Scholarships in the USA for International Students 2026: Full List & How to Apply

Yes — international students can win scholarships in the USA, including fully funded ones. The best-known routes are government programmes such as the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, university need-based aid at need-blind colleges such as Harvard, Yale and Amherst, and named graduate awards such as Knight-Hennessy at Stanford and the AAUW International Fellowships. Full rides are real but rare and fiercely competitive, so most students combine several smaller awards. This guide lists the scholarships that are genuinely open to international students in 2026, what each one covers, and how to apply.

Can International Students Get Scholarships in the USA?

Yes. Every year, thousands of international students study in the USA on full or partial scholarships. Funding comes from three main sources: the US government, the universities themselves, and private foundations. What surprises most applicants is that the biggest single source of money is not a scholarship website — it is the financial aid office of the university you apply to.
One important fact to get straight first: federal student aid is not available to most international students. The FAFSA form that American students fill in is for US citizens and eligible non-citizens only, so as an international student you cannot rely on it. Our FAFSA Guide explains who qualifies and why — the short version is that your funding must come from scholarships, university aid, your home government, or private sponsors. That is exactly what this guide covers.
There is also a difference between “full tuition” and “fully funded”. A full-tuition scholarship pays your classes but leaves housing, food, insurance and flights to you. A fully funded award covers tuition plus living costs, and sometimes travel too. Always read what an award actually covers before you count on it.

The Best Scholarships in the USA for International Students in 2026

The table below compares the major awards at a glance. Each one is explained in detail underneath.

Scholarship	Level	What it covers	Deadline
Fulbright Foreign Student Program	Master’s, PhD	Full funding: tuition, living costs, airfare, health insurance	Varies by country, roughly Feb–Oct
Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford)	Graduate (any field)	Tuition, fees, living stipend, travel for up to 3 years	Early Oct (2027 cohort closed 6 Oct 2026)
AAUW International Fellowships	Master’s, PhD, postdoc (women)	$20,000–$50,000 stipend depending on level	15 November each year
Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship	Master’s	Tuition, living stipend, airfare	Two windows a year
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship	Mid-career professionals	Full funding for a non-degree year	Varies by country
Need-blind college aid (Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton, Amherst, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, Brown)	Bachelor’s	100% of demonstrated financial need	With the admission application
Berea College	Bachelor’s	Tuition, room and board for 4 years	With the admission application

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Fulbright is the US government’s flagship scholarship for international students, funded by the US Department of State and running in more than 160 countries. It funds Master’s and PhD study at American universities, awarding roughly 4,000 grants a year. It covers tuition, a living stipend, airfare and health insurance.
There is no single global Fulbright deadline. You apply through the Fulbright Commission or the US Embassy in your own country, and each country sets its own timetable — most deadlines fall between February and October. Fulbright funds graduate study only, not Bachelor’s degrees, and some fields involving direct patient contact, such as clinical medicine and dentistry, are excluded. Most grantees travel on a J-1 visa and are subject to a two-year home-residency requirement after the programme. Start at the official programme site, foreign.fulbrightonline.org, to find your country’s commission and deadline.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford

Knight-Hennessy is Stanford University’s flagship graduate scholarship. It funds any full-time graduate degree at Stanford — Master’s, PhD, MBA, MD or JD — and covers tuition and fees plus a living stipend and travel support for up to three years. Around 100 scholars are selected each year from around the world, chosen for independence of thought, purposeful leadership and a civic mindset.
You must apply separately to Knight-Hennessy and to your Stanford graduate programme, and admission to one does not guarantee the other. The application for the 2027 cohort closed on 6 October 2026, so if you missed it, aim for the 2028 cohort, which opens in summer 2027.

AAUW International Fellowships

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) awards International Fellowships to women who are not US citizens or permanent residents, for full-time graduate or postdoctoral study at accredited US institutions. The award is a stipend rather than a full ride: around $20,000 for a Master’s or first professional degree, $25,000 for a doctorate and $50,000 for postdoctoral research. Because it is a stipend, it works best combined with university aid or another scholarship. Applications open in August and close on 15 November each year. Check the current amounts and rules on the official AAUW site before you apply, as figures change.

Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) funds Master’s degrees in development-related fields for students from developing countries. It covers tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare and health insurance. There are two application windows each year. If your home country is eligible and your field relates to development — economics, public policy, health, education or infrastructure — this is one of the most generous awards available.

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship

The Humphrey Fellowship is for experienced mid-career professionals rather than recent graduates. It funds a year of non-degree graduate-level study, professional development and networking in the USA. If you already have several years of work experience in public service, policy, law, health or education, and you want a year in the USA without committing to a full degree, this is the programme to look at. Deadlines and eligibility are set country by country, like Fulbright.

University Scholarships and Need-Based Aid

For undergraduates, the most realistic route to full funding is a university that is need-blind for international students and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need. Harvard, MIT, Yale, Princeton, Amherst, Dartmouth, Bowdoin and Brown all admit international undergraduates without considering their ability to pay, and then cover the full gap between what your family can afford and the cost of attendance — mostly as grants, not loans. Admission is extremely competitive, but if you get in, money is not the barrier.
Most other US universities are need-aware for international applicants: asking for aid can affect your chances, and aid is limited. That does not mean you should not apply — many universities offer merit scholarships worth $10,000–$30,000 a year to strong international applicants, and some automatically consider you when you apply. Always check the financial aid page of each university on your list; the offer is often buried in the admissions pages rather than advertised.
Berea College in Kentucky deserves a special mention. It admits a small number of international students each year — around 30 — and covers tuition, room and board for all four years. In return, students work 10 hours a week on campus. It is one of the very few US colleges where an international undergraduate can study essentially for free.

How Much Does Studying in the USA Actually Cost?

Knowing the real costs helps you judge how much scholarship money you actually need. According to the College Board’s Trends in College Pricing report for 2024/25, average published tuition and fees were $30,780 a year for out-of-state students at public four-year universities — the rate international students usually pay — and $43,350 a year at private non-profit universities. Add housing, food, books, insurance and travel, and a year in the USA typically costs $50,000–$80,000 at most universities.
That is why the strategy matters more than any single scholarship. A $20,000 merit award at a university that costs $45,000 still leaves a $25,000 gap. A need-blind college that meets full need, or a fully funded programme such as Fulbright, closes the gap entirely. Always calculate the total cost of attendance, not just the tuition figure on the university’s homepage.

How to Apply for Scholarships in the USA: Step by Step

1. Shortlist universities before scholarships. Most university aid is tied to admission, so your university list comes first. Aim for a mix of need-blind colleges, generous merit-aid universities and affordable public universities. EducationUSA, the US State Department’s official advising network with centres in more than 175 countries, is the best free place to research universities and funding.
2. Check your eligibility for government awards. Fulbright, the World Bank scholarship and AAUW each have their own nationality, degree-level and field rules. Confirm you qualify before spending weeks on an application.
3. Prepare your documents early. You will usually need transcripts, English test scores (TOEFL or IELTS), standardised test scores where required, two or three recommendation letters, a statement of purpose and a financial statement. Recommendation letters take weeks — ask your referees early.
4. Write one strong personal statement, then adapt it. Every scholarship asks why you, why this field and why the USA. Write one honest, specific version, then tailor the details for each award rather than starting from scratch each time.
5. Apply to the university and the scholarship in parallel. Some awards, such as Knight-Hennessy, need a separate application with its own deadline. Others, such as university merit aid, are automatic when you apply for admission. Put every deadline in one calendar and work backwards from the earliest.
6. Budget for the visa. If you win a place, an F-1 student visa costs $185 for the application plus a $350 SEVIS fee — $535 in total before any travel costs. A new Visa Integrity Fee of $250 was created by 2025 legislation but was not being collected as of late October 2026, so confirm the current position on the State Department site before you pay. Scholarship winners still pay these fees unless the award explicitly covers them.
   

If your grades or test scores are not perfect, do not rule yourself out. Many scholarships reward leadership, community work and a clear sense of purpose as much as grades. Our guide to applying for scholarships with a low GPA explains how to build a strong application when your academic record is not your strongest card.

Common Mistakes That Cost Students Their Scholarship

Applying to only one scholarship. The students who get funded apply to eight, ten or more awards. Treat it as a numbers game with quality applications.
Missing the country deadline. Fulbright and Humphrey deadlines are set by your home country, not by Washington. A deadline in February in one country can be October in another. Check your country’s page, not a general guide.
Writing a generic essay. Committees read thousands of essays. “I have always dreamed of studying in America” tells them nothing. Be specific about what you will study, why it matters for your country, and what you will do afterwards.
Ignoring small awards. A $2,000 departmental grant or a $5,000 merit award may seem small next to a $50,000 bill, but two or three of them together can close the gap — and they are far less competitive than the famous names. Our list of niche scholarships is a good place to start.
Waiting until the last month. Strong applications need time: test scores, transcripts, recommendations and essays cannot be rushed. Start at least six months before your earliest deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions