Tuition Free Universities in USA, Scholarships & How to Apply

The United States is a top study destination for international students, as such thousands of foreigners apply each year to study in the US. The benefits of studying in the United States are huge but it is rather expensive.

For you to study in America, you are required to pay a tuition fee by the Universities. However, these universities command a high tuition fee for international students which many cannot afford. Not only that, you are required to provide evidence of financial capability to take care of your living cost in the US. This too requires a huge amount of money.

For many who cannot meet up with the financial obligations, it is a big challenge to their dream of studying abroad. However, there are a couple of ways of navigating through this hurdle, one of which is through scholarships and financial aids offered by some universities.

In this article, we will provide you with the list of tuition free universities in USA for international students. These Tuition free universities provide full scholarships to international students throughout their stay in the school. Many of these admit international students under their full scholarship and financial aid scheme.

LIST OF TUITION FREE UNIVERSITIES IN USA

Below is the list of universities that offers free tuition fee in America.

• Alice Lloyd College
• Berea College
• City University of New York (CUNY)
• College of the Ozarks
• Curtis Institute of Music
• Deep Springs College
• Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
• U.S Academies(U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy)
• Webb Institute
• University of Washington
• Washington State University

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SCHOLARSHIPS IN USA FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

There are limited scholarship options for international students who wish to study in USA for free. These scholarships are offered by US Colleges, Universities, US government, and organizations.

USA Government Scholarships for International Students

Foreign Fulbright Student Program
The Fulbright Program are full scholarships in USA for international students who wants to pursue a Master’s or PhD degree.  The scholarships can also be awarded for non-degree postgraduate studies.  The grant covers tuition fee, textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance.

Humphrey Fellowship Program
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program provides a year of professional enrichment in the United States for experienced professionals from designated countries throughout the world. Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and their commitment to public service in either the public or private sector.  The fellowships are full grants covering all related expenses.

US Colleges and Universities that offer Scholarships for International Students

American University Scholarships
American University (AU) awards a limited number of generous partial merit scholarships to academically-qualified incoming international first-year undergraduate students.  No need-based financial aid is available to international students. The merit scholarship range from U.S.$6,000 to U.S.$25,000 per academic year (renewable subject to conditions).

Amherst College Scholarships
Amherst College currently runs a need-based financial aid program that provides assistance to financially needy international students.  Once you have been admitted, your financial need is determined. A financial aid award that is equal to your need will then be offered.  The award is sometimes called an “aid package” because it may include both self-help (employment) and gift aid (scholarships and grants).

Berea College Scholarships
Berea College is the only school in the United States that provides 100% funding to 100% of enrolled international students for the first year of enrollment. This combination of financial aid and scholarships offsets the costs of tuition, room, board, and fees.  In subsequent years, international students are expected to save $1,000 (US) per year to contribute toward their expenses. The College does provide summer jobs to international students so that they may meet this obligation.

Clark University Scholarships
Clark University offers the Clark Global Scholars Program which are open to first-year applicants (not a transfer student) who has attended school overseas for at least four years as well as international citizens attending school in the United States. A scholarship of $15,000 to $25,000 per year (for four years, contingent upon meeting academic standards for renewal) and a guaranteed $2,500 taxable stipend for a paid internship or research assistantship taken for academic credit during the summer following your sophomore or junior year is included with the award.

Colby-Sawyer College Scholarships
International students are eligible for merit-based financial aid offered by Colby-Sawyer College. The scholarship value increases based on academic ability (measured in GPA) and range from $20,000 up to $26,000 per year. The college does not meet full financial need.

Columbia College Scholarships
Columbia College offers scholarships and awards to outstanding international students. The awards are one-time cash grants or 15%- 100% tuition reduction.

Concordia College Scholarships
Concordia prizes the contributions international students make on campus and is pleased to provide partial financial assistance to international students. The International Student Scholarship is based on academic ability and family need, amounting up to $25,000 per year.

Dartmouth College Scholarships
Dartmouth College meets the demonstrated need of all admitted undergraduates, including those from other countries. Dartmouth College has scholarships and loans available to international students, which includes an allowance for travel to the U.S.

East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) offers the International Students Academic Merit Scholarship for new international students seeking a graduate or undergraduate degree. The scholarship covers 50 percent of the total of in and out-of-state tuition and maintenance fees only. No additional fees or costs are covered. The scholarship award can only be used for study at ETSU.

East-West Center 
The East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship provides funding for up to 24 months for Master’s or Doctoral degree study for graduate students from Asia, the Pacific, and the U.S. to participate in the educational, residential, and leadership development programs at the East-West Center while pursuing graduate study at the University of Hawai’i.

Emory College Scholarships
Emory College offers need-based financial aid awards to a select group of international students each year. As well, international applicants are encouraged to apply for merit-based scholarships through the Emory University Scholars Program (November 15 deadline).

Illinois Wesleyan University Scholarships
Merit-based scholarships are offered to qualified international applicants with outstanding academic achievement and test scores on the required entrance exams. These awards range from $10,000 to $25,000 per year and are renewable for up to four years.  In addition, two full-tuition President’s International Student Scholarships may be awarded each year to qualified international students for up to four years of study.

Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships
International freshmen will be considered for a limited number of merit scholarships. Scholarship selection is competitive based on a holistic review of SAT or ACT scores and high school marks/grades.  The awards range from $2,000 to $10,000 and are renewable.

Michigan State University International Scholarships
Michigan University provides a limited number of scholarship and grants to deserving international students at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.  These financial packages are not designed to support your full academic program at MSU.

New York University Wagner Scholarships
The merit scholarships are offered to a limited number of admitted students each application cycle, including international students.  The scholarships are partial to full tuition scholarships ranging from $25,000-$47,000.

Oregon University Scholarships
Each year, the University of Oregon awards more than one million dollars in financial aid and scholarships to international students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. One of their scholarship programs is the ICSP Scholarship which awards 30–40 competitive scholarships to international students each year. Selected ICSP students receive a tuition-waiver scholarship ranging from $7,500 – $30,000.

Wesleyan University Scholarships
Financial aid for foreign students, however, is extremely limited and is awarded on the basis of both exceptional qualifications and demonstrated need. The Freeman Asian Scholars Program, provides full tuition scholarships for a four-year course of study at Wesleyan toward a bachelor’s degree for 11 exceptionally able Asian students. In addition to the 11 Freeman Asian Scholars, the University is expected to offer financial assistance to approximately 30 foreign students from a pool of approximately 600 such applicants

University of the West Scholarships
The University of the West offers scholarships to new international students who achieve high academic standards and demonstrate a financial need such as the President’s and Dean’s scholarships. Scholarship recipients will have the full cost of tuition waived for 7.5-15 undergraduate or 6-12 graduate units per semester.

HOW TO APPLY FOR TUITION FREE UNIVERSITIES IN USA

Everyone wants to benefit from the free-tuition status of these institutions. To get admission into these institutions are difficult but not impossible as they are very competitive. Admission requirements vary for different institutions, however, we will list the general admission requirements for international students.

1. Applicants must have a High School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent
2. International students are required to present a TOEFL or IELTS test score.
3. Evidence of financial need is required. Although, some institutions do not ask for such.
4. Some require students to apply for full-time studies.

Also, some tuition-free institutions require students to work for a minimum of 8 hours per week. Students are also expected to maintain a good academic record throughout their study year.

HOW TO SECURE VISA TO STUDY IN US

Once you have secured your admission, you start applying for US study visa at least three months from the start date of your program. Even though you are admitted into a tuition-free university, the US authorities expect you to show proof that you can take care of your financial expenses.

For more information about US student visa, visit our US student visa guide page.