Scholarships for Jordanian Students at US Universities

Fulbright Foreign Student Program (Jordan)

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is the largest named scholarship for Jordanian students who want a fully funded US master's degree. The Jordan cycle runs through Fulbright Jordan and covers up to two years of full-time study in almost any field, except clinical programs such as medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science, and programs that lead to a pilot license.

Funding includes your round-trip flight, tuition and books, a monthly stipend for housing and living costs, a travel allowance, US visa fees, and medical coverage. To apply you need a bachelor's degree with a "Good" grade average or higher, strong English, and, for MBA applicants, 3-5 years of work experience. You must live in Jordan through the whole application process and must not hold dual US-Jordanian citizenship or a green card.

Fulbright Jordan opens its application window each February and closes around the end of June. The 2026 cycle deadline was June 30, 2026 at 3 PM Jordan time, with late or incomplete files rejected automatically. Check the Fulbright Jordan site each winter for the exact dates of the next cycle.

AMIDEAST HOPE Fund Scholarship

The HOPE Fund targets Palestinian students living in Jordan, the West Bank, and Lebanon, especially refugees and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, for full undergraduate study in the United States. It pays tuition, books, health insurance, and transportation, on top of whatever a university and family already contribute.

AMIDEAST runs the whole pipeline: it identifies candidates, prepares them for the TOEFL and SAT and pays those test fees, matches them with US colleges willing to offer scholarship money, and stays involved financially through the degree. As of August 2026, the HOPE Fund page shows it is not accepting new applications. Email [email protected] to ask when the next intake opens.

AMIDEAST scholarship matching for other students

Even outside the HOPE Fund, AMIDEAST's Amman office runs a broader scholarship-matching service for Jordanian students applying to US undergraduate and graduate programs. Staff help you build a college list, prepare application materials, and connect you with US institutions that award their own aid to strong international applicants.

Need-based aid straight from the university

Your biggest source of funding is rarely a named scholarship. It is the university itself. A number of private US colleges, mostly small liberal arts colleges and a handful of research universities, meet full demonstrated financial need for admitted international students, funded from the school's own endowment rather than any government program.

International applicants are not eligible to file the FAFSA, which requires a US Social Security number or eligible noncitizen status. Instead, these schools use the CSS Profile to assess your family's ability to pay and build an aid package around the gap. Check each university's financial aid page for international students before you apply, since policy varies sharply between schools.

Merit and athletic scholarships

Many US universities award merit scholarships based on grades, test scores, and essays, open to international applicants regardless of financial need. NCAA member schools also offer athletic scholarships to international students who meet NCAA eligibility rules, processed through the NCAA Eligibility Center separately from your college application.

Questions to ask before you accept a scholarship

Before you sign on to any award, confirm whether it funds your whole degree or only the first year, and what GPA or credit-load conditions keep it renewed each year. Ask whether the stipend counts as taxable income in the United States and whether the funding source affects your F-1 status if you take a leave of absence or transfer schools.

Also ask who pays what and when: does the scholarship pay the university directly, or does it reimburse you after you pay first? Get renewal terms and any post-graduation service requirements in writing before you commit, since some named scholarships expect you to return to Jordan or work in a specific field for a set period after you finish.

Assistantships for master's and PhD study

If you apply to a research-based master's or PhD program, ask about teaching and research assistantships. Academic departments offer these positions directly, usually waiving tuition and paying a monthly stipend in exchange for teaching or lab work, and they fund a large share of Jordanian PhD students in the United States who do not hold a named scholarship.

Budget beyond tuition

Every scholarship search has costs of its own. Set money aside for TOEFL or IELTS registration, SAT or GRE or GMAT fees where required, individual US college application fees, and a NACES evaluation of your Tawjihi certificate and any university transcripts. None of these costs are covered until a scholarship or university offer is in hand, so budget for them separately from tuition.

How a scholarship shapes your visa application

Once a scholarship or aid letter is confirmed, your university lists that funding source on your Form I-20, the document that starts your F-1 student visa process. A clear funding letter from Fulbright, AMIDEAST, or your school strengthens the financial evidence you present at your visa interview. It does not replace the SEVIS I-901 fee or the visa application fee, which every F-1 applicant pays regardless of scholarship status.

Timeline for scholarship applications