For many, the prospect of studying at a US college in an exciting one: world-class facilities, domination in global university rankings, inspiring professors, sororities and fraternities, college sports, the list could go on. It might be any of these that attracts you, or maybe it’s just the American college vibe more broadly. Whatever the reason may be, US higher education institutions attract students from all over the world. Whilst many of these students succeed in living their college dreams, others are forced to give them up because of the sheer cost of studying in America. Whoever said money can’t buy happiness clearly never wanted to graduate from Stanford with a degree in Politics.
Fortunately, all hope is not lost: scholarships are the golden ticket for many, and although competitive, some of them are extremely generous. It is absolutely worth taking a shot at one (or a few!). We spoke with Nova Scholar to hear their thoughts on the best ones available for undergraduate international students in 2025.
What is a scholarship?
If you’re reading this article, you probably already have a good idea of what a scholarship is and why you might want one. But in case you didn’t know, a scholarship is a grant provided by an institution to help contribute to the cost of studying. These can either be partial, covering just a portion of the tuition and living costs, or full, covering the entire cost of your education. The former are much more common than the latter, as it is unusual for a university to want to fork out hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially for an undergraduate student. As you progress through your academic career, the opportunity to receive a scholarship increases, with a large number of scholarships in the US being available only to Master’s, and especially PhD, candidates. In fact, by the time you reach doctoral level study, it is quite unlikely that you will be paying tuition fees at all.
This article, however, will focus on the best fully-funded scholarships available for incoming undergraduate students. The opportunities are definitely few and far between, but knowing all of your options can only help boost your chances.
How do I apply for one?
The vast majority of scholarships will be college-specific, where the school offers funding directly to the student, usually based on merit, need, or a combination of both. The most generous scholarships tend to be offered by the more prestigious schools, Harvard, MIT and Duke, for example. In these cases, financial aid applications run internally, after you have been accepted to the school.
Although rarer, there are some other organizations that offer scholarships to international students wanting to study in the US. These scholarships are almost always merit-based, and targeted to specific groups depending on the ethos of the organization. You must apply for these scholarships separately from any college applications.
Scholarships for International Students in 2025
These four schools are among the most prestigious in the country, and each offers full-ride scholarships to students with great academic potential and financial need. Harvard, for example, has one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country; it is open to both domestic and international students and provides need-based scholarships to all admitted students who qualify. Families earning less than $85,000 annually are not expected to contribute toward tuition, room, or board, and all aid is awarded as grants rather than loans. Yale, Princeton, and MIT have similarly strong programs, offering need-based support along with stipends to help cover living expenses.
Full-ride scholarships are also available from many other great institutions.
- Furman College, James B. Duke Scholarships
Full scholarships at Furman are offered to the top 1-2% of the applicant pool.
- Meredith College, Meredith Full-Ride Merit Scholarships
Meredith College makes a similar offer, scholarships being offered on the basis of ‘academic achievement, leadership, service and character’.
- Georgia State University, Presidential Scholarship
Georgia State University’s Presidential Scholarship is the only one open to international applicants; along with offering funding for tuition and housing, part of the scholarship consists of personal mentoring from the Dean.
- Bethune-Cookman University, Presidential Scholarship
This scholarship offers funding for tuition, room and board to successful applicants; to be eligible to apply you must have a GPA of 3.75 or above.
- Louisiana State University, Entering Freshman Scholarships
Scholarship applications are made automatically when a student makes an application to Louisiana State University; scholarships are offered on the basis of academic potential, and could be up to full tuition plus a stipend.
Non-college specific scholarships
The following scholarships are funded by external organizations rather than individual colleges. Each has different eligibility criteria, for example, some focus on specific regions, while others are dedicated to supporting women’s education; these criteria align with the goals and ethoses of the host organizations. These scholarships are primarily merit-based and competitive.
- Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships
In a world in which demand for tech pioneers is ever-growing, Amazon has introduced an opportunity for talented engineering students to expand on their potential. As well as offering funding up to $40,000, the program also gives students the chance to get involved in exciting projects.
Learn more about this programme here.
- You Are Welcome Here Scholarships
There are two You Are Welcome Here scholarships offered annually to international students in any discipline who demonstrate interest and initiative in promoting intercultural learning and exchange. The awards offer students between 50-100% of tuition costs.
- Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
The Mastercard Foundation offers scholarships designed to support the academic development of talented students with leadership potential from the continent of Africa. These scholarships cover the full cost of attending university, including both tuition and living expenses.
- The Davis UWC Scholars Program
This program provides need-based scholarships to incoming freshmen who have graduated from one of the 18 United World College high schools.
- Harvard Arab Alumni Scholarships
The HAAA scholarship funds Arab students wishing to study any discipline at Harvard University; the aim of the initiative is to improve the number of Arab students studying at Harvard.
- Margaret McNamara Education Grants
Margaret McNamara education grants are offered to exceptional women from developing countries; since 1981, they have offered scholarships to over 600 women from across the developing world.
- ACI Foundation Scholarships
The ACI Foundation offers a variety of awards to students who are interested in the construction / engineering sector from anywhere in the world. Some awards offer one off contributions to studying expenses, and others are more generous offering to fund tuition completely.
The cost of studying in the US can be a serious barrier for many potential students. But fully funded scholarships offer a hopeful path for those who might otherwise be priced out. While most opportunities are tied to specific universities, there are a number of external organizations that provide support based on merit, financial need, or specific organizational eligibility criteria. These awards are both limited and highly competitive, so it’s important to plan ahead, research carefully, and apply to every option you qualify for.
