USA Scholarships
Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship 2027
The Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship is the University of Memphis merit award for newly admitted degree-seeking international students on an F-1 or J-1 visa who will take classes on campus. The UofM Scholarship Office runs it as an admissions-based award, which means your admission application is the scholarship application and there is no separate form to fill in. Two things make this award unusual among US university merit scholarships. The first is who it is for: only international visa holders qualify, and dual citizens and permanent residents are specifically ruled out, which is the reverse of most US awards. The second is what the university publishes: UofM states the eligibility, the selection pathways and the renewal rules for this award, but it does not publish a dollar amount for it, so the figure you are offered arrives with your admission decision. The Scholarship Office sets 1 December as the priority date for scholarship consideration and advises applying before 1 November of the year before you enrol, which points at 1 December 2026 for Fall 2027 entry.
What is the Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship?
The Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship is the University of Memphis award for international students starting a bachelor's degree on its Memphis campus. UofM calls it a competitive merit-based scholarship for newly admitted degree-seeking international students on a J-1 or F-1 visa, and it is handled by the Scholarship Office rather than by a foundation or a government programme. The eligibility rule that catches people out runs the opposite way to most US scholarships: this one is for visa holders, and dual citizens and permanent residents are excluded by name. If you hold a green card, you are routed to the domestic freshman merit awards instead.
Now the part that decides whether this page is useful to you. UofM publishes no dollar amount for this award. Its undergraduate international scholarship page spells out who qualifies, how the Scholarship Office reviews candidates and what you have to do to keep the award, and then stops short of naming a figure, so the value lands with your admission decision. You will find numbers attached to this scholarship elsewhere on the internet, including claims of full tuition plus a living stipend, and none of them trace back to a UofM page. The university does publish a freshman merit ladder running from $2,500 to $15,000 a year, but it publishes it for in-state and out-of-state domestic freshmen on separate pages, and a figure printed for a different group is not a promise to you. The $2,100 per semester number that also circulates belongs to the Graduate Non-Resident Merit Scholarship, which is a different award for graduate students. Treat the amount as unknown until your offer letter names it, and email [email protected] if you need the figure before you decide.
Selection runs off your admission file, which is why there is no scholarship form. The Scholarship Office reviews candidates two ways: cumulative secondary school GPA combined with ACT or SAT scores, or GPA on its own. Super scores count, so sending test results can only help, and updated grades or retaken tests are accepted through 1 March if your first review did not go the way you hoped. The priority date for scholarship consideration is 1 December, which for a Fall 2027 start means 1 December 2026, and UofM asks you to apply before 1 November so your file is actually complete when the date passes. That gap between the two dates is where applications go wrong. Review only begins once your $50 fee is paid and your transcript is uploaded, and it then takes about five to seven business days, so a document you send in late November can push you past the priority date even though you applied in time.
Keeping the scholarship is its own small commitment. It renews for up to three additional years, but only if you carry at least 12 credit hours a semester, stay in good academic standing and complete the required service hours. UofM nudges you toward 15 hours a semester so you graduate in four years, and the award pays in fall and spring only, so summer classes come out of your own pocket. One more restriction worth checking before you build a budget: students receiving assistantships or other university funding are not eligible, so this award does not stack on top of another UofM source. Applicants transferring university credit from abroad also need a course-by-course credential evaluation from a NACES or AICE certified agency before that coursework counts. For comparable university-run routes, see the Michigan State University International Scholarship 2027, the University of Idaho Scholarship 2027 and the UofL Out-of-State Scholarship 2027. The official source for this award is the University of Memphis undergraduate international scholarships page, and International Student Services lists it by name on its new international students funding page.
Eligibility
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✓Newly admitted international student on F-1 or J-1You must be a newly admitted, degree-seeking international student holding an F-1 or J-1 visa and taking classes on campus. UofM counts any enrolled visa holder as an international student. Fully online UofM Global students are outside the on-campus requirement.
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✓First-time entering applicant onlyThe award goes to entering applicants. Continuing and already enrolled UofM students are not eligible, and you cannot pick it up later in your degree. Eligibility is settled at the point of admission, not during your studies.
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✓Not a dual citizen or permanent residentUofM states plainly that dual citizens and permanent residents are not eligible for this scholarship. If you hold US citizenship alongside another nationality, or a green card, you are considered for the domestic freshman merit awards instead of this one.
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✓Academic record through one of two pathwaysThe Scholarship Office reviews candidates either on cumulative secondary school GPA combined with ACT or SAT scores, or on GPA alone. Super scores are considered, so sending qualifying ACT or SAT results can widen what you qualify for. Updated GPA and test scores are accepted through 1 March.
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✓Demonstrated English proficiencyEvery international applicant has to demonstrate English proficiency for admission. UofM accepts TOEFL iBT 61, IELTS 6, PTE 50, Duolingo 95 or iTEP 3.7, and also accepts SAT 540 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, ACT English sub-score 21, IB Higher Level English A1 grade 5, or a B in GCE, GCSE or IGCSE English. Scores expire after two years.
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✓No assistantship or other UofM fundingStudents receiving assistantships or other university funding are not eligible. The award is aimed at students whose costs are not already being met by another UofM source, and student-athletes are additionally subject to NCAA compliance rules.
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✓Full-time enrolment and service hours to keep itRenewal requires at least 12 credit hours a semester and good academic standing, plus completion of the required service hours. UofM encourages 15 credit hours a semester so you stay on track to finish in four years. Awards pay out in fall and spring only, never summer.
Benefits
- Merit award toward your UofM costs Amount not published; confirmed with your admission decision
- Renewable Up to 3 additional years, so 4 years in total
- Disbursement Fall and spring semesters
- Separate scholarship application None needed; the admission application is the application
- Selection route GPA plus ACT or SAT, or GPA only, with super scores considered
- Living stipend Not offered
- Housing and meals Not covered
- Flights, visa costs and health insurance Not covered
- Summer term Not covered
- Open to dual citizens and permanent residents Not eligible
- Combined with an assistantship or other UofM funding Not allowed
Document checklist
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✓UofM online undergraduate applicationThe single application that decides both admission and this scholarship. There is no separate scholarship form for the merit award, so the admission application is where your case is made.
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✓Application fee of $50A non-refundable undergraduate application fee of $50, paid when you submit. Your file does not move into review until the fee is paid and your transcripts are uploaded.
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✓Secondary school transcript or marks sheetUpload a copy of your official international transcript or marks sheet to your Tiger Tracks application portal. Admissions runs an initial assessment on the uploaded copy, and the official document is required before you enrol.
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✓English proficiency score reportAn unofficial score report at the time you apply, with the official report sent directly to UofM for verification. Admission decisions are not issued on unverified language scores, so order the official send early.
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✓ACT or SAT scores (optional but useful)Not required, since the GPA-only pathway exists, but qualifying ACT or SAT results are worth sending. UofM considers super scores, and the combined GPA plus test pathway opens up awards the GPA-only route does not.
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✓Credential evaluation for transfer applicantsIf you are transferring university coursework from abroad, you need a course-by-course credential evaluation from a NACES or AICE certified agency. TEC (formerly SpanTran) and IEE run discounted UofM-specific applications. Freshman applicants straight from secondary school do not need this.
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✓Passport and financial documents for the I-20Once you are admitted, you complete the I-20 and visa paperwork, which means a passport copy and proof of funds. This step follows admission rather than forming part of the scholarship review.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship?
It is the University of Memphis merit scholarship for newly admitted degree-seeking international students on an F-1 or J-1 visa taking classes on campus. UofM describes it as competitive and merit-based, awarded on your academic record at the point of admission. It is admissions-based, so there is no separate scholarship form: the undergraduate admission application is what the Scholarship Office reviews. It renews for up to three additional years if you keep to the enrolment, academic standing and service hour conditions.
How much is the Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship worth?
The University of Memphis does not publish a dollar amount for this award. Its undergraduate international scholarship page sets out who qualifies, how candidates are reviewed and how the award renews, but names no figure, so the value reaches you with your admission decision. Be careful with numbers you see elsewhere. UofM does publish a freshman merit ladder for in-state and out-of-state students, running from $2,500 to $15,000 a year depending on GPA and test scores, but those tables are published for domestic resident and non-resident freshmen on separate pages rather than for this international award. The $2,100 per semester figure that circulates belongs to the Graduate Non-Resident Merit Scholarship, a different award at a different level. If the amount decides whether you enrol, ask [email protected] for your figure in writing.
Who is eligible for the Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship?
Newly admitted degree-seeking international students holding an F-1 or J-1 visa, taking classes on campus, applying as first-time entering students. Dual citizens and permanent residents are specifically not eligible, and neither are continuing or already enrolled UofM students, nor anyone receiving an assistantship or other university funding. Student-athletes are additionally subject to NCAA compliance. You also need to meet the academic bar through either the GPA plus test score pathway or the GPA-only pathway, and demonstrate English proficiency.
Is there a separate application for the scholarship?
No. This is an admissions-based award, so completing the UofM undergraduate application puts you in consideration automatically. There is no scholarship essay, no recommendation letter and no second portal for the merit award itself. Departmental and private scholarships work differently: for those you log in to myMemphis after admission and complete the general application in Tiger Scholarship Manager, which then recommends opportunities you can apply to individually.
When is the University of Memphis scholarship deadline for international students?
The priority date for scholarship consideration is 1 December for admitted students, which means 1 December 2026 for Fall 2027 entry. UofM advises applying before 1 November of the year before you enrol so your file is complete in time. The separate admission deadlines matter too: first-time F-1 applicants outside the US have a Fall application deadline of 1 July with the file complete by 15 July, and a Spring deadline of 1 November. International applicants already in the US apply by 1 August for Fall.
What English test scores does the University of Memphis accept?
TOEFL iBT 61, IELTS 6, PTE 50, Duolingo 95 or iTEP 3.7. UofM also accepts SAT 540 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section, an ACT English sub-score of 21, grade 5 in IB Higher Level English A1, or a B or higher in GCE, GCSE or IGCSE English Language. Scores expire after two years. You submit an unofficial report with your application and arrange for the official report to be sent directly, because decisions are not issued on unverified scores. There are non-test routes as well, including secondary schooling in an approved English-speaking country and the Intensive English for Internationals programme.
Is the Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship renewable?
Yes, for up to three additional years, giving four years in total. You need to enrol in at least 12 credit hours each semester, maintain good academic standing and complete the required service hours. UofM recommends 15 credit hours a semester so you finish in four years. Awards pay out in fall and spring semesters only, so do not count on the scholarship covering summer classes.
Can I apply if I am already studying at the University of Memphis?
No. The merit award is for entering applicants and eligibility is decided at the point of admission, so continuing and already enrolled students cannot pick it up later. If you are already at UofM, your route to extra funding is Tiger Scholarship Manager, where departmental and private scholarships are listed and applied for individually through your myMemphis portal.
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