Scholarships for Peruvian Students at US Universities
By Muntasir • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026
Most Peruvian students fund US study with a mix of university aid, a graduate assistantship, and family or loan money. A few named programs, Fulbright and Pronabec among them, add fully funded routes at select schools.
🎓 University merit and need-based aid covers the largest share of funding for admitted Peruvian students.
💵 Graduate students often fund a master's or PhD through a teaching or research assistantship that waives tuition and pays a stipend.
📩 The Fulbright Foreign Student Program funds Peruvian citizens for a full master's or PhD, applied for through the US Embassy in Lima.
🏠 Pronabec, Peru's national scholarship agency, runs postgraduate-abroad scholarship calls, sometimes including US universities.
Peruvian degree documents need a NACES-member evaluation before most US graduate programs process an application.
University aid is where most funding comes from
US universities set their own financial aid rules for international students, and coverage varies widely by school. Some private universities meet full demonstrated financial need for admitted students regardless of citizenship, while public universities and smaller private colleges usually offer only partial merit awards. Check each university's international financial aid page before you apply, since the amount on offer often decides whether a school is realistic for you.
Merit scholarships tied to admission are common at the undergraduate level and get awarded automatically from your application, without a separate form. At graduate level, funding usually comes through the academic department rather than the central financial aid office, so ask your target program directly what funding exists for incoming students from Peru.
Graduate assistantships fund most master's and PhD students
A teaching assistantship (TA) or research assistantship (RA) is the standard way PhD students and many master's students pay for a US degree. In exchange for teaching sections, grading, or research work, the university waives tuition and pays a monthly stipend. Ask your department during admissions whether assistantships are guaranteed, competitive, or unavailable at your degree level, since this differs by field and by school.
STEM fields such as engineering, computer science, and the physical sciences fund the most assistantship positions. Humanities and social science programs fund fewer students and the competition is tighter.
Fulbright Foreign Student Program
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program funds Peruvian citizens for a full master's or PhD at a US university, typically covering tuition, a living stipend, and travel. Fulbright activities for Peru run through the US Embassy in Lima. Applications open roughly a year before the intended start date, so read the program requirements early and confirm Peru-specific deadlines and required documents with the embassy.
Peru government funding: Pronabec
Pronabec, the Programa Nacional de Becas y Crédito Educativo, is Peru's national scholarship and student-loan agency. Alongside its Beca 18 program for undergraduate study, Pronabec runs separate postgraduate scholarship calls (convocatorias) for Peruvians pursuing a master's or PhD abroad, sometimes including US universities depending on the year's call. Eligibility, covered countries, and funding amounts change with each convocatoria, so check the current call on Pronabec's official site rather than relying on a past cycle's terms.
Other named scholarships to check
The Rotary Foundation funds graduate-level Global Grant Scholarships in areas like public health, education, and peacebuilding, sponsored through a local Rotary club. A Peruvian club is allowed to sponsor your application.
AAUW International Fellowships fund women pursuing full-time graduate study in the US and accept applicants from Peru.
Some US universities run country-specific or Latin America-focused scholarship funds. Ask your target school's international office whether one applies to Peruvian applicants.
Application timing for named scholarships
Named scholarships run on their own calendars, separate from university admissions deadlines. Fulbright and Rotary cycles typically open around a year before the intended start date, and Pronabec convocatorias open and close on the government's own schedule each year. Set calendar reminders for each program the moment you find its current deadline, since a missed scholarship deadline does not reopen until the next cycle.
Start your funding search alongside your school list, not after you already hold an admission offer. Departments and named programs both want time to review a complete file, and a rushed application weakens your chances at aid you would otherwise qualify for.
Funding options at a glance
| Funding type | Who it fits | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| University merit or need-based aid | Undergraduate applicants | Partial to full tuition, varies by school |
| Graduate assistantship (TA/RA) | Master's and PhD students | Tuition waiver plus monthly stipend |
| Fulbright Foreign Student Program | Master's and PhD applicants | Full funding: tuition, stipend, travel |
| Pronabec postgraduate scholarships | Peruvian professionals seeking a master's or PhD abroad | Varies by yearly convocatoria |
| Rotary Global Grant Scholarships | Graduate students in specific focus areas | Varies by grant, club-sponsored |
| Student loans (e.g. MPOWER Financing) | Anyone covering a remaining funding gap | No US cosigner required, interest applies |
Get your Peruvian credentials evaluated
Most US graduate programs, and many undergraduate ones, require a course-by-course credential evaluation of your Peruvian secondary certificate, Bachiller, or Título Profesional before they finish processing your application or a funding offer. Use an evaluator that belongs to NACES , such as World Education Services (WES) or the International Education Research Foundation (IERF), since these are the evaluators US universities recognize. Order the evaluation early. It takes several weeks, and most scholarship deadlines will not wait for a late report.
How to combine funding sources
Few Peruvian students cover the full cost from one source. A typical funding plan mixes a partial university scholarship with a graduate assistantship or family contribution, plus a loan for the remaining gap. Lenders such as MPOWER Financing offer loans to international students without a US cosigner, though rates and terms change, so compare current offers directly on the lender's site before you decide.
Apply to scholarship sources on their own timelines, which are often earlier than your university application deadline. Start your scholarship search the same semester you build your university list, not after you already hold an offer.