USA Scholarships
Scholarships in the USA - Study & Research Guides
Scholarships in the USA
The United States is home to many of the world's top-ranked universities and attracts students from every corner of the globe. Scholarship opportunities range from fully funded research positions to partial tuition awards at elite business schools. Below you'll find our guides for US scholarships, each covering eligibility, documents, benefits, and how to apply.
Duke Karsh International Scholarship 2027 - Fully Funded
The Duke Karsh International Scholarship is the full-ride award Duke University gives to international students entering as first-years, and it is one of the few US undergraduate scholarships that pays the whole cost of attendance for four years. It covers tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, any demonstrated need above those costs, and three summers of funding for research, unpaid internships and other work that pushes your academic plans forward. Duke named 10 Karsh Scholars from 10 countries in the Class of 2030, part of 43 merit scholars in total. There is no separate scholarship application. You apply to Duke for first-year admission, tick the financial aid interest box, file the CSS Profile, and the Office of University Scholars and Fellows picks the scholars from the admitted international pool. Early Decision closes 2 November 2026 and Regular Decision 4 January 2027 for Fall 2027 entry.
MSU International Scholarship 2027 - Up to $15,000/yr
Michigan State University considers every international first-year applicant for its non-resident scholarships without asking for a separate form. The tiers run from the President's Scholarship at $15,000 a year down through the Provost's at $12,000, the Dean's at $10,000, the 1855 Scholarship at $7,000, Beaumont Tower at $5,000 and Global Community Scholars at $3,000. Students invited into the Honors College can pick up the Excellence Scholarship at $13,000 a year on top. Awards run for up to eight consecutive semesters on 12 credits a term and good academic standing. Finish the admission application by 1 November 2026 for maximum scholarship consideration for Fall 2027 entry.
Purdue University Scholarship 2027 - Up to $16,000/yr
Purdue University hands out its merit scholarships automatically, with no separate scholarship form to fill in. Finish your admission application by the firm 1 November 2026 Early Action deadline and you are considered for the whole university-wide set: the Trustees Scholarship at $16,000 a year for nonresidents or $10,000 for Indiana residents, the Presidential Scholarship at $10,000 or $4,000, the Lilly Scholars at Purdue Program at full tuition with a guaranteed paid Lilly internship, and Indy Scholars at $10,000 a year minimum on the Indianapolis campus. Each one renews for up to four years on a 3.00 Purdue GPA. About 15% of applicants come away with a merit award. Only domestic students qualify, so students holding F, J and some other visa types are excluded.
Make Me Laugh Scholarship 2027 - $1,500 Unigo Award
The Make Me Laugh Scholarship is Unigo's $1,500 award for the funniest 250-word story, and it is one of the shortest scholarship applications a US student can file. There is no GPA cutoff, no transcript, no recommendation letters and no essay about why you deserve the money. You describe one funny or embarrassing incident from your life, real or invented, in 250 words or less. Anyone aged 14 or older who is a legal resident of the 50 states or the District of Columbia can enter, as long as they are already studying at an accredited college, university or trade school or will enrol no later than the fall of 2032. The current cycle opened on 31 August 2026 and closes on 31 August 2027 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. One winner is picked on or about 29 November 2027 and notified around 30 November, and the $1,500 goes to their school as a check rather than to the student in cash.
Hertz Fellowship 2027 - Up to $250,000 for a PhD
The Hertz Fellowship is the hardest doctoral award in American science to win and one of the most generous. Fellows get up to five years of support worth as much as $250,000: a $38,000 nine-month personal stipend, the full tuition equivalent at any of more than 50 US universities, and $5,000 a year more if they have dependent children. It is open only to US citizens and permanent residents heading into or just starting a PhD in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics or engineering. The 2027 application opened on 31 August 2026 and closes on 30 October 2026, with references due 2 November. Nineteen fellows were chosen from more than 1,450 applicants last cycle.
NASA Hubble Fellowship Program 2027 - $87,500
The NASA Hubble Fellowship Program funds 24 new astrophysics postdocs for the 2027 class, paying $87,500 in year one at a US host institution of your choice, with up to three years of support, a $21,000 research budget and health insurance. Open to any nationality. Applications close 28 October 2026.
Boeing Internship 2027 - Paid 10-12 Week US Program
Boeing runs one of the largest paid internship programmes in US aerospace, and the Summer 2027 postings are live now across engineering, business, supply chain, finance, human resources, IT and data analytics. Placements run full-time for 10 to 12 weeks between mid-May and September, at more than 30 US sites from Everett and Seattle to Arlington, Saint Charles, Huntsville, Wichita and Oklahoma City. Eligibility is short and strict: you must be a currently enrolled college or university student with an expected graduation date on or after August 2027, and you must be free to work full-time for the whole block. Two lines decide most applications. Boeing will not sponsor an employment visa for these roles, and export control rules mean many of them require US Person status. Summer 2027 postings state that applications will be accepted until 23 October 2026.
Stanford Science Fellowship 2027 - $98,000 Stipend
The Stanford Science Fellowship pays early-career natural scientists a $98,000 annual stipend for three years of postdoctoral research at Stanford, plus up to $10,000 a year for research and up to $2,500 for relocation. Open to all nationalities. Apply through Academic Jobs Online by 16 October 2026.
Big Ten Smithsonian Fellowship 2027 - $45,000 Stipend
The Big Ten Academic Alliance Smithsonian Fellowship pays PhD candidates at BTAA universities a $45,000 yearly stipend, prorated, plus up to $5,000 for research to spend 3 to 12 months at the Smithsonian with a staff advisor. Tenure starts between June 2027 and May 2028. Apply through SOLAA by 15 October 2026.
UMAPS Fellowship 2027 - African Faculty at Michigan
The UMAPS Fellowship (University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars) brings early-career faculty from African colleges and universities to Ann Arbor for a five-month research residency in 2027-2028. The African Studies Center funds the stay, including travel, housing and a stipend, pairs each scholar with a U-M faculty host, and takes applications until 15 October 2026.
Knight Hennessy Scholarship 2027 - Stanford Full Funding
The Knight Hennessy Scholarship 2027 is Stanford University's flagship graduate award, run as the Knight-Hennessy Scholars programme. It pays tuition and fees, a living stipend, one round trip a year and a relocation allowance for up to three years of graduate study in any of Stanford's seven schools, including MA, MS, MBA, JD, MD, MFA, MPP, DMA and PhD programmes. Up to 100 scholars are chosen each year and applicants of every nationality are welcome. The application for the 2027 cohort closes on 6 October 2026 at 1 pm Pacific Time, and you must also apply to your Stanford degree programme by 1 December 2026 or its own earlier deadline.
Wilson Center Research Fellowship 2027 - $10,000/Month
The Wilson Center Research Fellowship 2027-2028 pays scholars, policy practitioners and journalists $10,000 a month for 12 months to research and write on a foreign policy challenge. You work remotely, with two paid trips to Washington, DC. Applicants of any nationality can apply through Interfolio by 11:59 pm ET on 30 September 2026.