Stanford University Scholarships for International Students

Stanford University is a prestigious private research university based in the town of Stanford, United States. Its name is no stranger to any prospective US student; the university has a reputation for being one of the top 5 universities in the country. Founded in 1885, the university has grown into an elite institution of higher education that offers academic courses for approximately 17,300 students. Its location is within close proximity to the iconic Silicon Valley which is an added benefit to the student experience and drastically enhances career prospects as well.

The university provides education via 7 schools of study that include up to 40 departments, as well as graduate schools in medicine, law, business, and education. A range of fields of study is provided by the university for students and researchers. While Stanford is not a member of the Ivy League, its academic prestige is high and reputed. However, as it is a private university as well, the university’s courses can be quite high. Nevertheless, in this article, we will go over various scholarships at Stanford University for international students.

Can international students get full tuition scholarships at Stanford?

All students are guaranteed financial aid. In the case of international students, Stanford offers a limited amount of financial aid and funding opportunities. To this end, financial aid is offered depending on the applicant’s family income, so if your family income determines whether or not you will receive full tuition scholarships at Stanford. Because of their finances, some students even receive a fully funded scholarships!

How likely am I to receive funding at Stanford?

All students who submit an application for funding along with their student applications are guaranteed funding. In the case of international students, this will mostly depend on the financial background of the applicant.

How much does it cost to study at Stanford University?

The collective sum of tuition, room/boarding, living and personal expenses amount to approximately $78,000. However, students do not pay this full total due to the various funding options offered by the university. Further information related to this can be found on the Student Budget page.

Stanford Scholarships for International Students

Undergraduate Scholarships

• Link to the Undergraduate Funding page
• Types of Scholarships: Financial aid, External scholarships, Student employment, Private loans

Based on the university’s website, Stanford University scholarships are available for undergraduate international students. Students are encouraged to apply for funding along with their student applications and will then be considered based on their financial background. It is essential that prospective international applicants do this as they will not be eligible to apply or be considered for financial aid throughout the duration of their studies at Stanford. The university has also confirmed that international students applying for financial aid will definitely be a factor in the admission evaluation process.

However, the website further states that if a student has an unexpected change in citizenship during their studies, they will be eligible for further funding opportunities from the university, such as those in the form of federal student aid or specific need-based opportunities.

As is the case with the majority of other universities in the country, Stanford also offers prospective students the choice of taking up student employment during the course of their studies. Career service platforms operated by the university such as Handshake are particularly useful in locating employment opportunities. Student earnings will then go towards educational coasts for the academic year.

Alternatively, if these options have all been exhausted and the student still requires funding, the university informs that students can consider private loans through external organisations but this will be affected by other factors such as higher interest rates etc. Further information regarding prospective loans can be received through this page.

Finally, students can explore any special circumstances related to applying for financial aid in the ‘Special Circumstances for Undergraduates’ section of the ‘Managing my Aid’ page.

Postgraduate Scholarships

• Link to the Postgraduate Funding Page
• Types of Scholarships: Departmental fellowships, Teaching and Research Assistantships

Postgraduate students, including masters and doctoral students, have more stringent funding opportunities offered by Stanford, in comparison to other universities. International students are unfortunately not offered any direct student loans from the university (as well as the US government agencies). Departmental fellowships are offered and are the main type of Stanford University scholarships for international students.

However, students do have access to private student loans through banks, credit unions and other legal financial institutions. This option is advice for international postgraduates only once all other financial and funding options have been exhausted. Many private loan agencies are willing to offer generous loans for prospective postgraduates if they have a US co-signer who can take responsibility for the student. This can be further explored through the ‘Managing my Aid’ page linked previously.

International postgraduate students are also offered the choice of taking up assistantships in research and teaching during the course of their studies to assist with funding. Aside from the fact that these students can face certain restrictions due to their visa status, it is a useful way to find funds and collected expenses that will amount towards their annual fees.

Application Process

Undergraduate Funding

In terms of prospective undergraduate students, the funding application deadline is the same as student application deadlines. For restrictive early action, the student and funding application deadline is on November 1^st whereas the regular applications deadline is on January 2^nd.

In order to be eligible for Stanford University scholarships, students should also obtain either a social security number or individual taxpayer identification number. Applications are made through the CSS profile of the university and will require documents such as the student’s family’s tax return forms. Further information can be located in the International Undergraduate funding page.

In terms of student employment, students should be sure to register with the university’s career services such as Handshake as well as the main careers hub to discuss prospective opportunities.

Postgraduate Funding

For postgraduate Masters and doctoral students, direct enquiries should be initially made towards the department of study, regarding any Stanford University scholarship opportunities or the possibility of securing assistantships. Additionally, private loan agencies can be directly mailed after securing admission so as to ensure these options are available as well.

International postgraduate students are also encouraged by the university to register with the Stanford Support Program which provides supplemental support for students who are going through complex financial situations.

I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the USA Scholarships Page!