American University offers the EGL scholarship to two international students who need a non-immigrant visa, preferably F-1 or J-1. It covers all billable expenses and renews for four years.
Up to eight additional partial EGL scholarships are worth up to $40,000 a year each, and no extra application is needed. Non-billable costs of about $4,000 a year stay with the student, as the American University EGL page explains.
Columbia takes the opposite approach. It is need aware, all of its aid is need based, and it has no merit scholarships for international students. It meets 100 percent of demonstrated need, and the average international award was $79,375, as its international aid page shows.
NYU considers international students for scholarships automatically with the application, but it says very few awards are merit only and most combine need and merit. A CSS Profile is required, and private international borrowing usually needs a US citizen or permanent resident as a cosigner.
| Institution | Award | What it covers | How to apply |
|---|
| Clark University | Presidential Scholarship | Full tuition, room and board, four years | Automatic, no separate application |
| Clark University | Davis UWC Scholars | Up to $15,000 a year, need based | Automatic, need based |
| American University | EGL scholarship | All billable expenses for two students | With the admission application |
| American University | Partial EGL awards | Up to $40,000 a year, eight awards | No extra application |
| Columbia University | Need based aid | 100 percent of demonstrated need | With the CSS Profile |
| New York University | Need and merit awards | Partial, most are need based | Automatic consideration |
How much do these scholarships actually cover?
The strongest awards cover a full published price of attendance, and the strongest partial awards run to $40,000 a year.
Clark University's 2026-27 bill shows what a full award is worth: $62,070 in tuition, $8,580 for room, $5,780 for board, $460 for activities, $400 for orientation and $680 for health and wellness, which totals $77,970 in billed charges for one student.
American University's EGL award covers all billable expenses for two students and renews for four years. The eight additional partial EGL awards carry up to $40,000 a year each.
At the other end, international merit awards at American University run up to $35,000 a year, are renewable for four years at the same amount, and need no separate application.
The award decision there is need aware, and from the fall 2027 entering class the university will consider admitted international students for need-based aid. Columbia's average international award of $79,375 shows the price of need-based aid at a selective private school.
| Award | Value | Duration | Renewable |
|---|
| Clark Presidential Scholarship | Full bill of $77,970 for 2026-27 | Four years | Yes, all four years |
| American University EGL | All billable expenses | Four years | Yes |
| American University partial EGL | Up to $40,000 a year | Up to four years | Case by case |
| American University international merit | Up to $35,000 a year | Four years | Yes, at the same amount |
| Columbia need based aid | Average award of $79,375 | Up to four years | Case by case |
| Clark Davis UWC Scholars | Up to $15,000 a year | Four years | Case by case |
When are the international scholarship deadlines?
Most 2027-28 government windows closed by October 2026, so the practical target for the biggest programs is the 2028-29 cycle.
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program sets deadlines by country, and most 2027-28 competitions closed between spring and early autumn 2026. Canada remained open until November 15, 2026, and the 2028-29 competitions are expected to open around February 2027.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program closed its 2027-28 cycle on October 6, 2026, and the 2028-29 cycle is scheduled to launch in spring 2027. Both programs run through IIE, so one account covers the applications.
University deadlines run on their own admissions calendar. Clark University asks international students for an early decision by November 1 and a regular decision by January 15, and American University's EGL materials are due by December 1, 2026 and January 15, 2027 for the main cycle.
A few national deadlines sit outside the university cycle. The AAUW International Fellowship opens on August 17 and closes on September 17 each year, and the Knight-Hennessy Scholars application closes on October 6.
Treat any third-party deadline calendar as a starting point and confirm it on the program's own site. Scholarship offices change dates from one cycle to the next.
| Program | Deadline | Notes |
|---|
| Fulbright Foreign Student, Canada | November 15, 2026 | One of the last 2027-28 windows open |
| Fulbright U.S. Student | October 6, 2026 | 2027-28 cycle closed |
| Fulbright Foreign Student, most countries | Spring to early autumn 2027 | For the 2028-29 cycle |
| Humphrey Fellowship | Per post, from June 2026 | China June 29, Romania August 31, 2026 |
| Clark University international | November 1 and January 15 | Early decision and regular decision |
| American University EGL | December 1, 2026 and January 15, 2027 | Materials deadlines |
Do international students get federal student loans?
No. F-1 and J-1 students are not eligible for US federal student loans, so scholarships and private credit fill that gap.
Federal Direct Loans require US citizenship or eligible non-citizen status, which excludes most international students on student visas. Private lenders such as MPOWER and Prodigy lend to international students without a US cosigner, and they price the loan on international credit history.
That gap is why scholarship strategy and loan strategy have to be planned together. A full-tuition award removes the borrowing need entirely, while a partial award still leaves a gap that a private lender has to fill.
Budget the true cost as well. American University's financial declaration requires international students to confirm $87,374 a year, and its application fee is $75, so a scholarship plan and a budget plan start from the same number.
What are the next steps for applying for an international scholarship?
Pick the programs that match your degree and your nationality, then work backward from the earliest deadline they set.
Start with the government programs, because they fund a whole degree rather than a slice of the bill. The Fulbright Foreign Student Program and the Humphrey Fellowship both have strict eligibility rules and per-country deadlines, and both are administered through IIE.
Then compare university awards against the published bill of the schools you are considering. Our guide to the top US universities for international students covers the price each school publishes.
Our international student trends guide shows how enrollment and aid have moved. Keep the scholarship and the application calendar in the same planner, using our college application deadlines guide for the cycle dates.
Our guide to computer science scholarships covers the field-specific options for students who plan to study computing in the US.
Verify current requirements. Policies and rates change. Check the official source before you apply or pay.
Photo: JESHOOTS-com, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/laptop-woman-education-study-young-3087585/)
Fazlur Rahman
