International Student Funding

female student smiling

Invest in Your USF Education

Investing in your future is just as important as it is to you. We want to ensure you have a Golden future and we know coming to the U.S opens many opportunities for you. At the University of St. Francis, we place an emphasis on value in education. 

Funding an education as an international student at a university in the United States can be challenging. International students are ineligible for federal, state, and need-based university financial aid. Only U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens can be awarded federal, state and/or institutional need-based financial aid.

As a result, we offer the following resources to international students:

First year and transfer USF Scholarships awards range between $7,000 and $25,000 per year to qualifying students.

The athletic department is in charge of awarding athletic scholarships. Please visit www.gofightingsaints.com for more information.

Non-immigrant students are not eligible to be employed in federal work-study positions, and federal regulations governing the F-1 non-immigrant categories strictly limit both the kind and the amount of other kinds of work that students can do in the United States. Working without authorization in the United States is a serious matter and is considered a violation of immigration status. F-1 students may not work off-campus during the first academic year, but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. After the first academic year, F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment:

As an F-1 student, you are authorized to work 20 hours a week. For more information on the Student and Exchange Visitors Program, see the Student & Exchange Visitor Program, Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Study in the States Training Opportunities in the United States pages.

The rules concerning non-immigrant student employment are complex, and you should thoroughly discuss questions about eligibility for any kind of employment with the International Student Adviser on your campus before accepting any work. It is also important to understand that working on or off campus, even if it is permitted, cannot be your sole source of funding. Most jobs will provide spending money for personal expenditures at best.

Transferring advanced credits like IB or AP can save up to one year’s worth of time and money!

Earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree, saving time and money! There are multiple options offered through our university:

The Estimated Cost of Attendance is kept reasonable to promote value in your education.

Scholarships & Aid for International Students

Research scholarship opportunities from private organizations both within the U.S. and in your home country.  As a suggestion to get started, consider your background, your future or current field of study, and possible career paths. Use these topics to search for organizations that may have some connection to your interests and background, then apply for available grants and scholarships.

American Council for International Education- Kosovo American Education Fund. The Kosovo American Education Fund (KAEF) annually offers up to eight graduate fellowships at US universities to talented Kosovars who demonstrate a strong commitment to the economic development of their country. Fellows study in master’s level programs for one or two years, obtain a degree, and participate in professional internships.

Institute of International Education (IIE): Offers programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals, and trainees from all sectors, with funding provided by government agencies, foundations, and corporations

International Research and Exchanges Board: Offers various scholarships, fellowships, and grants to international students

MacArthur Foundation: Makes grants through four programs: Human and Community Development, Global Security and Sustainability, the General Program, and the MacArthur Fellows Program

Open Society Institute: Administers merit-based grants to international students

Rockefeller Foundation: Offers grants in four program areas: Food Security, Health Equity, Creativity and Culture, and Working Communities

Rotary Foundation: Offers a broad range of humanitarian, intercultural, and educational programs and activities designed to improve the human condition and advance the organization’s ultimate goal of world understanding and peace

Social Science Research Council Fellowship: Provides support and professional recognition to innovators within fields, and especially to younger researchers whose work and ideas will have longer-term impact on society and scholarship

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund is an outreach program of the World Bank Family Network. The fund provides financial assistance to women from developing countries during their studies in the U.S. or Canada. The MMMF annually awards six to ten grants of approximately $12,000 each. The application must be completed online at the World Bank Family Network website.

Please check with your specific country on full or partial scholarships for study abroad. Check your country’s Ministry of Education and U.S Embassy.

  • Local banks in your country
  • S based banks require a U.S citizen/resident to co-sign
  • Organization of American States’ Leo S. Rowe Fund: This program provides loans of up to $15,000 USD for undergraduate students in their last two years of study or any graduate student; available for citizens of Latin American countries

WES- Securing Financial Aid for International Students Webinar

International Education Financial Aid: Free searchable database of more than 800 scholarships and awards for international students, most of which are restricted to use at specific universities

InternationalScholarships.com: Comprehensive listing of grants, scholarships, loan programs, and other financial aid information to assist college and university students in their pursuit to study abroad

NAFSA Financial Aid for Undergraduates: This resource provides information primarily for students with non-immigrant visas (F-1, J-1, etc.); information for permanent residents of the United States also included

U.S. Department of State—Education USA: Provides support to a network of educational advising/information centers around the world that advise prospective international students and other audiences on higher education and study opportunities in the United States