ISSS has a limited amount of financial assistance available for international students who have experienced financial challenges while enrolled as a student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.
To be eligible for this funding, an international student must be in F-1 or J-1 student status and enrolled at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Academic Financial Support
Academic Financial Support can provide financial assistance for degree-seeking international students enrolled at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities who have experienced financial challenges due to unforeseen circumstances. Depending on a student’s situation and need, Academic Financial Support can help with tuition, fees, and insurance costs.
Emergency Funds
ISSS Emergency Funds are available to provide financial support for current F-1/J-1 international students who have experienced an emergency situation. Emergency funds are to be used for short-term situations to help students through the crisis and are not intended to cover long-term expenses. In most circumstances, these funds will be only given one time and for a specific emergency situation.
Examples of an emergency situation include, but are not limited to:
- A serious illness or injury to the student that results in high medical bills and expenses that the student is not able to pay
- Criminal victimization such as a robbery, assault, or other crime that causes monetary or physical injury
- A fire or other serious problems affecting the student’s housing
- A serious illness or death in the immediate family that requires travel to visit a sick family member or attending a funeral
- Short-term food insecurity
International Student Work Opportunity Program
The International Student Work Opportunity Program (ISWOP) assists international graduate students who experiencing financial challenges to receive an assistantship position in departments that otherwise would not be able to fully fund an assistantship. For an ISWOP award, ISSS provides up to half the salary and benefits for a graduate assistantship appointment, and the employing department funds the remaining amount. Funds will be transferred directly to the department by the end of the fiscal year that the ISWOP was awarded.
Colonial Dames of America Scholarship
The Colonial Dames of America scholarship is available for current graduate and professional degree-seeking international students who intend to return to their home country after graduating. Priority will be given to students with financial need and near the end of their degree program.
The selected students will be named the Colonial Dames of America - Minnesota Scholars for the academic year. Scholarships award amounts vary. Past award amounts have been between $500 to $17,000.
New Student Scholarships
All international freshmen and transfer students who are admitted to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities are considered for a Global Excellence Scholarship (GES).
Awards are competitive and based on academic merit. Students selected for the GES awards are among the best in their high school class and show a record of very strong academic preparation.
There is no separate scholarship application available; undergraduate students are automatically considered for the GES based on an overall assessment of their on-time application for admission into the University of Minnesota. All awards are made at the time of admission, so continuing students who were not initially awarded are not eligible to apply.
ISSS also offers a small number of other new student need-based scholarships for incoming undergraduate international students. These scholarships have a separate application and timeline.
