For International Students
Many scholarships and fellowships require US citizenship or residency. Below are several resources to assist our international students who are looking for merit-based funding opportunities.
Scholarships & Fellowships for Non-US Citizens
NAFA (National Association of Fellowship Advisors) maintains a list of opportunities for students who are not citizens of the United States.
Disciplines: diverse
Chevening Scholarships, funded by the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organizations, support study at UK universities--mostly one-year Masters degrees--for individuals with demonstrable potential to become future leaders and decision makers. The Chevening program began in 1983 and has developed into a prestigious international scheme. Chevening Scholars come from over 116 countries worldwide (excluding the USA and the EU), and 700 scholarships were awarded in 2011-2012.
Chevening Scholarships are for talented people who have been identified as potential future leaders across a wide range of fields, including politics, business, the media, civil society, religion, and academia. Applicants should be high calibre graduates with the personal, intellectual, and interpersonal qualities necessary for leadership.
Most Chevening Scholarships cover tuition fees and a living allowance. Applicants must meet the academic requirements for their chosen course(s) of study, have a good standard of written and spoken English, have a minimum of two years' work experience, not have previously studied in the UK under a UK Government-funded scholarship, and not have dual British nationality (unless you are a Citizen of a British Overseas Territory).
National Deadline: early November
To apply for a Chevening Scholarship you should check your country page within the Chevening Scholarship website for specific information that applies to applicants from your country.
Disciplines: diverse
This program offers approximately 60 scholarships for students to pursue courses of postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. Students must show evidence of ability to make a significant contribution to their disciplines through research, teaching, or creatively using their learning in their chosen profession. Candidates must have excellent transcripts and high grade point averages; they must show how study at Cambridge would help them achieve their goals.
International Deadline: depending on the course of study you choose, late December to early January
Databases and Other Resources
Per their website, "Scholarships for Development is an updated listing of international scholarships specifically for people from developing countries, people who would like to pursue development-related fields, and people who seek global and national development through further education. It is our aim to help you find opportunities for higher education and become agents of development in your own countries and the rest of the world." The site, well-organized and informative, is well worth searching if its goals reflect your own.
The Institute of International Education (IIE) organizes and maintains an extensive database of scholarships, fellowships and grants for all types of funding programs, for all levels of post-secondary study, and for a full range of academic areas.
Pivot, formerly called Community of Science, maintains a database of grants, fellowships, and other funding information from public and private, domestic and international sources—for science, social sciences, humanities, and community outreach funding. Pivot gives researchers the ability to identify and connect with funding opportunities and with other researchers—locally and globally. It combines the most comprehensive, editorially maintained database of funding opportunities worth an estimated $33 billion with a unique database of 3 million+ scholar profiles.
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION FINANCIAL AID (IEFA)
IEFA is a resource for financial aid, college scholarship and grant information for US and international students wishing to study abroad. At this site, you will find college scholarship and grant listings, plus international student loan programs and other information to promote study abroad. IEFA's mission is to promote international education worldwide through the development and publication of the most comprehensive database of International Education Financial Aid information available on the Internet.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH (ISS)
The International Scholarship Search is an online financial aid database for students of any origin.
For International Women
PEO INTERNATIONAL PEACE FELLOWSHIP
P.E.O. was founded on January 21, 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. This circle of kindred spirits--bonded by their enthusiasm for women's opportunities--eventually expanded to include women off campus, as well. Today, P.E.O. has grown from that tiny membership of seven to nearly a quarter of a million members in chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada, with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. P.E.O. awards $10,000 need-based fellowships to international women students for attending college.
AAUW INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
The American Association of University Women awards International Fellowships for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate studies at accredited U.S. institutions are supported. Recipients are selected for academic achievement and demonstrated commitment to women and girls. Recipients return to their home countries to become leaders in business, government, academia, community activism, the arts, and sciences.
MARGARET MCNAMARA MEMORIAL FUND
The MMMF awards education grants to women from developing countries to help further their education and strengthen their leadership skills.