USA Scholarships
University of Michigan-Dearborn Scholarship 2027
The University of Michigan-Dearborn Scholarship is not a competition you enter, it is a price cut you are assigned. UM-Dearborn states plainly that you do not need to fill out a separate application for these awards, so the admission file you submit is the whole of it. Non-resident and international first-year students land on a GPA ladder: 4.00 and above brings $12,500 a year or $50,000 over four years, 3.50 to 3.99 brings $10,000 a year, 3.25 to 3.49 brings $7,500, and 3.00 to 3.24 brings $5,000. Students with a permanent address in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Ontario have a different and often better route through the Great Lakes Scholarship, which drops them to the in-state tuition rate of roughly $18,000 a year with no GPA requirement at all. Non-resident graduate students on in-person degree programmes are picked up by the Graduate Dearborn Scholarship, paid by credit load at $1,250 to $8,000 a semester. Two conditions hold everything together: full-time status of 12 or more credit hours, and a cumulative 3.0 GPA to renew, for up to eight semesters or until the degree finishes. International applicants are eligible on the same non-resident terms, which matters because federal and state aid is closed to them. The next deadline is 15 November 2026 for Winter 2027 entry if you need a visa, then 1 July 2027 for Fall 2027.
What is the University of Michigan-Dearborn Scholarship?
The University of Michigan-Dearborn Scholarship is the name students give to a set of automatic discounts that the university applies to non-resident and international tuition. Nobody writes an essay for it. UM-Dearborn is direct about the mechanism: you do not need to fill out a separate application for these awards. You apply for admission, your transcript is read, and a number appears in your offer letter. For most applicants that is a relief. For a few it is a trap, because the only lever you control is the date you apply, and the deadline for students who need a visa falls a month earlier than the one for everyone else.
The ladder itself is simple enough to check in a minute. A non-resident or international first-year student with a 4.00 GPA or higher receives $12,500 a year, which is $50,000 across four years. A 3.50 to 3.99 brings $10,000 a year, a 3.25 to 3.49 brings $7,500, and a 3.00 to 3.24 brings $5,000. Then there is the award that catches people by surprise. If your permanent address is in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Ontario, the Great Lakes Scholarship assesses you at the in-state tuition rate, worth roughly $18,000 a year, and it carries no GPA requirement whatsoever. A student from Toledo with a 3.2 average is better off there than on the $7,500 tier, and nobody will point that out for you. Michigan residents who somehow end up classified as out-of-state have a matching route through the Undergrad Differential Scholarship on a 3.00 GPA. Graduate students are handled separately: the Graduate Dearborn Scholarship goes to non-resident graduate students on in-person degree programmes and pays by credit load, from $1,250 at three credits up to $8,000 a semester at 14 to 15 credits, with online programmes excluded.
Set those figures against the bill and the honest word is partial. For 2026-27 UM-Dearborn publishes upper-division non-resident direct costs of $36,232 in CASL and CEHHS, $38,512 in CECS and $39,112 in the College of Business, against $17,608 for residents. Add living expenses of $4,126 if you stay at home or $11,330 off campus, plus $1,300 for books and course materials, and the full non-resident cost of attendance lands between $52,718 and $55,598 for the year. So the top $12,500 tier covers around a quarter of the total, while the Great Lakes route cuts closer to half the tuition line. The gap is real, and the way most students close it is a job on campus, family contribution, and private scholarships rather than another university award.
International applicants should read this page more carefully than domestic ones, because the good news and the bad news arrive together. The good news is that there is no citizenship or visa test on the merit awards, and the financial aid office names the International Undergraduate Scholarship at up to $12,500 a year, given automatically to eligible incoming first-year students. The bad news is everything underneath it. Federal aid, state aid and institutional need-based aid are generally not available to international students, and F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2 and G-series visa holders are ineligible for federal aid outright, so the FAFSA is not your route. What remains is merit money, private scholarships, on-campus work, and lenders such as M-Power and Prodigy that do not require a US cosigner. On the admissions side you need one English test under two years old, at IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79 or 4.5 on the scale used from 21 January 2026, Duolingo 105, or MET 57, along with secondary transcripts covering every year and any national examination certificates your system issues. SAT and ACT scores are optional for international first-year admission, though a strong English result can offset a weak one.
The calendar is what to act on today. For Winter 2027 entry the date is 15 November 2026 if you need a visa and 15 December 2026 if you do not, and for Fall 2027 the university recommends 1 April with a hard date of 1 July for visa applicants or 15 August without. Summer entry is not recommended for incoming international students. Once you hold the award, keeping it is a matter of a cumulative 3.0 GPA and 12 or more credit hours each semester, for up to eight semesters or until the degree is done. If you are comparing Michigan options and nearby public universities, the MSU International Scholarship guide covers the same kind of automatic tier system at Michigan State, the UMass Lowell Scholarship guide covers a wider merit ladder sorted by home state, and the Purdue University Scholarship guide covers one that shuts international students out entirely, which is the contrast worth understanding before you apply anywhere. Current award terms live on the UM-Dearborn non-resident and international scholarships page.
Eligibility
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✓Admission to UM-Dearborn as a non-resident studentThe scholarship sits inside the admission decision. UM-Dearborn says you do not need to fill out a separate application for these awards, so there is no essay, no portal to hunt down and no shortlist to join. Get admitted as a non-resident or international undergraduate and the review happens automatically. If you are not admitted, nothing on this page applies.
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✓A high school GPA of at least 3.00, which sets your tierThe non-resident ladder starts at 3.00. A 4.00 or higher brings $12,500 a year, 3.50 to 3.99 brings $10,000, 3.25 to 3.49 brings $7,500, and 3.00 to 3.24 brings $5,000. Below 3.00 there is no non-resident merit tier, although the Great Lakes Scholarship carries no GPA requirement at all and is the route worth checking first if you live in one of the qualifying states.
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✓International students are eligible on the same non-resident termsThere is no citizenship or visa bar here. International students are charged the non-resident rate of tuition and are reviewed for the same awards as US out-of-state students, and the financial aid office lists the International Undergraduate Scholarship at up to $12,500 a year, awarded automatically to eligible incoming first-year students. The flip side is worth knowing early: federal aid, state aid and institutional need-based aid are generally not available to international students, and F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2 and G-series visa holders are ineligible for federal aid outright.
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✓English proficiency, with a score less than two years oldYou need one of IELTS Academic at 6.5, TOEFL iBT at 79 for tests taken before 21 January 2026 or 4.5 on the new 1 to 6 scale after that date, the Duolingo English Test at 105, or the Michigan English Test at 57. Only one test is needed and scores must be no more than two years old. Applicants taught exclusively in English may be granted a waiver with verification from the school.
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✓Full-time enrolment of 12 or more credit hoursEvery merit award on this list requires full-time status, defined as 12 or more credit hours a semester. Drop to part-time and the award stops. The graduate award works differently and scales with credits rather than switching off, paying less at lower loads down to $1,250 for three credits.
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✓A cumulative 3.0 GPA to renew, for up to eight semestersAll merit scholarships require a cumulative 3.0 GPA to renew, except the Great Lakes Scholarship, which needs only a 2.0. The non-resident and differential awards run for up to eight semesters for incoming first-year students, or until you complete the bachelor degree, whichever comes first. Eight semesters is four years, so a fifth year is funded by you.
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✓For the graduate award, an in-person degree programmeThe Graduate Dearborn Scholarship is for non-resident graduate students enrolled in an in-person degree-seeking programme on the Dearborn campus. Online programmes are excluded from this one, though Michigan residents misclassified as out-of-state and students from the Great Lakes states have their own online routes back to the in-state rate.
Benefits
- Non-Resident Scholarship, GPA 4.00 and above $12,500 a year, $50,000 over 4 years
- Non-Resident Scholarship, GPA 3.50 to 3.99 $10,000 a year, $40,000 over 4 years
- Non-Resident Scholarship, GPA 3.25 to 3.49 $7,500 a year, $30,000 over 4 years
- Non-Resident Scholarship, GPA 3.00 to 3.24 $5,000 a year, $20,000 over 4 years
- Great Lakes Scholarship, 8 states and Ontario In-state rate, around $18,000 a year, no GPA bar
- Differential Scholarship, Michigan residents billed as out-of-state In-state rate, around $18,000 a year, on a 3.00 GPA
- Renewal Up to 8 semesters on a cumulative 3.0 GPA
- Housing, food and books Not covered, budget $4,126 to $11,330 plus $1,300
- Federal and state need-based aid for international students Not available, F-1 and J-1 holders are ineligible
- 14 to 15 credits a semester $8,000 a semester
- 12 to 13 credits a semester $7,000 a semester
- 10 to 11 credits a semester $6,000 a semester
- 8 to 9 credits a semester $5,000 a semester
- 4 to 7 credits a semester $2,500 a semester
- 3 credits a semester $1,250 a semester
- Who it goes to Non-resident graduate students, awarded automatically
- Online degree programmes Not eligible, in-person study only
- Living costs, travel and insurance Not covered
Document checklist
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✓The UM-Dearborn admission applicationThe only document that decides your award. Apply through the UM-Dearborn Admissions Portal or the Common Application. First-year students who attended secondary school abroad are expected to meet the same admission requirements as US students.
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✓Official high school transcripts from every yearTranscripts covering grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 where applicable, including predicted IB results if your school issues them. Because the merit tiers are read straight off your GPA, this document carries the weight that a scholarship essay would carry elsewhere. Order it early.
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✓English proficiency test scoreIELTS Academic 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79 or 4.5 on the post-January 2026 scale, Duolingo 105, or MET 57. One test is enough and the score must be under two years old. Book the sitting well before your term deadline, since a late score is the most common reason a file misses a round.
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✓SAT or ACT scores, if you have themCollege entrance exams are optional for international first-year admission, and the non-resident scholarship tiers are decided by GPA rather than test scores. UM-Dearborn does note that a strong English proficiency result can act as a positive factor to offset a low SAT or ACT, so send scores only when they help.
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✓National examination certificates for your countryMany education systems finish with a national examination, and UM-Dearborn asks for those certificates where they apply. The Academic Requirements by Country pages set out exactly which documents your system needs, so check yours rather than guessing from a general checklist.
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✓Course-by-course credential evaluation, for transfer applicantsInternational transfer coursework needs a course-by-course evaluation from an approved service: Educational Credential Evaluators, World Education Services, SpanTran or Educational Perspectives. Evaluations are strongly encouraged for international secondary transcripts too, and they take weeks, so start before your deadline rather than after it.
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✓Certified translations of anything not in EnglishEvery non-English document needs a translation alongside the original. Translations are checked against the original, so send both rather than the translation on its own.
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✓Financial documentation for the I-20Once you are admitted, the visa document process needs evidence that you can meet your first year of costs, which is standard for any US institution issuing an I-20. Confirm the exact format and figure with the international admissions office when your offer arrives, since the required amount tracks the published cost of attendance.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
Does the University of Michigan-Dearborn give scholarships to international students?
Yes, and automatically. International students are charged the non-resident rate of tuition and are reviewed for the same merit awards as US out-of-state students, worth $5,000 to $12,500 a year by GPA tier. The financial aid office lists this as the International Undergraduate Scholarship at up to $12,500 annually, awarded to eligible incoming first-year students without a separate application. Non-resident graduate students on in-person programmes receive the Graduate Dearborn Scholarship instead, paid by credit load from $1,250 to $8,000 a semester.
How much is the University of Michigan-Dearborn Scholarship?
For non-resident and international first-year students it runs on four GPA bands: $12,500 a year at 4.00 and above, $10,000 at 3.50 to 3.99, $7,500 at 3.25 to 3.49, and $5,000 at 3.00 to 3.24. Over four years that is $50,000, $40,000, $30,000 and $20,000 respectively. The Great Lakes Scholarship works differently, assessing you at the in-state tuition rate of roughly $18,000 a year with no GPA requirement, which for many students is worth more than the top merit tier.
What GPA do you need for the UM-Dearborn non-resident scholarship?
A 3.00 gets you onto the ladder at $5,000 a year, and each band above that adds money: 3.25 brings $7,500, 3.50 brings $10,000, and 4.00 or higher brings $12,500. Renewal is a separate test and a lower one, a cumulative 3.0 GPA at UM-Dearborn plus full-time enrolment, except for the Great Lakes Scholarship which renews on a 2.0.
Do you need a separate application for UM-Dearborn scholarships?
No. UM-Dearborn states that you do not need to fill out a separate application for these awards. Your admission application is reviewed for merit money at the same time as it is reviewed for a place, and the amount is stated in your offer. That changes what you should spend time on: the transcript and the application date matter, because there is no essay anywhere in this process to rescue a thin academic record.
What is the UM-Dearborn application deadline for international students?
For Winter 2027 entry the deadline is 15 November 2026 if you need a visa, and 15 December 2026 if you do not. For Fall 2027, 1 April 2027 is recommended, with 1 July 2027 the required date for visa applicants and 15 August 2027 for those who do not need one. Summer entry is not recommended for incoming international students. The earlier visa dates exist so the I-20 can be issued in time for a consular appointment.
What English test scores does UM-Dearborn require?
One of IELTS Academic 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79 for tests taken before 21 January 2026 or 4.5 on the new 1 to 6 scale from that date, Duolingo English Test 105, or Michigan English Test 57. Scores must be no more than two years old. Applicants whose schooling was entirely in English may be granted a waiver, with verification from the school. A strong English score can also work as a positive factor against a low SAT or ACT result.
Is the UM-Dearborn scholarship renewable for four years?
Yes. The non-resident and differential awards renew for up to eight semesters for incoming first-year students, or until you finish the bachelor degree, whichever comes first. You need a cumulative 3.0 GPA and full-time enrolment of 12 or more credit hours each semester to keep it, with the Great Lakes Scholarship set lower at a 2.0. Eight semesters caps the support at four years, so a course change that stretches your degree leaves the final year unfunded.
Can international students get financial aid at the University of Michigan-Dearborn?
Only merit aid and private money. UM-Dearborn states that federal aid, state aid and institutional need-based aid are generally not available to international students, and F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2 and G-series visa holders are ineligible for federal aid. What is left is the automatic non-resident merit scholarship, private scholarships from outside bodies, on-campus employment, and private loans, some of which do not need a US cosigner. Filing the FAFSA is not a route for most international applicants.
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