Scholarships and Funding in the USA by Nationality
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Oct 08, 2026
Compares Fulbright, assistantship, university aid and home-funding options across nationalities applying to US universities, from Canada's Killam Fellowships to Iran's unavailable Fulbright route and Colombia's $50,000 Colfuturo loan-scholarship.
This hub rounds up scholarship and funding guides for nationalities applying to US universities, comparing Fulbright routes, assistantships, university aid and home-country funding for students from Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Indonesia and more. The table shows how differently these pathways land: Canadian students can access Killam Fellowships (Fulbright Canada) worth $6,000/semester, $12,000/year, plus an $800 mobility grant, while Iranian students have no Fulbright route at all, since there is no US embassy or Fulbright commission in Iran for the standard country process. Home-country schemes vary just as widely: Colombia's Colfuturo Crédito Beca funds up to $50,000 for grad or medical study abroad, Indonesia's LPDP covers tuition, stipend and insurance but requires return service, and Nigeria's PTDF sponsors postgrad study abroad yet currently excludes the USA from its scheme.
Start with the Fulbright column, since it shows whether a structured binational or government-run route exists, then check assistantships and university aid, which depend more on program and school. A dash means the underlying guide simply does not state a value for that column, not that no scheme exists, which is why Saudi's Fulbright cell and Colombian's assistantship cell appear blank. Each nationality links to its own guide, which carries the full breakdown, deadlines, and sources behind every figure in the table.
Compare by students from
| Students from | Fulbright | Assistantships | University aid | Home-country funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladeshi | Fulbright Foreign Student Program; US Embassy in Dhaka opens the call annually | PhD/funded master's STEM: assistantships cover tuition + monthly stipend | Some admit need-blind w/ full need met; others offer merit scholarships or just a small discount | Bangladeshi public universities/govt ministries sponsor staff abroad under return-service bonds |
| Brazilian | Fulbright Brazil co-sponsored by CAPES; funds grad study/research via Comissão Fulbright Brasil | TA/RA: funded PhD/research master's pays stipend, waives tuition for teaching/research work | Merit scholarships often automatic; need-based aid often requires CSS Profile | Employer sponsorship for MBA/master's; Brazilian professional bodies fund grad programs too |
| Canadian | Killam Fellowships (Fulbright Canada): $6,000/semester, $12,000/year, +$800 mobility grant | Assistantships waive tuition + pay monthly stipend, same terms as domestic students | MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Amherst are need-blind & cover full demonstrated need | Canada Student Loans/provincial programs (e.g. OSAP Ontario, StudentAid BC) fund study abroad |
| Chinese | Fulbright Foreign Student Program funds grad study/research; check current China eligibility | TA/RA (esp. STEM) cover tuition + pay stipend for teaching/lab work | Most unis need-aware; merit scholarships open to Chinese applicants regardless of need | China Scholarship Council (Ministry of Education) funds grad study/joint PhD placements |
| Colombian | Fulbright Colombia funds full master's for pros w/ 1+ yr exp; 2026 app closes mid-May | — | MIT/Harvard/Princeton/Amherst need-blind w/ full need met; most others offer partial/merit aid | Colfuturo Crédito Beca funds up to $50,000 for Colombian grad/medical study abroad |
| Ghanaian | Fulbright funds up to 2yrs master's/PhD; Ghana targets working staff, not fresh grads | — | Harvard/Yale/Princeton/MIT/Amherst/Dartmouth/Bowdoin need-blind, meet 100% demonstrated need | Ghanaian employers (banking/telecom/public sector) sponsor staff via return-to-work bond |
| Indian | Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships (run by USIEF): full graduate study funding, competitive selection | GRA/GTA assistantships pay stipend, often waive tuition, for research/teaching work | Few schools need-blind w/ full need met; most state/private offer merit or partial aid only | National Overseas Scholarship (Govt Ministry) funds PG/PhD abroad for SC/listed categories |
| Indonesian | Fulbright via AMINEF: master's=2yrs, PhD=3yrs; covers tuition, living costs, airfare, insurance | — | Harvard/Princeton/Yale/MIT/Amherst need-blind w/ full need met; others offer merit aid | LPDP (Ministry of Finance) funds master's/PhD: tuition, stipend, insurance; return-service req'd |
| Iranian | Not available: no US embassy/Fulbright commission in Iran for standard country process | Research unis offer tuition waiver + monthly stipend, open to any nationality | Some unis award entering undergrads merit scholarships based on academic record automatically | Iranian/multinational employer sponsorship for grad study, w/ return-to-work commitment |
| Japanese | Fulbright Japan (Japan-US Educational Commission): ~30-40 grants/year for Japanese citizens | STEM grad programs: TA/RA positions waive tuition + pay monthly stipend for teaching/research | MIT/Harvard/Princeton/Yale/Amherst history of need-blind admission, full demonstrated need met | Tobitate! Program (JASSO, public-private) funds tuition support + monthly scholarship 2023-2027 |
| Kenyan | Fulbright funds grad-level study; Kenyan applicants apply via US Embassy/Fulbright Commission | Grad assistantships (TA/RA) waive tuition + pay monthly stipend for teaching/research work | Few highly selective unis need-blind, cover gap to full cost of attendance | Kenyan employers (banking/telecoms/healthcare) sponsor staff abroad via return-to-work agreement |
| Mexican | Fulbright-García Robles (binational), administered in Mexico by COMEXUS | Direct-entry PhD packages include stipend + tuition waiver for teaching/research work | Limited unis need-blind/full-need; merit scholarships for strong academics more widely available | SECIHTI (Mexico science/tech ministry, ex-CONACYT) funds postgrad study abroad |
| Nepali | Administered via US Embassy Kathmandu; covers tuition, stipend, airfare, insurance | Covers tuition + pays monthly stipend for set weekly work hours | Need-blind/full-need at some schools; others offer merit aid tied to scores | Nepal govt ministries/universities sponsor staff under return-service bond |
| Nigerian | Funded by US State Dept, administered by IIE; apply via Fulbright Commission/Embassy | Department-held assistantships/fellowships for grad students, esp STEM; ask department | Few private schools need-blind + full need; most offer partial merit or no aid | PTDF sponsors postgrad study abroad but USA not eligible under current scheme |
| Pakistani | Administered by USEFP; funds master's/PhD study on an annual cycle | PhD & some master's programs fund via teaching/research assistantship | Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Amherst are need-blind + full-need for int'l students | HEC runs overseas scholarships for master's/PhD study; check HEC site for cycle |
| Saudi | — | TA/RA assistantship covers tuition + monthly stipend for teaching/research work | Merit aid open to int'l students; few schools meet full need for int'l applicants | SACM administers Saudi govt scholarships (King Abdullah Scholarship Program lineage) |
| South Korean | Graduate-only; administered via binational Fulbright Commission in South Korea | TA/RA positions pay stipend, often waive tuition; ask department directly | Few need-blind+full-need private schools; most are need-aware for int'l applicants | Korean govt ministries/agencies/employers sponsor staff study abroad; return-to-work tied |
| Taiwanese | Fulbright Taiwan (Foundation for Scholarly Exchange) offers Graduate Study & Dissertation Awards | STEM master's/PhD programs fund via assistantships covering tuition + stipend | Few Ivy/liberal arts schools need-blind+full-need; most offer little aid | Taiwan Ministry of Education runs study-abroad scholarships; check MOE site |
| Turkish | Graduate study funding; apply via Fulbright Commission or US Embassy in Turkey | Tuition waiver + monthly stipend for TA/RA work; standard route for PhD students | Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Amherst are need-blind + full-need for int'l applicants | Ministry of National Education sponsors postgrad study abroad with return-service |
| Vietnamese | Graduate study funding via competitive annual application run with US Embassy | Waives tuition + pays monthly stipend; department, not aid office, decides | Varies widely by school; many offer little/no aid to F-1 students | Ministry of Education & Training funds limited grad study; tied to public-sector return |
How to use this table
Each row summarises one guide in this series. The figures are the ones quoted in that guide when it was written, and a dash means the guide does not state that item. Open a guide for its sources, the full detail and its latest update date.