The best American scholarships for international students are the few that pay for nearly everything: tuition, living costs, health cover and usually your flight. For a master’s or PhD, the main options are the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, Stanford’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars, the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship for mid-career professionals, and the AAUW International Fellowships for women. For an undergraduate degree, full funding usually comes from a university’s own need-based aid, at schools such as Princeton and Amherst that meet the full demonstrated need of admitted international students.
Many “top 10” lists online mix these up with small partial awards, scholarships only Americans can get, and prizes for students already enrolled. This guide keeps to American scholarships international students can actually win, says what each one covers, and gives the deadline position as of 24 October 2026.
Best American scholarships for international students compared
| Scholarship | Level | What it covers | Who can apply | Deadline position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulbright Foreign Student Program | Master’s, PhD, some non-degree | Typically tuition and required fees, a monthly living stipend and limited health benefits | Non-US citizens in 160+ participating countries | Set by each country’s Fulbright office; many 2027/28 rounds already closed |
| Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford) | Any Stanford graduate degree | Tuition and fees, stipend for living costs, one return trip a year, for up to 3 years | Any nationality, bachelor’s within a set window | 2027 cohort closed (6 October 2026); deadline 6 October 2027 |
| Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship | Non-degree, 10 months | Tuition, monthly allowance, settling-in money, books, computer subsidy, flights, health cover | Mid-career professionals, 5+ years’ experience | Set by country; 2027/28 rounds closed in mid 2026 |
| AAUW International Fellowships | Master’s, PhD, postdoc | A cash fellowship (not a full package) | Women who are not US citizens or residents | Usually closes in the autumn; confirm on aauw.org |
| ADB-Japan Scholarship at University of Hawaii | Master’s | Tuition, flights, housing, monthly stipend, books, health insurance | Citizens of ADB developing member countries, 35 or under | Runs every two years; last confirmed deadline 1 December 2024, so the next is 1 December 2026 |
| Princeton, Amherst and other full-need colleges | Undergraduate | Need-based aid that meets full demonstrated need | Admitted international students | Follows each college’s admission deadlines |
1. Fulbright Foreign Student Program
This is the US government’s flagship scholarship for graduate study. About 4,000 students from abroad receive it each year, and it runs in more than 160 countries. You do not apply to Fulbright in America. You apply through the Fulbright Commission or US Embassy in your own country, and each country sets its own deadline, fields and rules.
- Coverage: country announcements for 2027 describe tuition and required fees, a monthly stipend for living costs, and a limited health benefits plan. Exact terms vary by country.
- Basic eligibility: a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a US degree by the start date, good English (or willingness to do a long-term English course where offered), and not a US citizen or permanent resident. Many countries give preference to people with little prior US experience.
- Fields: most fields are open. Clinical medicine and nursing are usually excluded, while public health is often allowed.
- Placement: either the Institute of International Education (IIE) applies to universities for you, or you “self-place” by applying to universities yourself.
One caution. Fulbright’s funding has been under pressure since 2025: a proposed budget cut, a grant payment pause, and the resignation of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in June 2025. The programme is still running and countries opened 2027/28 rounds, but I would check your country’s Fulbright office directly for the current status before you build your plans around it.
2. Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford
Knight-Hennessy funds graduate study in any Stanford graduate programme (a few, such as the Master of Liberal Arts, are excluded). There are no limits by nationality, age or field.
- Coverage: up to three years of funding, covering tuition and fees, plus a stipend for on-campus room and board, books, health insurance, local transport and personal costs, and a travel stipend for one round trip a year.
- Degree timing rule: for the 2028 cohort, your first bachelor’s degree must be earned in January 2021 or later (military service extends this by two years). Final-year undergraduates can apply if they graduate by September 2028.
- Two applications: you apply to Knight-Hennessy and separately to the Stanford programme, and the Stanford application must go in by the programme’s own deadline or 1 December, whichever is earlier.
- Deadline: the 2027 cohort deadline was 6 October 2026, 1:00pm Pacific Time, so it has passed. The deadline, for the 2028 cohort, is 6 October 2027 (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens).
3. Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship
Humphrey is a ten-month, non-degree programme for professionals in public service fields such as public policy, law, journalism, public health, natural resources and technology policy. You get a certificate, not a master’s.
- Coverage (as published by Fulbright Romania for 2027/28): tuition and fees, a monthly living allowance and one-time settling-in allowance, accident and sickness cover, a book allowance and a computer subsidy, international and required domestic flights, a professional development allowance, and pre-academic English training if needed.
- Eligibility: a bachelor’s degree, at least five years of full-time professional experience, leadership and public service record, English proficiency, and limited prior US experience. Recent graduates do not qualify.
- Deadline: set by each country. Rounds for 2027/28 closed between June and August 2026 in the countries I checked. The next call is usually published in spring.
4. AAUW International Fellowships for women
The American Association of University Women gives fellowships to women who are not US citizens or permanent residents for full-time master’s, doctoral or postdoctoral work at an accredited US institution. Third-party guides for 2027/28 give typical amounts of US$20,000 for a master’s, US$25,000 for a doctorate and US$50,000 for postdoctoral research. I could not confirm those figures on aauw.org, so check the official page. The award is cash, so you still need admission and possibly other funding to cover the full cost. Applications have usually opened in August and closed in the autumn.
5. ADB-Japan Scholarship at the University of Hawaii
Funded by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Japan and run with the East-West Center, this pays for a master’s at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in economics, management, science and technology, and development-related fields.
- Coverage: full tuition and fees, round-trip airfare to Honolulu, East-West Center housing, a monthly stipend, textbook funds, health insurance and J-1 visa sponsorship.
- Eligibility: citizen and current resident of an ADB developing member country, 35 or younger, a four-year bachelor’s degree, at least two years of full-time work experience, and TOEFL 79 to 80 iBT, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 95.
- Cycle: it runs every two years. The last confirmed round closed on 1 December 2024 for a Fall 2025 start. On that two-year cycle the deadline is 1 December 2026.
6. Full-need aid for international undergraduates
For a bachelor’s degree, the closest thing to a full American scholarship is need-based financial aid at a college that meets 100% of demonstrated need for international students. Princeton states that the full need of all admitted international students is met the same as for US students, and that a family’s ability to pay is not a factor in admission. Princeton gives no merit or athletic scholarships. Amherst is need-blind for international applicants and meets full calculated need. MIT, Yale, Harvard and Dartmouth also run need-blind admission; confirm each one’s policy for international applicants on its own aid page, because these policies change.
Most other colleges are “need-aware” for international students, meaning your ability to pay can affect the admission decision. Clark University, for example, says so openly. Its Presidential Scholarship covers tuition, room and board for three to five students a year.
What about the partial university scholarships?
Many state and private universities (Arizona, Michigan, Montana State, Illinois Wesleyan and others) offer automatic merit awards to international students worth a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars a year. They help, but they leave a gap. US tuition plus living costs at many universities runs well above the award, and you will still need to show proof of funds for the F-1 visa. Treat them as top-ups, not as a full scholarship.
Two awards that appear on several lists are not for prospective international students at all. The Gates Scholarship requires US citizenship or permanent residency. Michigan State’s Homer Higbee International Education Award is a nomination-based award for people already at MSU.
How to apply for American scholarships as an international student
- Start 12 to 15 months early: Fulbright and Humphrey rounds close in the spring or summer for study starting more than a year later. Knight-Hennessy closes in October.
- Book your test: most programmes want TOEFL or IELTS, and many graduate programmes still ask for the GRE or GMAT. Results take a few weeks to reach schools.
- Get your transcripts evaluated: some universities ask for a course-by-course evaluation from a service such as WES or ECE. Order it early, since your university must send records directly.
- Line up referees: two or three, depending on the programme. Our recommendation letter guide shows what a strong letter includes.
- Write each essay for its programme: Fulbright wants a study objective and a plan for home; Knight-Hennessy wants leadership and character; Humphrey wants a professional development plan.
- Plan for the visa: Fulbright, Humphrey and ADB-JSP use the J-1 visa, sponsored by the programme. University aid students normally get an F-1 visa and must show funds on the I-20.
If the US route does not work out this cycle, compare it with other fully funded options such as the Lester B. Pearson Scholarship in Canada or the UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation Scholarship for students from Africa.
FAQs
Which American scholarships are fully funded for international students?
For graduate study: Fulbright Foreign Student Program, Knight-Hennessy at Stanford, the Humphrey Fellowship (non-degree) and the ADB-Japan Scholarship at the University of Hawaii. For undergraduates, full-need aid at colleges such as Princeton and Amherst can cover the full cost.
Can international students get a full scholarship for an undergraduate degree in the USA?
Yes, mainly through need-based aid at colleges that meet full demonstrated need for international students. Few US government scholarships fund a bachelor’s degree.
Is the Fulbright scholarship still open for 2027?
Many countries ran 2027/28 Fulbright Foreign Student rounds in late 2025 and 2026. Deadlines are set by country, so check with your country’s Fulbright Commission or US Embassy.
Do I need IELTS or TOEFL for American scholarships?
Usually yes, unless the university or programme exempts you, for example because your previous degree was taught in English. ADB-JSP, for instance, sets minimum TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores.
If you are a US citizen or want a wider list of college awards, see our guide to scholarships for college students.
If you are a US citizen or want a wider list of college awards, see our guide to scholarships for college students.
Sources and updates
Fulbright facts come from the Foreign Fulbright programme page, the US Mission to the UAE’s 2027 announcement (reported by Khaleej Times) and the Fulbright Association’s programme status tracker. Knight-Hennessy facts come from Stanford’s Knight-Hennessy application deadlines page. Humphrey coverage comes from the Fulbright Commission in Romania’s 2027/28 call. ADB-JSP facts come from the University of Hawaii programme announcement, and Princeton’s policy from Princeton’s international students page. AAUW amounts are from third-party guides and are marked as unconfirmed. Checked on 24 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
