Need-Based Aid for International Students

Vanderbilt University offers need-based scholarships to a limited number of international undergraduate applicants. If you indicate on your application for admission that you are seeking need-based assistance, the admission decision will be made on a need-aware basis. Applications from international citizens who apply for need-based assistance will be reviewed among all international applicants seeking need-based assistance, and will be chosen based on an evaluation of academic qualities, leadership and community engagement, financial need, and availability of resources.

In order to apply for need-based scholarships, you must submit the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile.

For financial aid purposes, you are considered an international student if you do not meet the eligibility criteria to receive federal student financial assistance. To qualify for federal assistance, a student must be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen. (Learn more about how these classifications are defined.)

U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens living abroad are eligible to receive need-based scholarships. For these students, Vanderbilt is proud to offer need-blind admission and meet 100 percent of each student’s demonstrated financial need with generous aid packages that do not include loans.

For international students admitted for fall 2021, Vanderbilt offered need-based aid and/or merit scholarships to 77 students representing 49 countries. The range of awards offered was $17,056–$86,309 per year for four years. All students demonstrated exceptional academic and co-curricular talent in the admissions process.

In addition to the non-restricted forms of financial aid for international students, Vanderbilt also offers financial aid to students meeting specific criteria. Examples of need-based financial assistance available for international students include the following:

• The Hilppa A. K. Roby Scholarship provides full-tuition support to undergraduate students from Finland with demonstrated financial need who are enrolled in Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science. In addition to full tuition, the Hilppa A. K. Roby Scholarship will provide a stipend of up to $5,000 to be used for a one-time summer study abroad, research investigation or other approved experience, and an additional $1,500 per year as a travel allowance to and from Finland.
• The Irene and Thomas Harrington International Scholarship provides financial assistance to international students enrolled full time in any of Vanderbilt’s four undergraduate schools. Preference is given to students from France, with second preference to students from the European Union.
• The Early-White International Scholarship provides assistance to undergraduate international students from the United Kingdom or European Union member countries enrolled in the College of Arts and Science.

The CSS Profile must be submitted by the applicant to be considered for these awards.

Please note that we do not offer financial aid to international transfer students.

*Applicants from countries sanctioned by the U.S. government or countries from which the College Board has declined to accept credit cards (Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo) should contact the admissions counselor for their region.

Deadline for Need-Based Aid Applications

For international students, the deadline to apply for need-based financial aid is February 3, 2022. Please contact your admissions counselor if you have difficulty retrieving financial aid documents by the deadline.

Merit-Based Aid for International Students

International first-year applicants are eligible to apply for all merit-based scholarships offered at Vanderbilt.

The application for the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship is required; you must apply to be considered. For the Ingram Scholarship Program and the Chancellor’s Scholarship, the application is strongly encouraged; preference is given to those who apply. Students who wish to be considered for additional merit scholarships are encouraged to complete the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship application. 

Within two business days of submitting your application for admission to Vanderbilt, you should receive an email from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions explaining how to create your online MyAppVU account. Under the Scholarship Application tab in MyAppVU, you will be able to select the signature program(s) to which you wish to apply. Students should be aware that merit-based scholarships are awarded only to a select few of our most exceptional applicants each year.

Chancellors Scholarship Vanderbilt

Mission and History

Chancellor Joe B. Wyatt initiated the Chancellor’s Scholars in 1985 to recognize students with outstanding leadership, strength of character, academic achievement, and a deep-seated commitment to diversity and social justice. Chancellor’s Scholars have worked to build strong high school communities by bridging gaps among economically, socially, and racially diverse groups and have demonstrated significant interest in issues of diversity education, tolerance, and social justice. Chancellor’s Scholars are expected to build upon these earlier commitments through continued active engagement in academic and leadership opportunities at Vanderbilt. The program is funded with gifts from alumni, faculty, staff, students, corporations, and friends.

Scholarship Benefits

Chancellor’s Scholars receive full tuition, plus a one-time summer stipend for an immersive experience following the sophomore or junior year. Vanderbilt will provide additional need-based financial aid to those Chancellor’s Scholarship recipients whose demonstrated financial need exceeds the amount of full tuition. Scholarships are renewed each year as long as the recipient maintains at least a 3.0 GPA.

Application and Selection

The Chancellor’s Scholarship application is strongly encouraged; preference is given to those who apply. Applicants apply via MyAppVU after submitting admission application. Chancellor ‘s Scholars are selected on the basis of commitment to diversity, leadership, strength of character, and academic achievement. Strong candidates are intellectually curious and able to articulate their ideas clearly. In evaluating candidates, the selection committee reviews the Chancellor’s Scholarship application along with the entire application for freshman admission