University of Massachusetts Boston Scholarships for International Students 2026

Most UMass Boston scholarships are tied to being enrolled in a UMass Boston degree program (and meeting the scholarship’s enrollment terms), rather than being “for online courses” specifically.

UMass Boston scholarships can be found across a wide range of subjects—many are open to students in any major, while others are tied to a department, college, or an outside organization’s target field. Academically, UMass Boston spans business (College of Management), health fields (Manning College of Nursing & Health Sciences), STEM (College of Science & Mathematics, including engineering), environmental fields (School for the Environment), education (College of Education & Human Development), and humanities (College of Liberal Arts, including languages and fine arts).

Examples you’ll commonly see include business-focused scholarships, nursing/health scholarships, engineering leadership scholarships, and arts/humanities scholarships (for instance, the Art & Art History Department lists scholarships such as travel and photography-related awards). At the graduate level, subject-based funding often includes assistantships and program-level merit support depending on the department.

In Asad Ejaz Butt’s story, his field was Public Policy (PhD), showing that scholarships can also support social sciences and policy-focused research and not only STEM fields.

UMass Boston offers scholarship opportunities for both domestic and international students. For incoming first-year international students, UMass Boston notes that international students meeting certain academic criteria (such as GPA-based merit consideration) can be considered for merit scholarship support; this is not described as being limited to specific nationalities.

That said, some funding sources (especially U.S. federal financial aid) have citizenship/eligible-noncitizen rules, so eligibility depends on the type of funding. A practical way to think about it: university merit scholarships and many “outside scholarships” may be open more broadly, while federal aid is not.

From a recipient perspective, Asad Ejaz Butt is a Pakistani Fulbright scholar at UMass Boston, which is a concrete example of an internationally funded pathway that’s open to specific nationalities through the Fulbright process.

Often yes for international applicants, especially if your prior education was not in English. For international first-year applicants, UMass Boston states that non-native speakers of English must demonstrate English language proficiency and can do so through exams such as TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo (among others). UMass Boston also notes that some international undergraduates may receive provisional admission if TOEFL/IELTS are below minimums, though it specifies that it does not offer conditional admission for nursing, engineering, or management applicants.

For international graduate applicants, UMass Boston similarly requires proof of English proficiency unless you meet specific study-in-English exemptions, and it lists accepted tests including TOEFL, IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, and Duolingo.

Graduate: Yes, UMass Boston lists a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA requirement for graduate admission (with the reminder that some programs may have higher or additional GPA calculations).

Undergraduate: UMass Boston does not frame undergraduate admission around a single universal minimum GPA on the main first-year application requirements page; admission is evaluated from the full application file. However, certain scholarship considerations do use clear GPA thresholds; for example, international first-year merit scholarship consideration references a GPA benchmark, and continuing-student scholarships are described as typically requiring at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (plus a credit minimum).

As a real example of a successful profile, Asad Ejaz Butt reports an undergraduate GPA of 3.6 and a master’s GPA of 3.7 in his scholarship journey.

UMass Boston scholarships are typically based on academic status and eligibility criteria (credits earned, GPA, enrollment, and sometimes financial need or other priorities), not age.

A “good background” depends on the scholarship type, but strong grades and a clear academic story are recurring themes. For undergraduates, incoming students are often automatically considered for certain merit scholarships, and international first-year merit scholarship consideration is tied to a GPA benchmark. For current undergraduates applying through the scholarship portal, UMass Boston notes that competitive continuing-student applications typically require at least 24 UMass Boston credits and a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.

From the recipient side, Asad Ejaz Butt pairs solid GPAs (3.6/3.7) with a strong narrative approach. His advice is to “Focus as much as you can on the story you want to tell,” and he emphasizes that “The story is the core,” which maps directly onto what scholarship readers look for in statements of purpose and research direction.

Undergraduate (first-year): UMass Boston’s first-year application requirements commonly include an application (UMass Boston Application or Common App) with an essay, the application fee, official high school transcript (or equivalency), and typically a recommendation letter; standardized tests may be optional depending on your selection, and non-native English speakers must submit English language proficiency documentation.

Undergraduate (international first-year): International applicants are asked for a completed application, application fee, an official high school record/leaving certificate or graduation exam results (with certified English translations if needed), an academic recommendation letter, an essay, and test scores. After acceptance, international students also follow a separate process to submit documents needed for I-20 issuance.

Graduate: UMass Boston’s graduate application guidance includes submitting transcripts from all institutions attended (unofficial transcripts can be used for review), and then meeting any program-specific requirements. Common supplemental materials include letters of recommendation (number varies by program), a statement of purpose, and a resume/CV. Some programs require GRE/GMAT scores, and international applicants may need English proficiency test results unless exempt.

Undergraduate (including international): Yes. UMass Boston lists a $60 application fee for first-year applicants (and notes that fee waivers are accepted).

Graduate: Yes. UMass Boston lists a nonrefundable $75 graduate application fee, and it also notes that UMass Boston alumni (and certain current students finishing degrees before enrolling) can submit without paying the fee.