"Are there scholarships for international students in the U.S., or is it only for athletes?" We get this question every week, from Mexico, Colombia, Spain and many other places.
The short answer: yes, there are academic scholarships, and many families leave them on the table because they look in the wrong place or start too late. The money exists, but it does not come from the U.S. government. It comes from the universities themselves, and each one has its own rules, its own deadlines and its own way of deciding.
This guide is for students who want to study in the U.S. through the academic route, what we call the Scholar program at USP.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, students in the country only on an F-1 or F-2 student visa are not eligible for federal student aid. That means no FAFSA, no Pell Grant and no federal loans for an international student.
This matters because most of what you read online about "financial aid in the U.S." is written for American families. If an article tells you to fill out the FAFSA, it is not talking to you.
What is left is still a lot: aid from the universities, some state or private scholarships, and in sports, athletic scholarships. In this guide we focus on what the universities give for academic profile.
Universities give two main types of money, and it helps to separate them from the start.
Merit scholarships depend on the student's profile: grades, test scores and sometimes essays, leadership or a specific talent. Many public and private universities offer them to international students, and some are automatic.
Need-based aid depends on the family's income and assets. To request it, many universities use the CSS Profile from the College Board, which according to College Board is free for families who make up to $100,000 a year.
The catch for international families is admission. Most universities are "need-aware" for international applicants, which means asking for need-based aid can be one more factor when they decide. Only a very small group of U.S. colleges admits international students need-blind and meets their full demonstrated need. When Brown joined them with the class that arrived in fall 2025, it said it would be one of only eight. Harvard, MIT, Yale and Princeton are in that group, and they are among the most selective universities in the world.
That is why, for most of our families, the realistic path is merit money at universities where the student's profile stands out.
To make this concrete, look at the University of Alabama. For students entering in 2027, its website lists automatic merit scholarships for out-of-state and international freshmen. There is no separate application: they come with the admission application. A few of the levels it publishes:
Three lessons come out of that table, and they apply to many other universities.
Test scores still matter for money. Many universities are test-optional for admission, but their merit scholarships can still be tied to the SAT or ACT. A student who skips the test may get admitted and still lose thousands of dollars a year.
Deadlines for scholarships can come before deadlines for admission. If you apply after the scholarship date, you may be admitted with no merit aid at all.
A few points can change the number. In the Alabama table, the difference between two levels can be several thousand dollars a year, over four years. That is why one more SAT attempt can be worth the effort.
One honest caution: a scholarship of $28,000 a year does not mean the degree is free. You still need to compare it with the full cost of attendance, which includes housing, food, insurance and travel. Our university cost breakdown shows what that full number looks like.
If your son or daughter will start college in fall 2027, this is the order we would follow over the next weeks:
Applying only to the most famous names. A family that only applies to the most selective universities is betting on the few schools where merit scholarships are rare and the competition is enormous. There are many good universities where a strong international student is exactly who they are looking for. Our page on universities and our explanation of how the U.S. college system works help you widen the list.
Comparing scholarships, not net prices. A $30,000 scholarship at a school that costs $85,000 can be worse than a $15,000 scholarship at one that costs $50,000. Always compare what the family really pays.
Missing the scholarship deadline by a few days. It happens more than you would think, especially when official scores take time to arrive.
Thinking the numbers do not change. Universities update their scholarships every year. What a cousin got three years ago may not exist today. Always check the official page for your entry year.
Fewer international students are applying. According to Common App data reported by Inside Higher Ed, first-year international applicants fell about 10% in the 2025-26 cycle, from roughly 165,000 to 148,000, while domestic applicants grew.
We do not read that as a promise of easier admission or more money. Each university decides for itself. But many schools want to keep their international students, and a well-prepared applicant who applies on time to the right list is in a good position to have that conversation.
At USP we have been helping families with this for more than 30 years, with more than 2,500 university placements and more than $200M in scholarships and university savings for our students.
For a Scholar student, our work starts with the list: universities where the profile fits and where merit money is realistic. Then we build the calendar with every scholarship deadline, plan the SAT or ACT if it is worth it, and help with essays and documents so that nothing arrives late. We cannot promise a scholarship to anyone. What we can do is make sure the student applies where the chances are real and on time.
If you are planning to study in the U.S. in 2027, now is a good moment to talk. You can also look at our Pre-College Pathway if the student is still a few years away.
Yes. They cannot receive U.S. federal aid on an F-1 visa, but many universities offer merit scholarships to international students, and some also give need-based aid. Each university sets its own rules and deadlines.
No. According to the U.S. Department of Education, students in the country only on an F-1 or F-2 student visa are not eligible for federal student aid, so the FAFSA does not apply to them.
Some are. The University of Alabama, for example, gives automatic merit scholarships to out-of-state and international freshmen based on GPA and SAT or ACT scores, with no separate application. Other universities ask for a separate scholarship application or essays.
It depends on the university. Many are test-optional for admission but still use test scores to award merit scholarships. Check each scholarship page before deciding not to take the test.
It means the university does not consider whether the student needs financial aid when deciding admission. Very few U.S. colleges are need-blind for international applicants; Brown said it would be one of only eight when it joined the group.
To issue the Form I-20, the university must see proof that the student can cover tuition, books, living expenses and travel. Scholarship letters are accepted as part of that financial proof, together with bank statements or sponsor documents.
Photo: Zoshua Colah on Unsplash
