University of Houston scholarships for international students are mostly merit awards that you get by applying for admission early. If you want to start a bachelor’s degree in fall 2027, the date that matters is 2 November 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. That is the university’s scholarship priority date and also the deadline for the Tier One Scholarship, the award that pays full tuition and fees. Graduate students are funded differently, through assistantships and tuition fellowships handled by each college.
Many scholarship lists mix up the University of Houston (the main campus, home of the Cougars) with the University of Houston-Clear Lake, a separate university in the same system whose students are the Hawks. Awards like Hawk Scholars and President’s Excellence belong to Clear Lake. I cover both below, clearly separated, so you apply to the right school.
Deadlines in the next 10 days
University of Houston fall 2027 freshmen: admission application and Tier One application by 2 November 2026, 5:00 p.m. CT. UH-Clear Lake Hawk Scholars (spring 2027 entry): final deadline 1 November 2026.
University of Houston scholarships for international students at a glance
These are the main-campus awards an international applicant can aim for, with what UH says about each one.
| Scholarship | Who it is for | Value | How you are considered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Excellence | Incoming freshmen | Varies; UH describes it as competitive awards of various amounts. Renewable for 4 years (5 for Architecture) | Apply for fall admission and complete your file by the priority date |
| Distinguished | Top Academic Excellence recipients | Paid on top of Academic Excellence; renewable up to 4 years | By invitation |
| Tier One | Incoming freshmen (transfer and graduate students are excluded) | Full tuition and required fees for 4 years (5 for Architecture), on-campus housing and meals for the first 2 years, a one-time $1,000 research stipend and a one-time $2,000 study abroad stipend | Separate Tier One application, one recommendation letter and a virtual interview |
| Cullen Leadership (UH) | Freshmen with a strong academic record and leadership | $1,000 a year, renewable up to 4 years | Selected from admitted applicants |
| Transfer Excellence | Fall transfer admits with 48+ transferable hours and a 3.0 GPA | $1,000 to $2,000 a year | No separate scholarship form; first come, first served |
| Jack and D’Ann Burke International / Cecelia Eichenberg Memorial | Current UH students (juniors and above, or graduate students) active in international education | $1,000 for the year ($500 a semester) plus eligibility for in-state tuition | Online application each spring |
| Good Neighbor Scholarship | Students from Western Hemisphere countries | Tuition for one academic year | Email application to UH Scholarships and Financial Aid by 15 March |
UH does not say on its Tier One pages whether international freshmen can receive that award. It lists a scholarship priority deadline on its international freshman admissions page, so international applicants are clearly reviewed for merit money. If Tier One is your target, email the Tier One Scholars office before you apply and ask directly.
University of Houston scholarships deadlines for fall 2027
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Fall 2027 and spring 2027 applications open | 1 August 2026 |
| UH admission application and Tier One application (scholarship priority date) | 2 November 2026, 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Tier One recommendation letter uploaded by your referee | 9 November 2026, 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Tier One interview invitations sent | By 4 December 2026 |
| Tier One virtual interviews | 16, 17 or 18 December 2026 |
| Good Neighbor Scholarship application | 15 March 2027 |
| Burke International Scholarship application (for students already at UH) | 31 March 2027, 11:59 p.m. CT |
The Burke date above is last year’s 31 March deadline carried forward (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens). UH has not posted the regular fall 2027 international admission deadline on its admissions page yet. For fall 2026 it was 1 May 2026, but missing the November priority date usually means missing most merit money, so treat November as your real deadline.
Can international students pay in-state tuition at UH?
Sometimes. Texas lets a non-resident who wins a competitive scholarship pay the resident tuition rate. The UH Graduate School says international and out-of-state students may qualify for this waiver if they receive a Competitive Scholarship or a TA or RA job that carries an employment waiver. The Burke International Scholarship page states the same thing for its winners. An older UH help article puts the threshold at scholarships of $1,000 or more a year and warns that waivers are limited.
A $1,000 award can cut your yearly bill by far more than $1,000, because the gap between resident and non-resident tuition is large. Ask the financial aid office to confirm the waiver in writing when you accept any award.
Admission requirements international applicants must meet first
You only enter the scholarship pool once your admission file is complete, so these come first.
| Requirement | University of Houston (international freshman) |
|---|---|
| Academic record | Equivalent GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; official transcripts for years 9 to 12 in the original language with a certified English translation |
| English proficiency | TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5 overall, Duolingo English Test 105, SAT 1170 with 530 in reading and writing, or ACT 24 with 21 in English. Also met by a US high school diploma, schooling in a recognised English-speaking country, or Level 6 of UH’s Intensive English Program |
| SAT or ACT | Only required for special programmes; without scores you submit a resume |
| Application fee | $90, non-refundable, paid by card |
| Proof of funds for the I-20 | Bank statement under six months old showing at least $43,070, plus a signed Affidavit of Support from each sponsor |
If English tests are a worry, our guide to studying in the USA without IELTS lists the waivers other US universities accept.
How to apply for University of Houston scholarships
- Apply for admission: submit the UH application through the Common App (UH also accepts ApplyTexas) before 2 November 2026.
- Wait for your UH ID: UH emails it within four business days. You need it for the Tier One form and the applicant portal.
- Send supporting documents: transcripts, English test scores and the fee. An incomplete file at the priority date can cost you merit consideration.
- Submit the Tier One application: if you are aiming for full tuition, complete it with your UH ID and name one recommender who knows you well.
- Chase your recommender: the letter must be uploaded by 9 November 2026. You can check its status and send reminders in the applicant portal.
- Watch your email in December: Tier One interview invitations go out by 4 December 2026.
- Once enrolled, apply for continuing awards: the UH General Scholarship Application (log in with your CougarNet ID) and the Burke International Scholarship each spring.
For a letter that actually helps a Tier One file, see our recommendation letter samples.
Keeping a University of Houston scholarship
Academic Excellence, Distinguished, Tier One and Cullen Leadership all share the same renewal rules:
- Enrol full time (12 credit hours) every fall and spring.
- Keep a 3.0 cumulative GPA in UH courses.
- Pass 30 hours by the end of your first summer, 60 by year two and 90 by year three.
- Renewal stops after eight undergraduate semesters (ten for Architecture). Repeated courses, failed or withdrawn courses and summer tuition are not covered.
Graduate funding at the University of Houston
There is no single university-wide master’s or PhD scholarship for international students. Funding comes from your college and department:
- Assistantships: teaching and research assistant jobs. Ask your programme advisor and check the job listings on AccessUH. TA and RA posts can carry the employment tuition waiver mentioned above.
- Graduate Tuition Fellowship: pays in-state tuition and mandatory fees for qualified doctoral students. In the College of Education, for example, new PhD students get it for their first two years, international students are given priority within each cohort, and the award comes with an out-of-state tuition waiver. Incoming students do not fill a separate form.
- Merit scholarships: awarded by colleges on academic merit; amounts and deadlines vary by programme, so ask the admissions advisor for your programme.
PhD offers in science and engineering usually bundle an assistantship with a tuition waiver. A master’s student should expect to fund most costs personally.
University of Houston-Clear Lake scholarships (a different university)
UH-Clear Lake (UHCL) is a separate university in the University of Houston System, south-east of the city. If you saw “Hawk” scholarships on another site, they are Clear Lake awards and you must apply to UHCL, not UH, to get them.
| UHCL scholarship | Value | Who can apply | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawk Scholars | $2,000 for spring 2027 plus resident tuition for spring and summer 2027; renewable at $1,000 for fall 2027 and $1,000 for spring 2028 | New international undergraduate and graduate students (and new non-Texas residents) with a 3.0 GPA, unconditionally admitted | Priority 15 September 2026 (passed); final 1 November 2026 |
| President’s Excellence | $3,000 a year ($1,500 each in fall and spring), renewable for three more years | Recent high school graduates with at least a 3.5 GPA | See UHCL page |
| New Hawk | From $1,000 up to a full ride (tuition, fees, books and housing) | Freshmen | See UHCL page |
| Hawk Housing | $1,000 in fall and $1,000 in spring toward a double room in Hunter Hall | New undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking students | See UHCL page |
| Cullen Leadership (UHCL) | Not stated | Transfer students who earned an associate degree at a Houston or Galveston area community college within 12 months of transferring | See UHCL page |
| Higher-Up | $1,000 | UHCL alumni starting a graduate degree at UHCL | See UHCL page |
UHCL scholarships are applied for inside its E-Services portal. For Hawk Scholars the steps are:
- Log in: open E-Services and click “Admissions”.
- Find the form: click “Apply for UHCL Scholarships”, leave the search fields blank and click “Search”.
- Check the criteria: click “Details” (not “Apply”) on Hawk Scholars and confirm you qualify. UHCL warns that applying for awards you clearly do not meet can disqualify you from all of its scholarships.
- Apply: go back, click “Apply”, enter 2027 as the aid year, answer the questions and submit. You cannot reopen the form afterwards.
Scholarships do not carry over if you defer to a later term; you must update your admission term and apply again.
What other University of Houston scholarship lists get wrong
- They present Clear Lake awards (Hawk Advantage, Hawk Scholars, New Hawk, President’s Excellence, the Hunter Hall housing award) as University of Houston scholarships.
- They link the “official” scholarship page to uhcl.edu while describing the main UH campus.
- They say no deadline has been announced. UH has published 2 November 2026 for fall 2027, and UHCL has published 1 November 2026 for Hawk Scholars.
- They claim you need no IELTS or TOEFL if your last degree was taught in English. UH’s own waiver list is narrower: a US diploma, schooling in a recognised English-speaking country, or its Intensive English Program.
If you are comparing several US schools with autumn deadlines, our list of US scholarships with upcoming deadlines puts them in date order.
FAQs about University of Houston scholarships
Does the University of Houston give scholarships to international students?
Yes. International freshmen who complete their admission file by the priority date (2 November 2026 for fall 2027) are reviewed for merit awards, and enrolled international students can apply for the Burke International Scholarship each spring. Graduate students are funded mainly through department assistantships and tuition fellowships.
Is there a full scholarship at the University of Houston?
The Tier One Scholarship covers full tuition and required fees for four years plus housing and meals for the first two years. UH does not say on its Tier One pages whether international students are eligible, so confirm with the Tier One office before relying on it.
What GPA do I need for a University of Houston scholarship?
Admission needs an equivalent 3.0 GPA, and merit awards are renewed only if you keep a 3.0 cumulative GPA at UH. UHCL’s Hawk Scholars also asks for 3.0, while its President’s Excellence award asks for 3.5.
When is the Burke International Scholarship deadline at UH?
The deadline is 31 March 2027, 11:59 p.m. CT. The award pays $1,000 for the year and makes the winner eligible for in-state tuition.
Sources and updates
Award names, values, renewal rules and the Good Neighbor and transfer awards come from the University of Houston Scholarships and Financial Aid page (uh.edu). Fall 2027 Tier One dates and steps come from the UH Tier One Scholars eligibility and FAQ pages. Admission requirements, the $90 fee and the $43,070 proof of funds come from the UH international freshman admissions process page. The Burke award and its in-state tuition benefit come from UH International Student and Scholar Services, and the tuition waiver for international graduate students from the UH Graduate School cost and aid page. Clear Lake awards and the Hawk Scholars steps come from the UHCL new student scholarships pages. Checked on 24 October 2026. I will update this page when UH posts the fall 2027 regular admission deadline.
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.
