Undergraduate Admissions

Scholarship Information

Costs

KU International Undergraduate Admissions offers several merit-based scholarships to new international undergraduate degree-seeking students. However, our office does not offer scholarships based on financial need.  Neither do we offer full scholarships that pay for all expenses. As a part of the application process, students requesting F-1 or J-1 status must submit proof of financial support for the first year of study. Costs for attending KU are calculated by the number of credit hours enrolled and the field of study. For the 2012-13 academic year:

  • Average tuition costs for nonresident undergraduates range from $21,818 to $27,046
  • Estimated living and other expenses are $10,728

 

International Undergraduate Admissions Scholarships

Scholarship Chart

A complete application for admission & all required materials must be received by deadlines:

  • January 15 for Fall semester (for international undergraduate freshmen or transfer applicants)
  • February 1 for Fall semester (for transfer applicants applying from within the USA who are attending community colleges and are members of Phi Theta Kappa)

KU International Undergraduate Admissions Scholarships administers 4 scholarships for incoming international freshman and transfer degree-seeking students.  Some scholarships may not be combined with another International Undergraduate Admissions Award.*

1. KU-IIE Undergraduate Tuition Scholarship - January 15 deadline

  • Selection facilitated with the cooperation of the Institute of International Education (IIE)
  • Highly competitive, renewable merit-based tuition awards (valued approximately $22,000 or more per year up to four years) for new students with outstanding academic profiles & demonstrated leadership
  • Available to international students applying from outside the USA who will be entering the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status in the Fall semester
  • 25 available per year

*The KU-IIE tuition waiver scholarship may not be combined with another International Undergraduate Award. 

2. KU International Merit Award – January 15 deadline

  • Competitive, renewable, merit-based awards ranging from $4,000 to $10,000 per year
  • Available to international students applying from outside the USA or for students already studying in the USA at the time of application
  • 25 available per year

*The International Merit Award may not be combined with another International Undergraduate Award.

 

Eligibility requirements for 1) KU-IIE Tuition Scholarship & 2) KU International Merit Award:

Recipients are selected from the top tier of applicants who have been admitted based upon their official academic records.  Selection is based on factors including:

  • Complete application for admission has been submitted by scholarship deadline of January 15
  • Grades--students must have the equivalent of a 3.5 GPA or higher (converted to the 4.0 scale)
  • Current schedule of courses in which student is enrolled
  • TOEFL or IELTS scores that meet minimum for KU class enrollment (see English Requirement - link on website)
  • SAT or ACT scores (required for architecture, business, design & engineering majors). Although SAT or ACT scores are not required for admission to all majors, presenting the scores is required for the KU-IIE Scholarships & Jayhawk Generation Scholarships. Presentation of scores will enhance chances of selection for any International Undergraduate scholarship. It will also facilitate enrollment in proper course placement.
  • Co-Curricular Summary, including description of all out-of-class activities, involvement, leadership, service and awards. From your Co-Curricular Summary, please select three activities that have been especially meaningful to you and explain why.
  • Essay or statement of purpose.Write an essay of no more than 500 words. You may choose one of these topics:
    • Discuss your personal and academic goals and how you hope to achieve them at KU.
    • Provide a clear and detailed description of your study objectives. Be specific about your field of study and your specialized interests within this field.
    • Explain the unique perspectives you hope to gain in the U.S. and how you intend to use these skills, knowledge and experience upon your return to your home country.
    • A topic of your choice demonstrating writing and critical thinking skills.
  • Letters of reference or recommendation

Additional scholarship forms will be distributed to students selected by our office for consideration of these awards.

3. Jayhawk Generation Scholarship—January 15 deadline

  • Competitive, renewable, merit-based awards ranging from $4,572 to $11,675 per year based on 3 criteria.
  • Student must have a parent, stepparent, grandparent, step-grandparent or  legal guardian who graduated from KU
    AND
  • Minimum 1090 SAT (combined Math and Critical Reading only) or minimum 24 ACT Composite score
    AND
  • 3.5 GPA/4.0 scale
  • The amount of the Jayhawk Generation award is determined by a combination of test scores and GPA.  The exact levels of this award can be found at: http://affordability.ku.edu/cs/jaygen.shtml

*The Jayhawk Generation scholarship cannot be combined with another award.

4. Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship—February 15 deadline

  • Non-renewable scholarship for $500
  • Transfer student from US community college who are member of Phi Theta Kappa
  • Completed 36 credit hours and not have earned a bachelor’s degree
  • 3.75 GPA/4.0 scale
  • Phi Theta Kappa adviser at US community college must submit confirmation of membership form.
 

KU Academic Program Scholarships

Some KU academic departments also offer scholarships to first year students. If a student is eligible for consideration for one of the departmental awards, the International Undergraduate Admissions Office will forward the student's application to departments that award first year scholarships. Generally, departmental scholarships are competitive and top-level students are informed of opportunities to apply by the individual academic program only after the student has been admitted and often only after they have completed one or two semesters of KU study. http://affordability.ku.edu/cs/departmental.shtml

Additional information about scholarships

More information for students who plan to pursue studies in the USA is available at these websites:

Outside Scholarships and Sponsors

International applicants who have been awarded outside scholarships or students sponsored by their government or private foundations, should provide information about the terms of the award from the program sponsor at the time of application. Details required include the name of the sponsoring organization or agency, the name and title of contact person, complete address, e-mail, phone and fax numbers and the dollar value and duration of the award.

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