Scholarships for Chilean Students at US Universities

Fulbright Chile funds full graduate degrees

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program funds Chilean citizens for master's and PhD study in the United States. You apply through the Fulbright Commission or the US Embassy in your home country, not directly to a US university, according to Fulbright's foreign student program site . Grants generally cover tuition, a living stipend, and travel, though exact benefits depend on your field and the agreement Fulbright has with Chile that year.

Apply the year before you want to enroll. The Chile process includes local review and an interview stage before any US university sees your file, so build in time for that step.

Becas Chile (ANID) pays for graduate study abroad

Becas Chile, run by Chile's national research agency ANID, is the government's main funding line for Chileans pursuing graduate degrees outside the country, including in the United States. EducationUSA's advising center in Santiago lists Becas Chile alongside Fulbright as a core funding source for Chilean applicants, according to EducationUSA Santiago . Check ANID's own site for the open call, eligible degree levels, and deadlines before you apply. Government scholarship rounds open and close on a fixed annual calendar that shifts year to year.

Universities that name Chilean applicants directly

EducationUSA Santiago lists several US universities with scholarships Chilean applicants qualify for, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Massachusetts Lowell (a Latin America-wide graduate award), and USC's Viterbi School of Engineering (a Latin America-wide engineering award). Award amounts and eligibility change by intake year, so confirm current terms with the university's international admissions office or with EducationUSA Santiago directly.

Merit scholarships open to any international student

Several US colleges post named scholarships open to any admitted international student, Chilean applicants included. These examples come from EducationUSA's financial aid search tool .

This is a sample, not the full list. Search the database yourself and filter by degree level and state to match your program.

Search the EducationUSA database for your program

EducationUSA runs a free, searchable list of financial aid opportunities for international students, filterable by degree level from associate's through post-doctorate and by US state. Schools add and remove awards every cycle, so run your own search close to your application season instead of relying on an old list.

Assistantships fund many graduate students without a named award

US universities often fund PhD students, and some master's students, through teaching or research assistantships rather than a scholarship with a name attached. You teach a course section or work in a research lab, and the university waives tuition and pays a monthly stipend. Ask your target department directly whether assistantships go to international students in your field, funding rules and availability change by program and by year.

Get free scholarship guidance in Santiago

EducationUSA Santiago, based at Universidad Mayor, gives Chilean applicants free one-on-one advising and group sessions on the US application process. Its Undergraduate College Club runs more than 20 sessions, and its Graduate College Club runs six sessions covering CVs, recommendation letters, and essay review. The center also offers paid transcript translation for $20-33 and test-prep materials for $33, according to its program page . Book an advising appointment before you shortlist scholarships. Advisors track which US schools currently fund Chilean students.

Match your award letters to your Form I-20

Every scholarship you win before enrollment counts toward the funding your university certifies on your Form I-20, the document you need to apply for an F-1 visa. Send award letters to your international admissions office as soon as you receive them, so the school updates your certified funding total before it issues your I-20.

Apply for need-based aid where it exists

A small number of private US universities extend need-based financial aid to international undergraduates, on top of any named scholarship. These schools typically require the CSS Profile, run by the College Board, alongside your application, so admissions offices calculate your family's ability to pay. Check each university's financial aid page directly to see whether it offers need-based aid to international students. Most do not, and the ones that do change their policies from year to year.

Common mistakes that cost Chilean applicants scholarships

Missing a deadline is the most common mistake, since Fulbright Chile, Becas Chile, and individual university awards rarely share a calendar. Applying without matching your chosen field to a scholarship's stated priority areas also weakens your file, read the eligibility criteria closely before you write your essay. Waiting until after admission to search for funding cuts out early-deadline scholarships that closed months earlier.

Build a scholarship timeline

Start scholarship research when you build your school list, not after you get admitted. Most named university awards and Fulbright Chile close applications 8-12 months before the term starts. Becas Chile follows ANID's own annual calendar. Track each deadline on its own, university aid, Fulbright, and Becas Chile rarely share an application window. Keep a simple spreadsheet with each scholarship's deadline, required documents, and recommender names, and ask professors for recommendation letters at least a month before any deadline. Faculty in Chile often support several applicants during the same season.