University of Washington Scholarships for International Students 2026

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).

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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).

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.