University of Washington Scholarships for International Students 2026

Seattle, United States
Location
60,200
Population
4
Number of Scholarships

Funding at University of Washington can be easier to navigate when you start with the most generous options. Below is a shortlist prioritized by the level of support.

University scholarships associated with University of Washington often form the core of an applicant’s funding plan. Here are a few notable options to review first. With Graduate Assistantships, students may receive fully funded support, and coverage frequently includes up to $2,986 (Schedules 1&amp,3) and $4,819 (Schedule 2) for teaching, research, and staff assistantships, A Tuition waiver (offered by some departments), and health care (offered by some departments).

In addition to university awards, students connected to University of Washington may also consider government and external scholarships. Here are a few widely relevant options. A strong option is Fulbright Foreign Student Program which is fully funded and often covers roundtrip transportation from the country of origin to the US, monthly living stipend, and tuition fees. AAUW’s International Fellowship is partially funded, and coverage often includes $20,000 for Master's and first professional degree recipients, $25,000 for doctoral students, and $50,000 for postdoctoral students.

You can find more university scholarships and external or government scholarships further down on this page.

University of Washington Scholarships for International Students

The scholarships at University of Washington can help fund your study expenses. There are currently 4 scholarships being offered to international students at the University of Washington, all with varying requirements, benefits, and application processes. We have compiled them in this list to help you find the scholarship that best fits you.

What Scholarship Recipients Say:

"I am a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship. It was a fully paid scholarship, including my flight to and from the US, health insurance, tuition and a monthly stipend to pay for my rent and expenses."

Fulbright Scholarship Master’s in Social Work – Community Centered Integrative Practice

Ayesha Muhammad

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"Hi! My name is Maria Paula Cortes-Lemos, and I usually go by Paula. I was born and spent most of my life in Quito, Ecuador. About two years ago, I moved to Seattle to pursue an M.S. in Computational Linguistics at the University of Washington."

Fulbright Foreign Student Program M.S. in Computational Linguistics

Maria Paula Cortes-Lemos

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"It was an amazing experience, super inclusive, I felt people in my program really wanted to hear about Pakistan and understand my perspective in life. Yes, they offer scholarships to International Students directly as well and have societies and communities to support International Students"

Fulbright Scholarship Master’s in Social Work – Community Centered Integrative Practice

Ayesha Muhammad

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"My experience at the University of Washington has been great. I have grown so much academically and as a person here. As is usual in grad school, though, most opportunities have to be sought out rather than being explicitly part of the curriculum."

Fulbright Foreign Student Program M.S. in Computational Linguistics

Maria Paula Cortes-Lemos

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"I found an amazing lab with people who were enthusiastic about teaching me more about Machine Learning (which is what my research is on now), and I have connected with people from different departments from whom I have learned a lot. And Seattle has been a beautiful city to build a community in!"

Fulbright Foreign Student Program M.S. in Computational Linguistics

Maria Paula Cortes-Lemos

Read the full story

University of Washington Scholarship Recipients

Ayesha Muhammad profile image

Ayesha Muhammad

Master’s in Social Work (Community-Centered Integrative Practice)
Pakistan
Fulbright Scholarship

Ayesha Muhammad from Karachi, Pakistan, completed her Master’s in Social Work (Community-Centered Integrative Practice) at the University of Washington as a Fulbright Scholar. With a background in Psychology and Public Health, her journey reflects a deep commitment to improving community well-being through interdisciplinary approaches. The Fulbright Scholarship fully funded her studies, covering tuition, travel, health insurance, and a monthly stipend.

Read her story to discover how she secured this fully funded Fulbright scholarship.

Avanish profile image

Avanish

N/A
Mauritius
Full Scholarship

Avanish from Mauritius studied Engineering Science at the University of Oxford after excelling in mathematics and science at A-levels. He was awarded the highly competitive Reach Scholarship, which covered full tuition, living expenses, and annual return flights, enabling him to pursue his degree at Oxford before later transitioning into a career in data science.

Read his story to learn how structured preparation and academic excellence helped him secure this prestigious scholarship.

University of Washington FAQ

Are there any scholarships at University of Washington that are for online courses?

Yes, some UW scholarships can apply to online learning, but it depends on what “online” means in your case (degree student vs. certificate/course student).

For which subjects does University of Washington offer scholarships for?

UW scholarships span a wide range of subjects, STEM and engineering, business, humanities, education, health fields, and more, often through specific departments/schools or external funders. In Global Scholarships recipient stories, UW funding supported subjects like Social Work and Computational Linguistics: Ayesha completed a Master’s in Social Work, and Paula pursued an M.S. in Computational Linguistics, sharing that “About two years ago, I moved to Seattle to pursue an M.S. in Computational Linguistics at the University of Washington.”

  • STEM & Engineering: UW engineering and computing units offer scholarships; eligibility can vary, and international students may be eligible for some awards depending on requirements.
  • Business: Business scholarships exist at UW (including for undergrad business majors and MBA students), typically managed through the Foster School and related centers.
  • Humanities: Humanities students can access many UW-wide and unit-level scholarships; UW’s humanities scholarship resources explicitly point students toward broad scholarship opportunities.

For which nationalities does University of Washington offer scholarships for?

It depends on the scholarship and the level (undergraduate vs. graduate). UW’s own undergraduate scholarship guidance states that UW does not provide financial aid or scholarships to undergraduate international students, so many UW-funded undergraduate awards are aimed at U.S. students (often Washington residents and/or FAFSA/WASFA-based eligibility).

At the graduate level, UW (and external funders connected to UW) supports a broader range of nationalities: UW’s Graduate School indicates it accepts applications regardless of citizenship/visa status, and many funding routes (assistantships, departmental funding, and external scholarships) are open to international students.

Is having language proficiency test necessary (IELTS, TOEFL) for University of Washington?

For many international applicants, yes—UW commonly requires proof of English proficiency, but exact rules depend on whether you’re applying to undergraduate or graduate study and whether you qualify for an exemption/alternative pathway.

  • Undergraduate (international first-year): UW requires an official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) score meeting minimums, and notes it does not offer conditional admission if the requirement isn’t met by the deadline.
  • Graduate (non-native English speakers): UW Graduate School requires demonstration of English proficiency for non-native English speakers; applicants below minimum scores are not considered and conditional admission is not offered.

In the Global Scholarships recipient stories, both UW students completed standardized English testing as part of their pathway: Ayesha shared, “After being selected I gave the TOEFL,” and Paula said, “I took the TOEFL and the GRE,” adding that “both my high school and college had about half of the curriculum in English.”

Is there minimum grade for acceptance at University of Washington?

Undergraduate: UW does not present admissions as a single minimum GPA cutoff for first-year applicants; instead, it uses required academic preparation (CADRs) and holistic review. That said, UW publishes the academic profile of admitted students—for example, the middle 50% admitted high school GPA (autumn 2025) was 3.75–3.98 (4.0 scale).

Graduate: UW Graduate School lists a minimum GPA expectation of 3.0 (cumulative or in the last 90 quarter/60 semester graded credits), although programs can petition to admit an applicant below 3.0 in some circumstances.

From the recipient side, Paula reported a prior GPA of 4.0/4.0 and emphasized strong preparation, while Ayesha highlighted fit and experience: “My work experience aligned really well with the degree I was applying for.”

Is there an age limit to get scholarships at University of Washington?

UW generally does not set a universal age limit for applying to study or for scholarships; age rules (if any) usually come from the specific scholarship provider or program. If you’re applying via an external scholarship (for example, major government scholarships), always check that scholarship’s eligibility rules directly.

What is a good academic background and the minimum eligibility to get a scholarship at University of Washington?

A strong scholarship profile at UW usually combines (1) solid academics, (2) program fit, and (3) compelling evidence of impact or potential. Minimum eligibility depends heavily on the scholarship type (departmental award vs. assistantship vs. external scholarship).

  • Graduate baseline: UW Graduate School lists minimum admissions requirements (including GPA and English proficiency for non-native English speakers), and programs may add higher thresholds.
  • Undergraduate UW scholarships: Many UW-administered undergraduate scholarships are tied to Washington residency and demonstrated financial need (FAFSA/WASFA), and UW states it does not provide scholarships to undergraduate international students.

From the recipient stories, you can see what “good background” looked like in practice: Ayesha credited alignment and authentic writing (“I wrote them from the heart”), while Paula emphasized substance and evidence. “show rather than tell,” and described building skills through research and self-study.

What documents do I need to apply for University of Washington?

Undergraduate (first-year, including international): UW’s first-year process includes completing the application with a detailed self-report of coursework, and completing the writing section (essay/personal statement). Official transcripts are typically required after admission if you enroll, and international students usually must provide official English proficiency scores (TOEFL/IELTS/DET) by the stated deadline.

Graduate: UW Graduate School minimum requirements include meeting degree/GPA/English proficiency standards, and it notes that after accepting an offer you must provide official transcripts and degree statements for verification. Beyond Graduate School minimums, departments often require additional materials such as statements of purpose, letters of recommendation, writing samples, CV/resume, and test scores (program-dependent).

Is there an application fee at University of Washington?

Yes.

  • Undergraduate (first-year): UW lists an $80 application fee for U.S. students and $90 for international students (nonrefundable).
  • Graduate: UW Graduate School lists a nonrefundable $90 application fee for most graduate applications (with a different fee for Graduate Non-Matriculated applications) and notes fee waivers may be available for eligible applicants.

University of Washington Admissions

Here are the official admission pages for University of Washington:

Admissions and Scholarship Results at University of Washington

Here are some of the admissions and scholarship results from previous applicants to University of Washington, which you might find helpful. For more results to University of Washington, please see the University of Washington Admissions Profile Page .

Nationality / Region SAT/ACT EFC GPA Scholarship Status
India 1480 N/A N/A N/A Accepted
India 33 N/A 4 N/A Accepted
Middle East 1540 N/A N/A N/A Accepted
India 1560 N/A N/A N/A Rejected
India 1490 N/A N/A N/A Rejected

University of Washington Application Deadlines

Degree Admission Deadline
Bachelor'sNovember 1, 2025
Master'sJanuary 15, 2026 (Different Master's programs have different deadlines)

Tuition Fees at University of Washington for International Students

Degree Tuition Fee Range
Bachelor's Tuition 44,640 USD
Master's Tuition 13,440 - 42,882 USD

Please note that tuition fees can vary based on the specific program you choose. To get accurate tuition fee information, be sure to consult the official tuition fee pages.

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun Lee profile photo
Hi! I am Hyun, and I am the founder at Global Scholarships. I've received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College and a $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for my undergraduate degree and was offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. You can read more about my scholarship journey here. If you are interested, you can follow me on Linkedin where I regularly write about scholarships.

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