Scholarships

International humanitarian organizations want to promote international education and cultural exchange with the USA. Included in these organizations are the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the League of Red Cross Societies, and the World Council of Churches. Some of these organizations have restricted financial aid, international student scholarships and international student loans. For example, the international student scholarships or aid may only be available to graduate students, students from a specific ethnic group, or students who have chosen a specific course of study. Financial aid and scholarships from these organizations are very competitive, so you need to start your search early.

Finally, there are also many universities in the US that provide financial aid and international student scholarships to international students. However, this aid is usually limited and is often more readily available to graduate than undergraduate students. Furthermore, competition for international student scholarships and aid is fierce, and schools are careful to help out the most deserving international students. Good grades and exam scores are extremely important in securing an international student scholarship. Find out whether any of the schools that you would like to apply to have grants, loans or scholarships for international students. If they don’t, and you have not been able to obtain enough funding on your own, you may have to consider other schools that will help.

Below are some links for websites that provide information on international student scholarships and financial aid for international students:

ScholarshipExperts.com - This site helps international students who want to study in the USA with time-saving international student scholarship search tools. It also contains advice sections for international students.

International Education Financial Aid (IEFA) – This site provides a searchable database that contains various sources of aid available to international students. It is a free service.

International Student Loans – This site offers loans to international students, so long as the international student loan is co-signed by an American citizen.

Fulbright – Fulbright grants are available for international students in graduate school.

Rotary International – This organization provides some limited international student scholarships.

The Soros Foundations Network – This foundation offers international student scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students. Many are restricted to students from specific countries.

AAUW – This organization provides fellowships for international graduate students who are women.

American Councils for International Education – The councils provide international student grants and fellowships to international students from the former Soviet republics.

AMIDEAST – This organization provides grants for international students from the Middle East and North Africa.

Institute for International Education – The institute publishes a book titled Funding for U.S. Study: A Guide for Citizens of Other Nations that provides information on hundreds of grants and international student scholarships offered by governments, foundations and international organizations.

Cornell University Graduate School Fellowship Notebook – This database contains a list of funding and international student scholarships available to graduate international students.

King Faisal Foundation – This organization provides an international student scholarship program for Muslim students to undertake post-graduate studies at any USA university.