Scholarships for college students in the US split into two groups. If you are a US citizen or permanent resident, most of your money comes through the FAFSA (Pell Grant, FSEOG, Work-Study and state grants), plus private awards such as Coca-Cola Scholars, the Gates Scholarship, Dell Scholars and the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship. If you are an international student, almost none of those are open to you; your realistic routes are university need-based aid, a few awards built for non-citizens such as the AAUW International Fellowships, and the Fulbright Foreign Student Program.
Below are separate tables for each group, with official links and deadlines checked on 24 October 2026. Where a deadline has already passed, I give the next cycle’s date and say so.
Open now or next: scholarship deadlines for college students
| Award | Status on 24 Oct 2026 | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| FAFSA 2027-28 (Pell, FSEOG, Work-Study) | Open since September 2026 | Federal deadline 30 June 2028; school and state deadlines are much earlier |
| Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship | Open | 9 December 2026 |
| Dell Scholars (Texas only for this cycle) | Open since 1 October 2026 | 12 January 2027 |
| Gates Scholarship | Closed 15 September 2026 | 15 September 2027 |
| Coca-Cola Scholars | Closed 30 September 2026, 5 p.m. ET | 30 September 2027 |
| Gilman Scholarship (fall cycle) | Closed 1 October 2026, 11:59 p.m. PT | 1 October 2027 |
| Fulbright US Student Program | Closed 6 October 2026 | 6 October 2027 |
| AAUW International Fellowships | Closed 17 September 2026, 5 p.m. ET | 17 September 2027 |
Dates in the “Deadline” column for closed awards are based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens.
Scholarships for college students who are US citizens or permanent residents
| Scholarship | Amount | Who qualifies | Deadline | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Pell Grant | $740 to $7,395 a year (2026-27) | Undergraduates without a bachelor’s degree who show financial need on the FAFSA; US citizens or eligible noncitizens | Through the 2027-28 FAFSA; file early | studentaid.gov |
| FSEOG | $100 to $4,000 a year | Undergraduates with exceptional need, Pell recipients first; school must take part | Your school’s priority date; funds run out | studentaid.gov |
| Federal Work-Study | Part-time job earnings, set by your school | Undergraduate and graduate students with need at participating schools | Your school’s priority date | studentaid.gov |
| Coca-Cola Scholars | $20,000 (150 awards a year) | High school seniors in the US with at least a 3.0 GPA; citizens, nationals, permanent residents, refugees, asylees and some others | 30 September 2027 (opens 3 August 2027) | coca-colascholarsfoundation.org |
| Gates Scholarship | Remaining full cost of attendance (last-dollar) | Pell-eligible high school seniors with a 3.3 weighted GPA; US citizens, nationals or permanent residents; full-time at a four-year nonprofit college | 15 September 2027 (opens 15 July 2027) | thegatesscholarship.org |
| Dell Scholars | $20,000 plus laptop, book credits and emergency funds | For the 2027 cycle: Texas high school seniors in an approved college readiness programme, Pell-eligible, 2.4 GPA, going to a Texas public four-year university | 12 January 2027 | dellscholars.org |
| Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer | Up to $55,000 a year for two to three years | Current community college students transferring to a bachelor’s programme, with strong grades and unmet financial need | 9 December 2026 | jkcf.org |
| Gilman Scholarship | Up to $5,000 base award | US citizen or national undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant, studying or interning abroad for credit | 1 October 2027 (fall cycle) | gilmanscholarship.org |
| Fulbright US Student Program | Funded year abroad | US citizens with a bachelor’s degree by the start of the grant (permanent residents are not eligible) | 6 October 2027 | us.fulbrightonline.org |
Gilman also runs a spring cycle for programmes starting later in the year. Check gilmanscholarship.org for its date if you missed the October round.
The FAFSA comes first
One form unlocks Pell, FSEOG, Work-Study, most state grants and much of your college’s own need-based aid. The 2027-28 FAFSA opened in late September 2026, earlier than the usual 1 October start. The federal deadline is 30 June 2028, but that date is almost useless in practice: FSEOG and Work-Study are limited pots that schools hand out in order, and several states award their grants first come, first served. File in the first weeks.
Pell has a lifetime limit of about six years of full-time awards, and if you take an extra term in the same year you can receive up to 150% of your yearly award. The 2027-28 maximum is due to be announced in early 2027.
Money students often leave unclaimed
- State grants: every state’s higher education agency runs need-based or merit grants for residents. Some cover community college tuition in full. Search your state agency’s website, not a scholarship database.
- Departmental awards: endowed scholarships tied to a major, a county or a career plan. Ask your department administrator directly; many are never advertised.
- Small local awards: churches, credit unions, employers and community foundations. Fewer applicants means better odds.
Scholarships for international college students in the US
Federal aid, Coca-Cola, Gates, Dell, Gilman and Fulbright US are closed to you if you are not a citizen or permanent resident. These are the routes that do work.
| Option | What it pays | Who qualifies | Deadline | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Need-blind, full-need universities: MIT, Princeton, Yale, Amherst | 100% of demonstrated need, as grants at most of them | Any nationality; admission decided without looking at ability to pay | Each university’s regular decision deadline for fall 2027 entry (early January at most) | Each university’s admissions and financial aid pages |
| Other need-blind universities: Harvard, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, Georgetown, Notre Dame | Need-based aid; check each aid policy | Any nationality | Each university’s regular decision deadline | Each university’s admissions site |
| AAUW International Fellowships | $20,000 (master’s) or $25,000 (doctoral) | Women who are not US citizens or permanent residents, with a 3.5 GPA, studying full time in the US | 17 September 2027 (opens 17 August 2027) | aauw.org |
| Fulbright Foreign Student Program | Graduate study in the US, usually fully funded | Non-US citizens, applying in their home country | Set by the US embassy or Fulbright commission in each country | Your local US embassy or Fulbright commission |
| Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program | Full scholarship at partner universities | Students from Africa with financial need | Set by each partner university | See our UC Berkeley Mastercard Foundation guide |
| University merit scholarships | Partial to full tuition | Varies; often automatic on admission | Usually the admission deadline | Each university’s scholarships page |
For undergraduates from abroad, the need-blind universities are the only realistic path to full funding, and they are among the hardest admissions in the world. I would apply to two or three of them and pair them with universities that give generous merit awards, rather than relying on one outside scholarship.
What international applicants need to show
- Most private universities ask international aid applicants for the CSS Profile or their own financial aid form, with family income documents.
- After admission, you need proof that you can cover whatever the scholarship does not, so the university can issue the I-20 for your F-1 visa.
- English test results (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, depending on the university) unless you qualify for a waiver.
How to apply for scholarships for college students
- Sort out eligibility first: citizenship, state of residence, school year and Pell status decide most of the list above. Strike out anything you do not qualify for before you write a word.
- File the FAFSA (US students): at studentaid.gov, as soon as possible after it opens. Many private awards, including Gates, Dell and Gilman, depend on Pell eligibility.
- Build one document pack: transcripts, a list of activities and work, two or three referees who know you well, and your FAFSA or CSS Profile records.
- Write one core essay: about a real problem you dealt with and what you did about it. Adapt it honestly to each prompt instead of writing ten from scratch.
- Put deadlines in a calendar: with the time zone. Coca-Cola closes at 5 p.m. Eastern; Gilman at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
- Visit the financial aid office: ask about FSEOG, Work-Study, departmental awards and how outside scholarships affect your package.
Strong references help with almost every award here. Our recommendation letter samples show what to give your referees. If the US is out of reach, the Lester B. Pearson Scholarship in Canada is one of the few fully funded undergraduate awards open to international students.
Mistakes that cost college students scholarship money
- Filing the FAFSA in spring, after campus FSEOG and Work-Study money and first-come state grants are gone.
- Assuming you need a perfect GPA. Pell and FSEOG have no GPA cutoff, and Dell asks for 2.4.
- Ignoring the citizenship line. International students lose weeks on applications they could never win.
- Not reporting outside scholarships to your college. Total aid cannot exceed your cost of attendance, so the school may adjust your package; ask it to reduce loans before grants.
- Paying for “scholarship matching” services. Every award in this post is free to apply for.
FAQ: scholarships for college students
Can international students get scholarships for college in the USA?
Yes, but not federal aid or most private US awards. Your main options are need-blind universities such as MIT, Princeton, Yale and Amherst, university merit awards, the AAUW International Fellowships for women (deadline 17 September 2027), and the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for graduate study.
How much is the Pell Grant for 2026-27?
The maximum is $7,395 and the minimum is $740 for the 2026-27 award year. The 2027-28 maximum will be announced in early 2027.
What is the deadline for the 2027-28 FAFSA?
The federal deadline is 30 June 2028, but your state and college deadlines come much earlier, some in winter 2026-27. The form is already open, so file now.
When is the Coca-Cola and Gates Scholarship deadline?
Both 2027 rounds have closed. The deadlines are 15 September 2027 for the Gates Scholarship and 30 September 2027 for Coca-Cola Scholars, so high school juniors should start preparing in summer 2027.
Sources and updates
Pell amounts come from the US Department of Education’s 2026-27 Pell Grant letter to schools and studentaid.gov, and the 2027-28 FAFSA launch from NASFAA’s September 2026 report. Coca-Cola Scholars eligibility and dates come from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation’s apply page. Dell Scholars details come from dellscholars.org. Jack Kent Cooke details come from jkcf.org. Gates Scholarship dates and eligibility come from a guide based on the foundation’s published criteria, because the official site could not be read. Gilman dates come from UC Merced and University of Washington study abroad offices, and Fulbright dates from UW-Madison’s Fulbright office. AAUW figures come from a summary of the 2026-27 call; confirm on aauw.org. The need-blind university list comes from Study International’s June 2026 review of university aid policies. Information 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.
