East Tennessee State University scholarships for international students are mostly automatic merit awards. If ETSU admits you as a new degree-seeking international student and your previous GPA is 3.0 or higher, you are considered for an International Merit Scholarship worth $5,000 to $9,000 a year, with no separate form. Undergraduates get $5,000, $7,000 or $9,000 depending on GPA; master’s students get $5,000 and doctoral students $9,000.
These awards cut your out-of-state tuition. They are not fully funded. ETSU’s own estimate for an international undergraduate in 2027-2028 is $49,994 a year, so even the top $9,000 award leaves about $41,000 for you to cover. The fall 2027 undergraduate application deadline is 1 July 2027, and the merit award comes with your admission.
Key facts about the ETSU International Merit Scholarship
- University: East Tennessee State University (ETSU), a public university in Johnson City, Tennessee.
- Award name: International Merit Scholarship, in five tiers (Blue, Gold and Elite for undergraduates; Masters Merit and Doctoral Merit for graduate students).
- Value: $5,000 to $9,000 per academic year.
- How you apply: you don’t. Every new degree-seeking international applicant is considered once admitted.
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in your previous studies.
- Test scores: no SAT, ACT or GRE score is listed as a condition for the award.
- Duration: up to 8 semesters for undergraduates, up to 5 semesters for master’s students, and up to 8 semesters (or the length of the programme) for doctoral students.
- Fully funded? No. It reduces tuition only.
- Application fee: $35 for undergraduate admission.
How much is the ETSU International Merit Scholarship?
The tier depends on one number: your GPA from your last level of study. For first-year applicants that is your high school GPA, for transfers it is your previous university GPA, and for graduate applicants it is your undergraduate GPA.
| Tier | Level | GPA needed | Amount per year | Maximum semesters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Scholarship | Undergraduate | Above 3.0 | $5,000 | 8 |
| Gold Scholarship | Undergraduate | Above 3.5 | $7,000 | 8 |
| Elite Scholarship | Undergraduate | Above 3.75 | $9,000 | 8 |
| Masters Merit Scholarship | Master’s | Above 3.0 | $5,000 | 5 |
| Doctoral Merit Scholarship | Doctoral | Above 3.0 | $9,000 | 8 or programme length |
Over four years, the Elite award is worth up to $36,000 and the Blue award up to $20,000. ETSU has not published how many students receive each tier, but because the award is automatic and tied to a GPA band, it works more like a published discount than a competition.
If your school does not grade on a 4.0 scale, ETSU converts your results. The undergraduate admission page lists approved credential evaluators (World Education Services, The Evaluation Company, IEE, Josef Silny and Education Credential Evaluators). An evaluation is optional for admission, but if you are close to a tier boundary, an evaluation from one of these agencies shows you where you stand before the university does its own conversion.
Is the ETSU scholarship fully funded?
No. Some listing sites describe ETSU awards as fully funded, which is wrong. The International Merit Scholarship exists to offset out-of-state tuition, and ETSU’s scholarship page says those available to F and J visa students are limited.
The closest thing to a large award is a tuition-level scholarship such as the Creative Arts Scholarship or the STEM Community Outreach Scholarship, which let recipients pay in-state tuition. Even then, housing, food, insurance and personal costs stay with you.
ETSU cost of attendance for international students
ETSU publishes estimates for both 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. If you are applying now for fall 2027, plan with the second column.
| Item | Undergraduate 2026-27 | Undergraduate 2027-28 | Graduate 2026-27 | Graduate 2027-28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $30,686 | $31,760 | $26,942 | $27,290 |
| Housing | $5,000 | $5,250 | $5,000 | $5,250 |
| Food | $4,320 | $4,540 | $4,320 | $4,540 |
| Books and supplies | $1,300 | $1,350 | $1,300 | $1,350 |
| Health insurance | $1,614 | $1,704 | $1,614 | $1,704 |
| Miscellaneous | $5,240 | $5,390 | $5,240 | $5,398 |
| Total | $48,160 | $49,994 | $44,416 | $45,532 |
Tuition assumes 15 credit hours a semester for undergraduates and 9 for graduate students. Each F or J dependent adds $7,200 to the estimate. Pharmacy students at the Gatton College of Pharmacy have separate figures.
What you actually pay after the award (2027-28 estimates)
| Tier | Estimated cost | Award | What remains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue (undergraduate) | $49,994 | $5,000 | $44,994 |
| Gold (undergraduate) | $49,994 | $7,000 | $42,994 |
| Elite (undergraduate) | $49,994 | $9,000 | $40,994 |
| Masters Merit | $45,532 | $5,000 | $40,532 |
| Doctoral Merit | $45,532 | $9,000 | $36,532 |
These are my subtractions from ETSU’s published totals. Your bill will move with your housing choice and course fees.
Who is eligible for the ETSU International Merit Scholarship?
You are considered if all of these apply:
- You are admitted to ETSU as a new degree-seeking student.
- You hold, or will apply for, a visa that allows full-time study (usually F-1 or J-1).
- Your previous GPA is 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- You will pay out-of-state tuition. The award exists to offset it.
Who is not eligible
- Students taking a second bachelor’s degree when the first one was from ETSU.
- Students paying in-state tuition or ETSU’s E-Rate tuition.
- Applicants to the MD or PharmD programmes.
- Students already receiving another award that covers out-of-state tuition, such as the Creative Arts Scholarship, the STEM Community Outreach Scholarship, Honors-in-Discipline, a graduate assistantship or a Fulbright grant.
That last point catches graduate students most often. If your department offers you a graduate assistantship with a tuition waiver, you lose the merit award, because the waiver already covers what the merit award was meant to reduce. In almost every case the assistantship is worth more, so take it.
Other ETSU scholarships international students can get
| Scholarship | Who it is for | Value | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Merit Scholarship | New degree-seeking international students | $5,000 to $9,000 a year | Automatic on admission |
| Creative Arts Scholarship | Undergraduate and graduate students in any major who take part in art and design, music, theatre, dance or film | Pay in-state tuition (ETSU puts the value at about $20,000 a year) | Separate application through the Creative Arts programme |
| International PTK Scholarship | International transfer students who are Phi Theta Kappa members | $2,000 to $4,000 a year, can be combined with merit | Separate application |
| STEM Community Outreach Scholarship | New undergraduates in Computing, Geosciences, Mathematics or Physics | Pay in-state tuition (about $19,000 a year) | Online form; freshmen need high school GPA above 3.2 plus math ACT above 25 or SAT above 590 |
| Sister Cities International Student Scholarship | Current F-1 students after one semester at ETSU, full time, GPA 3.0 (undergraduate) or 3.5 (graduate) | $1,000 one time | Online form by 31 March |
| Changemaker Scholars Program (Honors College) | Students with a record of community involvement, GPA 3.5 or ACT 26 | $9,000 a year | Honors application by 1 March |
The PTK award is the only extra scholarship ETSU says can be stacked on top of the merit award. The Creative Arts and STEM awards replace it, because they already cut tuition to the in-state level.
ETSU’s scholarship page also points graduate women to the P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship, an external award of up to $12,500.
ETSU application deadlines for fall 2027
| What | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate application, fall 2027 | 1 July 2027 |
| I-20 request, fall 2027 | 15 July 2027 |
| Undergraduate application, spring 2027 | 1 November 2026 |
| I-20 request, spring 2027 | 15 November 2026 |
| Changemaker Scholars application | 1 March 2027 |
| Sister Cities scholarship (current students) | 31 March 2027 |
Graduate deadlines are set by each programme and are often earlier than the undergraduate date, especially for programmes that offer assistantships. Check your programme page in the ETSU Graduate School catalogue.
Apply early, not on 1 July
The merit award comes with admission, but your I-20 and visa interview do not wait. Admission by spring 2027 gives you time to book a visa appointment, which in many countries has a wait of several weeks or months.
ETSU admission requirements for international students
Undergraduate
- Online application: at etsu.edu/apply, with the $35 fee.
- Minimum GPA for admission: 2.3 for first-year applicants. Transfers need between 1.4 and 2.0 depending on credit hours completed. Remember the merit award needs 3.0.
- Official transcripts: sent by your school directly (email is accepted only if it comes from the institution), with English translations.
- English proficiency: only if you are from a country where English is not an official language.
- Credential evaluation: optional.
English test minimums
| Test | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT (new 1 to 6 scale, from 21 January 2026) | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| TOEFL iBT (older 0 to 120 scale) | 61 | 79 |
| IELTS | 5.5 | 6.5 |
| PTE | 43 | 53 |
| Duolingo | 95 | Not listed |
| Oxford ELLT | 6 | Not listed |
Undergraduates from listed English-speaking countries, such as Nigeria, South Africa, Jamaica, Canada, Australia and the UK, are exempt. Graduate applicants are exempt after at least four years of English-medium study in a listed country. Graduate assistants and tuition scholarship holders also take a free oral English check on arrival.
How to get the ETSU merit scholarship: step by step
- Check your GPA tier: convert your grades to a 4.0 scale. If you are near 3.5 or 3.75, a WES evaluation tells you which side you fall on.
- Apply for admission: complete the ETSU online application and pay $35. Choose the degree-seeking option, because non-degree students are not eligible.
- Send official transcripts: ask your school to send them directly. Results you upload yourself are not official.
- Send your English score: unless you are exempt.
- Wait for admission: the merit tier is assigned once you are admitted. You don’t fill in a scholarship form.
- Submit proof of funds: for your I-20, show one year of expenses, net of your scholarship. Bank statements must show balances and be dated within the last three months.
- Apply for the extra awards: PTK, Creative Arts, STEM or Changemaker, if you fit. These have their own forms.
- Book your visa interview: as soon as the I-20 arrives.
How to keep the scholarship
- Stay enrolled full time every semester.
- Keep a semester GPA of 2.75 or higher as an undergraduate. If you fall below, you get one probation semester with the award. If your cumulative GPA is still under 2.75 after that, the award ends for the rest of your degree.
- Keep a 3.0 GPA as a graduate student.
- Tell the Office of International Enrollment and Services about any other scholarship that pays out-of-state tuition.
- Undergraduates who need more than 8 semesters can file an appeal form. Graduate extensions go through your programme coordinator.
Costs the scholarship does not cover
- The remaining tuition and fees after the award.
- Housing, food, books and the mandatory health insurance (about $1,704 in 2027-28).
- The $35 application fee, the SEVIS I-901 fee and the US visa application fee.
- Flights to Tennessee.
- Summer sessions if you choose to take them.
- $7,200 a year for each dependent who comes with you.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Treating the merit award as a full scholarship and arriving with funds for one semester.
- Applying as a non-degree student. Only degree-seeking students qualify.
- Sending transcripts yourself. ETSU accepts them only from the issuing institution.
- Accepting an assistantship and expecting to keep the merit award too.
- Taking a summer job without checking F-1 work limits.
- Using an old bank statement. It must be from the last three months.
How ETSU compares with similar US scholarships
| Scholarship | Value | Application | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETSU International Merit Scholarship | $5,000 to $9,000 a year | Automatic | This page |
| University of Houston scholarships | Merit awards; merit priority deadline 2 November 2026 | With admission, by the priority date | University of Houston scholarships |
| Tulane University scholarships | Merit up to $32,000 a year, plus a few full awards | With admission | Tulane University scholarships |
| Duke University scholarships | Karsh International Scholarship and need-based aid for 20 to 25 students a year | Admission plus aid forms | Duke University scholarships |
If you want a wider view, our list of the best American scholarships for international students sorts US awards by value, and our guide to scholarships for college students covers awards you can add once you are enrolled.
Who should apply, and who should not
ETSU makes sense if you have a GPA of 3.5 or more, can show family or sponsor funds of about $41,000 a year, and want a US degree at a lower price than most private universities.
Look elsewhere if you need a full scholarship. A 3.0 GPA earns $5,000, which leaves close to $45,000 a year. Graduate students should aim for an assistantship, which usually comes with a tuition waiver and is worth much more.
FAQ
Do I need to apply separately for the ETSU International Merit Scholarship?
No. All new degree-seeking international applicants are considered automatically once ETSU admits them. Your tier depends on your GPA from your last level of study.
Is the ETSU scholarship fully funded for international students?
No. It pays $5,000 to $9,000 a year toward out-of-state tuition. ETSU estimates 2027-28 costs at $49,994 for undergraduates, so most of the cost stays with you.
What is the ETSU deadline for fall 2027 international students?
The undergraduate application deadline is 1 July 2027 and the I-20 request deadline is 15 July 2027. Graduate programmes set their own dates.
Can I get the ETSU merit scholarship and a graduate assistantship?
No. The merit award cannot be combined with a graduate assistantship or any award that covers out-of-state tuition. The assistantship usually has more value.
Sources and updates
Award tiers, GPA bands, renewal and ineligibility rules come from ETSU’s International Merit Scholarships page and its international scholarships page. Costs come from ETSU’s estimated cost of attendance for international students (2026-27 and 2027-28) and its 2026-27 financial agreement form, which also sets the proof-of-funds rules and the $7,200 dependent figure. Deadlines, the $35 fee and admission GPAs come from ETSU’s international student requirements page; English scores come from its English proficiency page. Checked on 25 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.
