Grad School Scholarships for International Students

Scholarships, Fellowships, Awards
Grad school scholarships for international students are often available to new students based on criteria including academic success, community involvement, references from instructors or employers or financial need. The amount varies widely depending on the award and the source, but generally range from between $4,000 and $50,000 per year.

Sources of scholarships for international students applying to grad schools in the United States are:

the universities/grad schools themselves

US federal government agencies

scholarship organizations in your home country

cultural organizations

Some grad schools in the US have specific international student awards for master's and doctoral degree programs. Other schools may have international student partial tuition scholarships, which equalizes the amount of tuition paid by international students and the lower tuition fees paid by domestic students.

Examples of scholarships, fellowships and awards available to international graduate students in the US are:

Fulbright Foreign Student Program sponsored by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Education Foundation, which provides graduate fellowships to women who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States

King Faisal International Prize, administered by the King Faisal Foundation of Saudi Arabia which provides an international student scholarship program for Muslim students to undertake post-graduate studies in the US

Funding
Most international graduate students with a record of academic excellence will receive funding support of some kind. Some grad schools in the US guarantee certain minimum annual funding for all doctoral students, including international students. At other schools, all grad students--master's or doctoral--in certain programs (like engineering) are guaranteed funding. Many graduate programs in the US offer stipends, teaching assistantships or research assistantships to outstanding international students. Programs will consider you for such awards or positions when making admissions decisions.

Some grad schools and programs in the US may also have specific partnerships with certain countries, as in the China Scholarship Council. Be sure to find out what may be available from government or other scholarship agencies in your home country. And, since individual grad schools offer different scholarships and funding, it is essential that you contact the graduate program you wish to apply to for more information about gad school scholarships for international students in the US.