University of Alabama at Birmingham Scholarships for International Students 2026

UAB does offer online programs, but UAB’s main, named scholarships for international undergraduates (like the UAB International Scholarship) are designed for students “enrolling as first-year, full-time, degree-seeking” students and who “anticipate holding an F-1 visa,” which typically aligns with on-campus study rather than a purely online pathway. If you’re applying to an online program, it’s still worth submitting UAB’s general scholarship application (BSMART) and checking your department’s funding options, since online-eligibility can vary by scholarship.

UAB scholarships span a wide range of subjects, including STEM fields (e.g., biology, computer science, engineering), business, and humanities/social sciences. A real example from UAB is Mehar Bano, who studied Biomedical Science (Neuroscience).

UAB offers scholarships aimed at international students broadly, rather than restricting to a short list of nationalities. For example, the UAB International Scholarship is available to applicants “currently living outside of the US” who meet the eligibility requirement.

Often yes for international applicants, but it depends on your background and level. For undergraduate international freshman applicants, UAB requires “official proof of English proficiency” (unless English is your first language) and lists accepted tests and minimums (e.g., TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo), with some waiver pathways (like extended U.S. high school attendance). For graduate international applicants, UAB similarly requires English proficiency scores for students from non-English speaking countries, with listed minimums and specific waiver rules.

This lines up with what Mehar Bano described from her own preparation: “preparing for the TOEFL and GRE exams sounded like distant mountains to climb.”

For admission, the “minimum grade” depends on your level and pathway. UAB states it uses a holistic approach for freshman international admission and emphasizes curriculum strength, grades/GPA, and test scores rather than listing a single universal GPA cutoff for all freshman applicants. For transfer admission, UAB does publish a minimum (e.g., a 2.0 GPA after completing 24 transferable semester hours). For many graduate programs (especially for direct-entry international pathways), a 3.0-equivalent GPA is commonly referenced, but individual departments may set higher requirements.

For scholarships, the GPA minimum is often higher than admission. For example, the UAB International Scholarship requires a minimum 3.0/4.0 (for students meeting the scholarship’s first-year eligibility rules). Even so, as Mehar Bano advises: “What sets you apart is not just your GPA—it’s your journey, motivation, and how you’ve used challenges to fuel your ambition.”

UAB scholarships are usually defined by academic level (first-year, transfer, graduate), enrollment status (full-time/degree-seeking), and merit/need criteria, not by a strict age limit. External scholarships connected to studying at UAB vary: for example, the Fulbright Program generally states it does not have age limits for participation, though country-specific program rules can add constraints.

It depends on the scholarship type. For undergraduates, a clear benchmark is the UAB International Scholarship: it’s for applicants living outside the U.S. who enroll as first-year, full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates, anticipate holding an F-1 visa, and graduate from a non-U.S. secondary school with at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA (and other conditions). Beyond that, UAB encourages students to apply for additional departmental scholarships via BSMART.

For graduates, funding can include assistantships, fellowships, and campus-wide awards; for example, UAB’s Graduate Dean’s Scholarship requires students to be in a degree-granting program and have at least an overall 3.0 GPA (plus other criteria for that award cycle).

Undergraduate (international freshman) commonly includes a completed application, the nonrefundable application fee, official proof of English proficiency (if required), and official transcripts (in English). If you are currently in the U.S., UAB may also require proof of immigration status documents (such as passport/visa/I-94, as applicable).

Graduate (international) commonly includes: transcripts and proof of degree, and, depending on the program, recommendation letters (often three), a personal essay/statement of purpose, and sometimes a resume/CV and standardized test scores (GRE/GMAT/MAT) if the department requires them.

Yes. For undergraduate admission, UAB lists a $40 application fee (including on the international freshman application checklist). For graduate admission, UAB’s published fee schedule lists a graduate application fee (with a higher fee shown for international graduate applications). Some specific professional programs can have their own application fees as well.