Financial Resources at the University of Minnesota
Newly–admitted international students will take full responsibility for financing their education. If you anticipate not being able to meet the cost of your education and living expenses, you are advised to request a postponement of your enrollment until you have secured adequate funding.
Below are some of the financial assistance opportunities available at the U of M. We recommend you inquire within your academic college or professional school about further availability of financial assistance.
Undergraduate Students
Global Excellence Scholarships
The University of Minnesota offers a limited number of Global Excellence
Scholarships for incoming freshman and transfer international students.
These competitive scholarships cover the full difference between
resident and non-resident tuition rates and 50% of the difference
between resident and non-resident tuition rates. No separate scholarship
application is required. Students are considered for these awards based
on an overall assessment of the admission application.
Undergraduate College Scholarships
When you apply to the University of Minnesota, you actually apply to a specific “college,” “institute,” or “school” within the University of Minnesota. Many of these colleges have sources of funding for their own students, and some have funding for international students. Visit your college’s web site or contact someone within the college to find out if your college offers funding for international students. Click here to see a listing of the University of Minnesota’s colleges.
Please note that NONE of these college scholarships will be comprehensive.
On Campus Employment
International students may apply for on-campus student job positions at the University of Minnesota. These positions pay an hourly wage but do not have any tuition benefits. Student job positions do not pay high wages but they may be able to contribute to your living expenses and can also provide some degree of professional development.
International Student Financial Aid Program
International Student and Scholar Services administers a need-based financial aid program for international students who are in the latter stages of their degree program. First-year students are not eligible. Students transferring from a college in their own country or another college in the U.S. must complete at least one year of academic work at the University of Minnesota before applying for financial aid. Students are funded only if they can demonstrate severe financial hardship, that was unforeseen when they first come to the U of MN.
Graduate Students
Assistantships
Graduate assistantships are the most common form of financial aid awarded to students at the graduate level in the U.S. These positions can be a teaching, research or administrative graduate assistantship. Often it is a competitive process to obtain an assistantship position.
In general, a graduate assistantship is either a 25% appointment or a 50% appointment. Graduate students with a 25% appointment work 10 hours a–per week and receive a tuition reduction based on the resident tuition rate. Graduate students with a 50% appointment work 20 hours a–per week and receive a full tuition benefit. (Note, some 50% appointments do not provide full tuition benefits) Graduate assistants receive an hourly wage and the university pays 95% of health insurance for assistants and partially subsidizes dependent health insurance.
A research assistant (RA) may do original research for a faculty member that can also be applied to the student’s doctoral dissertation, or may simply assist in a lab. A teaching assistant (TA) may have full responsibility for teaching an undergraduate course, or may grade undergraduate papers for a faculty member. Administrative assistantships are also available. They are less common and usually entail non-academic duties.
You must be accepted and enrolled in the University of Minnesota to accept a graduate assistantship. If you are interested in applying for an assistantship, contact the department you are applying to about assistantship availability. Departments may request that you apply for their available assistantships when you apply for admission to their program.
Finally, some graduate assistantships are offered through administrative units outside of the department you are applying to.
For more detailed information about graduate assistantships go to the Graduate Assistantship Employment Office website
Fellowships
While not as widely available as assistantships, fellowships are also a source of funding for graduate students.
Please see the this link for more information.
International Student Financial Aid Program
International Student and Scholar Services, administers a funding program for international students who are in the latter stages of their degree program. First-year students are not eligible. Students transferring from a college in their own country or another college in the U.S. must complete at least one year of academic work at the University of Minnesota before applying for financial aid. Students are funded only if they can demonstrate severe financial hardship, that was unforeseen when they first come to the U of MN.
To be considered for International Student Financial aid you must be in the final two academic years of your program unless it is a Master Degree Program in which case you must be in your final academic year.
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Financing Your Study at UMN