Financing & Scholarships

Financing

UCSC Financial Aid: International students are not eligible for need-based federal aid, since it is reserved for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. However, the Financial Aid website has databases of university or private scholarships, grants, and loans that may be open to international students.

NAFSA: Association of International Educators: This organization has helpful resources on how to search for financial aid for your studies in the United States. 

MPOWER Financing: Best international student loan without a co-signer according to Nerd Wallet.

UCSC Scholarships

The Sara Matthews Scholarship, awarded by ISSS, is granted to deserving undergraduate, F-1 or J-1 international students of Sophomore or Junior standing at UCSC, with a 3.5 GPA or higher. This scholarship is to help with educational costs. Selected UCSC international students will receive a scholarship ranging from $1,000-$5,000.  

Applications are now closed. Please check again in February 2024. 

Other Scholarships

Global Citizen Scholarship and Women in STEM: The Global Citizen Scholarship scholarship offered through MPower Financing is a scholarship program, which is available to international students attending an accredited U.S. institution. To learn more or start your application, please visit mpowerfinancing.com.

Study California: The Study California Scholarship will be awarded each fall to three incoming (new) international students planning to enroll at a Study California member institution. The amount of each award will vary from year-to-year but will be no less than $1,000 per student. To learn more or start your application, please visit studycalifornia.us.

IELTS USA - Andrea Scott International Graduate Student Scholarship: This scholarship is through IELTS and is for Graduate students who are admitted to Fall 2022. The scholarship is $5,000 (payable in U.S. dollars only) annual tuition scholarship renewable for 3 years pending good academic standing. To learn more or to start your application, please visit https://go.ieltsusa.org/AndreaScottInternationalGraduateScholarship.

Scholarship Databases

Global Scholarships lists hundreds of external scholarship opportunities for international students. Each one has different selection criteria.

Nerd Wallet lists companies that offer loans to international students, typically with a U.S. co-signer. Be sure to understand how interest rates work and the amount you would owe over time before accepting a loan.