repayable financial aid awards that are frequently given based on merit or other predetermined criteria. These financial aid are offered by organizations, foundations, and enterprises, as well as by colleges and institutions in some cases.
The United States of America is known to be the region that offers the highest number of scholarships for both domestic and international students. Here’s a comprehensive list of US scholarships covering government, external, and university scholarships you can apply.
Best External Scholarships in the USA
1. AAUW International Fellowships
One of the best scholarships available for students in the United States is the AAUW International Fellowships program, which provides an average of $20,000 up to $50,000 based on the level of study and the conditions set to earn this scholarship. High-achieving women already accepted at a university can apply for this scholarship as this aims to empower women through excellent formal education and make the U.S. inclusive without gender bias.
Here is what American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowship Scholars Say:
“In the second year of my PhD, I applied for and won the American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowship, with an award amount of $20,000 covering my living expenses for the 2022/2023 academic session.”
Mary Oluwatosin Kaka
“Connect your stories to the institution’s raison d’être. Make it very clear and powerful. Only in that way will the institution pay attention to your story.”
Sung Hyun Lee
“I created an Excel spreadsheet where I organized every possible funding opportunity: eligibility criteria, deadlines, required documents, and links to past recipients or webinars.”
Ángela Sánchez
“The AAUW International Fellowship typically opens in August.”
Jarin Taslem Mourosi
“What I would say made my application stand out was that I made it personal. I tailored every question they asked to myself and my background.”
Loveth Amarachi Odozor
2. #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: 50% discount on tuition fees
- Eligible Degree/s: Bachelor’s
The #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship is one of the best scholarships available for international students studying in the U.S. This scholarship is set to spread support for international students which offers up to 50% coverage to help students with their tuition fees.
Aspiring first-time undergraduate scholars must show outstanding writing skills because they will be required to submit an essay or a video to answer a specific prompt.
3. Rotary Peace Fellowships
The Rotary Peace Fellowship, as stated by its name, is a fellowship focused on supporting the most talented individuals who are very promising for the future. The scholarship aims to provide students with full tuition coverage, housing, and field expenses for their studies.
The scholarship is a part of a non-profit organization that supports formal education in the United States and is very credible. The only criteria for this scholarship are to possess a bachelor’s degree and have three years of related experience regarding their master’s degree. The scholarship link explains the requirements in detail, where students will find out if the scholarship is valid.
Best Government Scholarships in the USA
4. Fulbright Scholarships
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: Fully Funded
- Eligible Degree/s: Master’s, Ph.D.
- Meet the Fulbright Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Jerónimo Martí Vértiz from Mexico and Sanchet Sharma from India
The Fullbright Scholarships are among the most well-known financial aid for international students. The Fulbright program provides several merit-based scholarship opportunities to international students. Depending on the program, a scholar can receive up to full funding throughout the study.
Students can take advantage of this scholarship as it has numerous affiliations with US universities, which means that students will have a wide selection of universities to choose from, which can be part of the public or private system.
Here is what Fulbright Scholarship Scholars Say:
“For those unfamiliar, the Fulbright Scholarship is a prestigious, competitive, fully-funded program that provides funding for graduate study and research in the United States.”
Ednilson Mburine
“The final selection is done by Fulbright and usually, they send you where there is maximum funding from the university.”
Eesha
“Understand the purpose of the scholarship and tailor your application to align with it.”
Mahnoor Sheikh
“I was honored to receive the prestigious Fulbright Thai Graduate Scholarship, awarded to only seven recipients annually from a highly competitive pool of approximately 200 applicants.”
Suparit Suwanik
5. Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: Fully funded
- Eligible Degree/s: Graduate-Level Non-Degree Program
- Meet the Humphrey Fellows: Explore scholarship journeys including Aktham A. Arabeyat from Jordan and Lina Mairet Solano Carrillo from Colombia
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is an excellent opportunity for non-U.S. citizens who want to study and research in the U.S. The program is fully funded, covering tuition, monthly stipend, training and professional activities, air travel expenses, books, and settling-in allowance. There are 150 Humphrey recipients every year and each is selected for its leadership potential and academic merit.
Here is what Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program Scholars Say:
“The fellowship covers tuition, living expenses, travel, professional development activities, and insurance.”
Aktham A. Arabeyat
“You do not apply directly to a specific institution; instead, you apply to participate in the program.”
Stepan Caramalac
“I tell them not to be afraid to dare, to prepare themselves a lot in their field and not to postpone learning a second language, to trust in their abilities and that if they fail on the first try, they should try again as many times as necessary.”
Lina Mairet Solano Carrillo
Best University Scholarships in the USA
6. Chancellor’s Scholarship (Vanderbilt University)
Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, offers the Chancellor’s Scholarship to students who demonstrate exceptional leadership and a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This merit-based scholarship covers full tuition for up to eight semesters and includes a summer stipend to support immersive experiences in service or research.
Here is what Chancellor’s Scholarship Scholars Say:
“The scholarship covers full tuition for 8 semesters, plus a one-time summer stipend for an immersive experience.”
Aminta Permpoonwiwat
“In the end, I concentrated on telling my story authentically and communicating to admission officers why I deserved each scholarship.”
Aminta Permpoonwiwat
“The most important advice I have for scholarship applicants is to find the right “fit” for you.”
Aminta Permpoonwiwat
7. International Freshman Automatic Merit Scholarships (University of Alabama)
University of Alabama offers generous automatic merit-based scholarships for international freshmen applicants. Award amounts range from $6,000 a year to full tuition and room annually depending on standardized test scores and GPA. These scholarships are awarded automatically upon admission, making them an excellent opportunity for academically strong students seeking financial aid without a separate application process.
Here is what Presidential Scholarship (University of Alabama) Scholars Say:
“I received the University of Alabama’s Presidential Scholarship, valued at $28,000.”
Chidubem Nkeme
“For the SAT, Khan Academy was an incredible resource.”
Chidubem Nkeme
8. Yale Scholarship (Yale University)
Yale University is one of the most well-known universities in the country, and it is regarded as one of the best, having had a pool of famous people as its alumni.
Studying at Yale is expensive, which is why it offers a variety of scholarships that may help students in their educational journey. One of the most well-known scholarships is the Yale Scholarship which is awarded to students who cannot afford the tuition fees, and the award is based on the need for the designated program, which will cover up to $70,000.
9. Dean’s Scholarship Program (University of New Haven)
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: 50% tuition waiver
- Eligible Degree/s: Master’s
The University of New Haven Dean’s Scholarship Program is a scholarship grant that aims to help master’s students who are studying or want to study at the University of New Haven. This partially funded scholarship will cover 50% of the tuition fees.
This is a merit-based award that is carefully looked upon by the admissions staff and only awards the most promising applicants with the highest academic achievement level. The scholarship application is simple; it is awarded concurrently with the application process, and students are not required to take any additional steps in their application.
10. International Merit Scholarship (University of Memphis)
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: cost difference between domestic non-Tennessee residents and international tuition rates
- Eligible Degree/s: Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D.
The University of Memphis International Merit Scholarship is, as stated by its name a merit-based scholarship that awards high-achieving talents. The amount set for this scholarship is intended to cover the partial tuition, which is the difference between domestic and international tuition costs.
This scholarship is open for all degree levels. Aspiring undergraduate applicants must have a 3.25 GPA while graduate students should have a 3.25 GPA, a minimum of 150 in GRE Verbal and 150 in GRE Quantitative, and a 2.5 AWA or equivalent GMAT scores.
11. Financial Aid (Harvard University)
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Value: 100% of students’ demonstrated needs
- Eligible Degree/s: Bachelor’s
Harvard University‘s Financial Aid is one of the most highly desired among domestic and international students. It is primarily targeted at students who need financial assistance.
Open to all students, regardless of nationality, this aid will cover all the academic expenses of the student. The application procedure will be the same for domestic and international applicants. Candidates who will be able to provide a detailed view of their financial situation will have a high chance of being awarded.
12. Automatic Scholarships for Non-Residents (Boise State University)
Boise State University is one of the largest public universities in Boise, Idaho. It is among the best in the country. As part of its mission of spreading multiculturalism and diversity within its campus, the university provides several opportunities to international students including offering financial support through grants and scholarships.
The Automatic Scholarships for Non-Residents is one of the best scholarships available at this university. It awards $10,000 per academic year and is awarded automatically to students with at least a 3.20 GPA. Since this is automatically awarded, students are not required to take any additional steps in their application process.
13. Financial Aid (Princeton University)
Princeton University offers a need-based financial aid program for undergraduate students, regardless of citizenship status. This financial aid aims to help students achieve their educational goals, which means not having to worry about their academic finances until they graduate. The scholarship covers the student’s tuition, accommodation, traveling fees, and other academic expenses.
14. Presidential Graduate Fellowship Program (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Value: Fully Funded
- Eligible Degree/s: Master’s, Ph.D.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has many scholarship opportunities and the Presidential Graduate Fellowship is one of them. This is a prestigious award given to a select group of highly qualified incoming master’s and Ph.D. degree students at MIT.
The scholarship provides complete funding for tuition, traveling, and student insurance. It is awarded based on the applicant’s academic record, research potential, and overall potential for success in graduate studies at MIT. In addition to financial support, students receive mentorship and professional development opportunities. This is a highly competitive award, and only a small number of students are selected each year.
15. Financial Aid (Stanford University)
Stanford University offers a financial aid program for undergraduate international students. This is a fully funded aid covering all academic costs including tuition, travel, and book costs. This scholarship is unique in the fact that the application process is straightforward, and the results are valid and clear for every category. Students who benefit from this scholarship can advance their studies to higher levels and apply for different scholarships after finishing their undergraduate studies.
16. Merit-Based Scholarships (Illinois Wesleyan University)
- Scholarship Page
- Scholarship Amount: $16,000 – $30,000/year
- Eligible Degree/s: Bachelor’s
Illinois Wesleyan University offers a merit-based scholarship for undergraduate and graduate students. The merit scholarships come with partial funding that ranges from $16,000 to $30,000, and scholars can make use of this amount in multiple ways such as paying for academic and/or living costs.
Applicants do not need to apply separately, students will only need to apply for admissions and if you meet the scholarship requirements then you’ll be automatically considered for the scholarship.
The U.S. is undoubtedly one of the countries that offer thousands of scholarship opportunities to international students. This list is only a fraction of what the country can offer. If you are planning to apply for one, then you can select one of the scholarship opportunities U.S. institutions offer!
Hopefully, this article will encourage you to apply for a scholarship in the U.S. Learn more about the country by checking our USA Study Guide and Available Programs for International Students sections!
