Yale University Scholarships for International Students

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Based in the city of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University is a private institution of higher education that is part of the prestigious Ivy League of universities of the United States. Founded in 1701, the university is one of the oldest institutions in the country and is also one of the most reputed and prestigious in terms of academia. Currently, the university has grown into a world-class institution that provides education for more than 13,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Boasting with more than 60 Nobel Laureates, 5 United States presidents, 31 living billionaires among a range of other notable and elite alumni, the university is synonymous with academic excellence. However, its status as a private university makes it one of the most expensive locations to study in the United States. Nevertheless, with its financial endowments, numerous financial aid options exist for students. In this article, we will discuss Yale University scholarships for international students.

Does Yale University offer a need-blind or need-based admissions process?

Yale University operates on a need-blind admissions process for all its prospective applicants irrespective of immigration status or citizenship. As such, the university admits students without taking regard of their ability to pay and will consider the individual needs and background of the student in order to make a financial award.

How much does it cost to study at Yale University?

Based on the Costs of Attendance, the estimated cost to study at Yale University for a student remaining in residence for the academic year of 2020-2021 is approximately $78,000. This includes tuition fees, housing, living expenses as well as other necessary expenses for students.

Does Yale University offer full scholarships?

Yale does not directly offer merit-based scholarships/awards purely based on academic or extracurricular excellence. For this reason, full scholarships are very rarely offered to students. However, this will depend on the economic background of the students in order to offer a need-based grant. The Yale Scholarship, for example, which will be detailed later, is a need-based grant that can cover the entire tuition of a student depending on their need.

Yale University Scholarships for International Students

Undergraduate Financial Aid

The most basic financial package available for international students is the Yale Scholarship. This is a need-based grant aid offered to eligible undergraduate students and is further not required to be paid back to the university. The amount of the Yale University scholarship will mostly depend on the review of the student’s financial background and can vary from over several $100 to more than $70,000. On average, students receive around $50,000.

While the university does not directly offer merit-based scholarships, there are options for receiving these scholarships that are particularly offered by private companies and employers. Sources for these merit-based awards can be found through this link. The university further encourages students to pursue these awards as they will reduce the Student Effort (the expected contribution students return to the university).

Undergraduate students also have access to term-time employment schemes offered by Yale. The variety of paid work includes working in academic settings, research labs, residential advisor posts, athletic facilities and numerous administrative positions as well. These positions are offered on a flexible basis and are available to all students regardless of financial aid status or work-study basis. Further information regarding this is provided in the Student Employment FAQ section.

As is the case with all US institutions, international students are not eligible for the federal and state loans due to citizenship status. However, Yale offers a specific ‘Yale Student Loan’ which is available for students who do not meet the requirements for federal loans, which includes international students. The loan amount is based on financial need and currently has an interest rate of 7.5%. Further information can be received from the Loan Options page.

Alternative loan options also present a strong possibility for students to consider. These are offered by private and external lenders such as banks or credit unions. These are to be considered as a last resort after students have exhausted other options. The university has created this page to advise students on the best ways to use this option.

Postgraduate Financial Aid

In the case of graduate and professional studies applicants, the financial aid process is significantly different and will mostly depend on the student’s prospective department or school of study. The link to each of these schools of study is attached before so students are encouraged to check the relevant department for further information.

Typically, prospective PhD students receive generous funding packages through Yale University scholarships. For example, the Yale Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) offers a funding package that includes the complete cost of tuition as well as additional stipends to cover the cost of living expenses, rent, food, books etc. for the minimum of the first five years of the PhD program. Students can continue to apply for funding for their sixth year as well. This largely applies to the majority of academic departments but additional confirmation is required.

In the case of Masters students, limited funding is provided by the university or their departments. This applies to the Yale GSAS as mentioned previously; only a few select Masters programs can provide tuition fellowships and stipends. Students should directly contact their department for further information regarding Yae University Master’s scholarships for international students.

Additionally, students should be sure to directly contact departments or the university’s employment offices to consider opportunities in the form of research and teaching assistantships that are readily available for most postgraduate students. Typically, Yale offers an automatic teaching fellowship to all prospective PhD students.

Graduate loans are an option to be considered. In the case of international students, they have access to the Yale Graduate and Professional International Loan, which is limited to the cost of attendance minus other financial assistance.

Application Procedure

Undergraduate Funding

The university operates through 3 main application deadlines in terms of funding, specifically in the case of undergraduate students applying for Yale University scholarships. The deadlines are as follows:

  • Questbridge – November 1
  • Early action – November 15
  • Regular decision – January

International applicants are required to submit the following documents to assist their consideration for receiving financial aid, which will also depend on the applicant’s financial background.

  • CSS profile – collects any information or details used by college finances programs to consider applicants for financial awards. It also provides more details compared to the FAFSA.
  • Signed tax returns of parents & students – Yale also requires tax return documents or any external documents containing information of family income and tax payments.

Postgraduate Funding

In the case of applications for postgraduate students, this will depend on the applicant’s prospective department of study. Students should explore the departmental pages for further information regarding the application process for Yale University scholarships. This applies to both PhD as well as Masters students. While PhD students are further guaranteed funding with their applications, Masters students are required to confirm with external sources for funding opportunities.

 

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