The Right Choice for Your Success

International Scholarships

  • Graduate Students: Read more about the International Graduate Commitment Scholarship in addition to graduate assistantships.
  • Undergraduate Students: Read more about the International Undergraduate Commitment Scholarship.
  • Transfer Students: Read more about the Transfer Undergraduate Commitment Scholarship.
  • Students receiving a graduate assistantship are not eligible for the Graduate Commitment Scholarship, Country Pioneer Scholarship or the International Presidential Scholarship.

International Undergraduate Commitment Scholarship

Award:

  • $4,000 – 8,000 per year, available fall and spring semester
  • $8,000 per year: 3.5 GPA confirmed by WIU
  • $6,000 per year: 3.0 GPA confirmed by WIU
  • $4,000 per year: 2.5 GPA confirmed by WIU

Criteria:

  • Scholarship eligibility (ICS & UGRDS) is determined at the time of evaluation for admission 
  • Applicants will not be reconsidered for scholarships after the point of admission if additional coursework is completed. (IE, an in progress degree is completed AFTER admission is granted to WIU). These scholarships cannot be earned after arriving on campus. You may choose to wait until completion to submit your application if you believe it would be to your advantage.
  • Renewable for up to three years (six semesters) as an undergraduate (8 semesters total) OR until student receives a degree, whichever comes first
  • 3.0 cumulative GPA must be maintained for renewal
  • Continuous enrollment required (Prorated to $750 per 3 SH if an immigration exemption has been awarded for the final semester)
  • 50% will be awarded fall semester and 50% will be awarded spring semester. Not available to students on a government or NGO sponsorship program except with a bilateral agreement
  • Recipients may enroll in summer school at in-state rates
  • Students enrolled in online studies are eligible
  • Scholarship only applied to WIU tuition. No cash refund is available.

International Graduate Commitment Scholarship

Award:

  • $4,000 per year, available fall and spring semester

Criteria:

  • Must be a newly admitted graduate, non-sponsored international student enrolling to WIU for the first time.
  • Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (confirmed by WIU)
  • Scholarship eligibility is determined at the time of evaluation for admission 
  • Applicants will not be reconsidered for scholarships after the point of admission if additional coursework is completed. (IE, an in progress degree is completed AFTER admission is granted to WIU). These scholarships cannot be earned after arriving on campus. You may choose to wait until completion to submit your application if you believe it would be to your advantage.
  • Renewable for a second year with a 3.0 GPA maintained
  • Continuous enrollment required (Prorated to $500 per 3 SH if an immigration exemption has been awarded for the final semester)
  • 50% will be awarded fall semester and 50% will be awarded spring semester
  • Recipients may enroll in summer school at in-state rates
  • Students enrolled in online studies are eligible
  • Students receiving a graduate assistantship are not eligible for this award
  • Scholarship only applied to WIU tuition. No cash refund is available.

International Undergraduate Transfer Commitment

Provides an annual award to incoming transfer, non-sponsored international students enrolling to WIU for the first time.

Award:

  • $4,000 – $8,000 per year, available fall and spring semester

Criteria:

  • $8,000 per year: 3.5 GPA per year
  • $6,000 per year: 3.00 GPA
  • $4,000 per year: 2.5 GPA
  • Scholarship eligibility (ICS & UGRDS) is determined at the time of evaluation for admission 
  • Applicants will not be reconsidered for scholarships after the point of admission if additional coursework is completed. (IE, an in progress degree is completed AFTER admission is granted to WIU). These scholarships cannot be earned after arriving on campus. You may choose to wait until completion to submit your application if you believe it would be to your advantage.
  • Renewable for two additional years (four semesters) as an undergraduate (6 semesters total) OR until student receives a degree, whichever comes first
  • 3.0 cumulative GPA must be maintained for renewal
  • Recipients must have earned a minimum of 24 college credits and eligibility is based on college GPA
  • Continuous full-time enrollment (Prorated to $750 per 3 SH if an immigration exemption has been awarded for the final semester)
  • 50% will be awarded fall semester and 50% will be awarded spring semester. Not available to students on a government or NGO sponsorship program except with a bilateral agreement
  • Recipients may enroll in summer school at in-state rates
  • Students enrolled in online studies are eligible
  • Scholarship only applied to WIU tuition. No cash refund is available.

Additional Scholarships

International Presidential Scholarship (IPS)

Award: Full Tuition Cost for a total of Six students worldwide.

  • Eligible candidates will be invited to apply after receiving full admission. This scholarship is next available for fall semester 2023.

Criteria:

  • Renewable for up to three years (six semesters) as an undergraduate (8 semesters total) OR until student receives a degree, whichever comes first
  • 3.0 cumulative GPA must be maintained for renewal
  • 50% will be awarded fall semester and 50% will be awarded spring semester
  • IPS recipients must be available as campus ambassadors and aid our international recruitment efforts
  • Recipients may not earn any other academic or tuition reduction scholarship
  • Recipients may enroll in summer school under the terms of the scholarship
  • Awarded by a selection committee

Undergraduate Regional Diversity Scholarship

Provides a renewable annual $3,000 scholarship for students from underrepresented South and Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean countries.

Award: $3000

Criteria:

  • Prospective Student must be fully admitted to a degree program and enrolled on campus full time
  • Prospective Student must have a 3.0 Cumulative GPA or 3.0 GPA from WIU's Summer Sampler Program
  • Renewable as follows: two additional years for transfer students; and three additional years for freshmen
  • All students must maintain a 3.0 GPA for renewal; Stackable with other scholarships
  • 50% will be awarded fall semester and 50% will be awarded spring semester
  • Regional Diversity Scholarship may not be combined with Country Pioneer Scholarship.

Rodney and Bertha Fink International Women's Scholarship

Award: $1,500 scholarship ($750 awarded in fall, $750 awarded in spring), available fall semester only

  • Closed until Spring

Criteria:

  • Must be a current female international student
  • Financial need will be regarded as an important requisite
  • Preference may be given to applicants based on academic performance and/or demonstrated campus/community involvement
  • Preference will be given to a female student from an emerging/developing country majoring in Agriculture or Agriculture Business.

Bessie Meyers Scholarship

Award: $400 scholarship, available fall and spring semester

Closed Until Spring

Criteria:

  • Must be current full or part-time international student, male or female
  • Financial need will be regarded as an important requisite
  • Preference may be given to applicants based on academic performance and/or demonstrated campus/community involvement.

Francis and Peggy Davern International Scholarship

Award: $325 scholarship, available fall and spring semester

Closed Until Spring

Criteria:

  • Must be current full-time international student, male or female, any major
  • Graduate students must have 3.5 GPA or better; undergraduates must have 2.5 GPA or better
  • Must have a letter of recommendation from WIU international alum.

Ruth Hughes WESL Scholarship

Award: $800 scholarship, available fall semester

  • Closed until Spring

Criteria:

  • Open to a student enrolled at WIU who is preparing to enter the field of ESL and who might be a student assistant in the WESL Institute
  • Open to a graduate of the WESL Institute who has become a regularly admissible full-time student at Western Illinois University
  • Preference will be given to African American students.

President Huang International Student Scholarship

Award: $500 scholarship ($250 awarded in fall, $250 awarded in spring), available fall semester only

  • Closed until Spring

Criteria:

  • Must be current full time international student, male or female
  • Financial needs will be regarded as an important requisite
  • Must have attended WIU for two or more semesters
  • Must be in good academic standing
  • Must present a prior year's education related expenditure report
  • Preference will be given to a student who is an underrepresented minority

Macomb Branch AAUW International Student

Award: $500 scholarship, available fall and spring semester

Closed Until Spring

Criteria:

  • Must be current full-time international student
  • Financial need will be regarded as an important requisite
  • Must have attended WIU for two or more semesters
  • Must have at least 2.5 GPA
  • Must be undergraduate
  • Preference may be given to applicants based on academic performance and/or demonstrated campus/community involvement

Dr. In-Kon Kim Scholarship

Award: $1000 scholarship, available fall and spring semester

Closed Until Spring

Criteria:

  • Must be a current full-time international student
  • Must be Korean National, GPA 3.0 or higher
  • Must demonstrate financial need
  • Must be within one year of completing FIRST degree from WIU
  • Must be in good judicial standing

Summer Sampler Scholarship

Award: $2500, towards cost of tuition

  • Coming Summer of 2023

Criteria:

  • Provides access to WIU for four weeks in the July semester for up to 100 students
  • Student should demonstrate intent to enroll full time in a degree program at WIU by submitting an application for admission to be eligible for tuition award
  • Students must be admissible to WIU
  • Applicants must be high school seniors or current community college students or university sophomores or juniors or recent community college graduates
  • No application fee to apply using regular portal and selecting Summer Sampler Program
  • Scholarship application required indicating plans to seek an available degree at WIU
  • Program will allow registration in 6-7 undergraduate or 3 graduate SH plus possible internship experience
  • Program will entail three trips to various points of interest, community service, departmental experience with intended program; and seminar in recruitment and promotion of Western Illinois Bestie Program
  • Tuition will be calculated at in-state rate for the program
  • No refunds on any scholarships; Scholarship awards are for tuition and fees only and may not be applied towards housing, insurance, or other costs

WEOG Awards for International Students

Award: $500 scholarships, available fall and spring semester

Closed Until Spring

Criteria:

  • Must be current full-time international student, male or female
  • Financial need will be regarded as an important requisite
  • Preference may be given to applicants based on academic performance and/or demonstrated campus/community involvement

Redeemed Student Fellowship Scholarship

Award: $200 scholarship

Closed Until Spring

Criteria:

  • Be currently enrolled at WIU
  • Demonstrate financial need
  • Be a member of the Redeemed Students Fellowship
  • Be an international student at WIU
  • Be in good academic standing