Top 10 scholarships and fellowships in the USA for international students
10 scholarships and fellowships in the USA that international students can apply for, each checked on its official page, with funding, eligibility and deadlines.
Looking for funding to study or research in the USA? We picked 10 scholarships and fellowships that the official pages say international students can apply for, 7 of them fully funded. Each one was checked on its official page on October 31, 2026.
Before you apply, read our guide to studying in the USA for tuition, visa money and work rules.
The list at a glance
| # | Programme | Funding | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knight-Hennessy Scholars | Fully funded | Not announced yet |
| 2 | CalArts Merit Scholarships for International Students, California Institute of the Arts | Partly funded | Not announced yet |
| 3 | Graduate Merit Scholarships (New Artist Society), School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Partly funded | Not announced yet |
| 4 | Scholarships for First-Year International Students, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) | Partly funded | Not announced yet |
| 5 | John S. Knight (JSK) Journalism Fellowships, Stanford University | Fully funded | December 2, 2026 |
| 6 | Knight-Wallace Fellowship (University of Michigan) | Fully funded | December 1, 2026 |
| 7 | Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program (NED) | Fully funded | January 5, 2027 |
| 8 | Yale World Fellows (Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellows Program) | Fully funded | December 2, 2026 |
| 9 | Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship | Fully funded | November 8, 2026 |
| 10 | Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program | Fully funded | Not announced yet |
1. Knight-Hennessy Scholars
Stanford University graduate scholarship providing up to three years of tuition, a stipend for living and academic expenses, and a travel stipend for one trip a year to and from Stanford.
- Who can apply: Citizens and residents of any country applying to a full-time Stanford graduate degree. For the 2027 cohort you needed a first bachelor’s degree earned in January 2020 or later; rules may change for later cohorts.
- Deadline: Next deadline not announced yet. The application for the 2027 cohort closed on 6 October 2026. The official page says the application for the 2028 cohort opens in summer 2027.
- Funding: Fully funded
2. CalArts Merit Scholarships for International Students, California Institute of the Arts
Merit scholarships of $10,000 per year for the top 30% of the incoming class, kept for the rest of the degree; Access Grants may also be offered.
- Who can apply: Admitted international students are automatically considered for merit scholarships and may be considered for Access Grants. This is an automatic merit award on admission.
- Deadline: Next deadline not announced yet. No deadline is stated; admitted students are considered automatically with no separate application.
- Funding: Partly funded
3. Graduate Merit Scholarships (New Artist Society), School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Merit awards that range from $2,500 up to full tuition per year, varying by department, plus named fellowships for any department.
- Who can apply: New Artist Society awards are open to domestic or international master’s students enrolled at least half-time; selection is a holistic review of academics, portfolio and statement. This is an automatic merit award on admission.
- Deadline: Next deadline not announced yet. Applicants who complete the admission process by their program deadline are considered automatically; no specific date is given on the scholarship page.
- Funding: Partly funded
4. Scholarships for First-Year International Students, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
Includes the Creative Vision Award ($5,000 to $17,500 per year, renewable for four years), competitive scholarships (mostly $2,000 to $5,000 per year) and the C.V. Starr Scholarship (up to $40,000 over four years).
- Who can apply: Admitted first-year international undergraduates are considered automatically when they tick the merit scholarship box on the Common App; the C.V. Starr award requires being a citizen of a foreign country living abroad.
- Deadline: Next deadline not announced yet. No exact deadline is listed; the Competitive Scholarship Program jury meets in February and recipients are notified in mid March.
- Funding: Partly funded
5. John S. Knight (JSK) Journalism Fellowships, Stanford University
A nine-month residential fellowship at Stanford from September to May. It pays a $135,000 stipend and includes Stanford tuition and health insurance.
- Who can apply: Open to journalists worldwide, but citizens of countries where the US has suspended J visa issuance cannot currently receive an offer unless they hold another eligible passport. Fellows must be in residence at Stanford for the full period.
- Deadline: December 2, 2026. The page gives the deadline as 2 December at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, with no extensions; the year is shown by information webinars dated November 2026.
- Funding: Fully funded
6. Knight-Wallace Fellowship (University of Michigan)
An academic year fellowship in Ann Arbor for working journalists, with fellows arriving by mid-August 2027. The programme page lists a stipend of $85,000 plus a $5,000 relocation allowance, with health insurance covered.
- Who can apply: Open to international (non-US citizen) journalists with at least five years of experience who currently work for a news organisation or as independent journalists. Fellows must live in Ann Arbor for the full fellowship.
- Deadline: December 1, 2026. International applicants must apply by 1 December 2026 through the international portal; the US applicant deadline is 1 February 2027. No time zone is given.
- Funding: Fully funded
7. Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program (NED)
A five-month residential fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy’s International Forum for Democratic Studies in Washington, DC, for democracy activists, scholars and journalists. Fellows receive a monthly living stipend, basic health insurance, round-trip travel and an office; the stipend amount is not stated.
- Who can apply: Practitioners need substantial experience promoting democracy or human rights (no degree required); scholars need a doctorate and a publication record. All applicants must be proficient in English and able to work full time in Washington, DC for the whole period.
- Deadline: January 5, 2027. The deadline for the 2027-2028 cycle is 5 January 2027, with letters of recommendation due by 12 January 2027. No time zone is given.
- Funding: Fully funded
8. Yale World Fellows (Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellows Program)
A four-month residential leadership programme at Yale in New Haven, from mid-August to mid-December. Fellows receive a taxable living stipend, a furnished apartment, medical insurance and round-trip travel, and pay no tuition or fees.
- Who can apply: For citizens of countries other than the United States who are 5 to 25 years into their careers with significant accomplishments; there is no age limit. Full-time students and full-time academics are not accepted, and fluent English is required.
- Deadline: December 2, 2026. The page says applications close on Wednesday, 2 December at 14:00 Eastern Time. It does not print the year, but 2 December falls on a Wednesday in 2026 and the application is currently open.
- Funding: Fully funded
9. Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship
A US State Department fellowship giving Latin American and Caribbean entrepreneurs a four-week placement with a US business, with all program costs covered.
- Who can apply: Entrepreneurs aged 25-35 from eligible Latin American and Caribbean countries who have run their own business for at least two years.
- Deadline: November 8, 2026. 2027 applications close 8 November 2026 at 11:59 pm EST.
- Funding: Fully funded
10. Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
A ten-month, non-degree Fulbright exchange for experienced professionals at a U.S. host university, funded by the U.S. Department of State. It covers tuition and fees, a living allowance, accident and sickness insurance, books, a computer subsidy, air travel and a professional development allowance.
- Who can apply: For mid-career professionals from designated priority countries with at least five years of full-time professional experience, a record of leadership and a commitment to public service. Candidates are nominated through the U.S.
- Deadline: Next deadline not announced yet. Deadlines vary by country and are set by each nominating U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission. Nominations reach IIE by mid-September, selections are announced the following March, and fellows start in the U.S. in August or September.
- Funding: Fully funded
How we chose them
We included only programmes whose official pages show that international students can apply and that are currently running. Fully funded awards come first, then paid and partly funded ones. Amounts and dates are as stated on the official pages, so always confirm them before you apply.
Next steps
Read our guide to studying in the USA, and see all scholarships and opportunities we have checked.