International Students

Funding an education as an international student at a university in the United States can be challenging. International students are ineligible for federal, state, and need-based university financial aid. Only U.S. citizens, eligible non-citizens and AB 540 eligible students can be awarded for federal, state and/or institutional need-based financial aid.

We offer the following suggestions to international students:

Research scholarship opportunities from private organizations both within the U.S. and in your home country.  As a suggestion to get started, consider your background, your future or current field of study, and possible career paths. Use these topics to search for organizations that may have some connection to your interests and background, then apply for available grants and scholarships.

Research the specific department you are interested in by doing a search on the main Berkeley website for their name, and then looking for awards or scholarships they may have for incoming students.

Graduate students can seek financial assistance from their departments, including Graduate Student Researcher and Graduate Student Instructorships, which are under the direct control of each department.  For information about graduate fellowships or outside sources of financial assistance, please contact the Graduate Fellowships Office.

Helpful Resources

Research websites, such as UC Berkeley’s Scholarship Connection, www.finaid.org, www.fastweb.com, or the Cal Alumni Association to search for grants or scholarships.

Look for internships on the Career Center website.

Visit the Berkeley International Office website.

See the Berkeley International Office web page on money matters.

Find UC Berkeley research opportunities for undergraduate students.

Enter prize contests.

Accessed 11/11/2018: https://financialaid.berkeley.edu/international-students