Florida State University allocates funds each year to be used for out-of-state tuition waivers for international undergraduate students in F-1 status who are excelling academically. Students are awarded between 3 to 12 credit hours of tuition waivers based on their FSU GPA. The amount of waivers awarded to an individual student each semester depends on the number of applicants and the FSU GPAs of the applicants.

Students receiving the tuition waivers are responsible for paying the in-state portion of their tuition as well as for the fees for the out-of-state credit hours waived. In addition, each student must pay tuition and fees for any additional credit hours not covered by the out-of-state waivers.

Eligibility

• Must be an international undergraduate degree-seeking student in F-1 visa status who has completed at least one semester at FSU.
• Must have an FSU cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 and above OR at least a 3.3 GPA for the most recent full-time semester of 12 hours or more. Summer enrollment must be 12 hours to count towards eligibility. 
• Must apply by the application deadline.
• Students admitted to FSU with scholarships that cover the cost of tuition, students receiving the 2+2 Panama scholarship, and students otherwise considered in-state for tuition purposes are NOT ELIGIBLE for out-of-state waivers through this program. However, students with partial tuition scholarships may be eligible for a partial award or an award that covers credits taken above the minimum. Students with the 2+2 scholarship may be eligible during a summer term in which they don’t qualify for the 2+2 award or if they are otherwise eligible and have used the maximum semesters of the 2+2 scholarship.

Please Note:
Tuition waivers are granted based on academic merit.

Application Process

Eligible international undergraduate students apply for out-of- state tuition waivers using the application link below. All applications must be received by the deadline.

If you have any questions about the Undergraduate Tuition Waiver, please direct them to Mr. Kevin Galutera at kgalutera@fsu.edu.

Selection and Award Process

• All applications are reviewed by the Committee for International Undergraduate Tuition Waivers. Awards are variable each semester and range from a minimum of 3 credits to a maximum of 12, based on GPA. 
• Students will be notified via email of the committee's decision. (No phone calls please).
• Awards will be posted on students’ accounts the day before the end of add/drop period.

Other Undergraduate Student Scholarships and Funding Options

Although funding for international undergraduate students is extremely limited, more information regarding possible scholarship opportunities for highly gifted individuals can be found at:

• Music Scholarships
• University Scholarships
• Private Scholarships
• Athletic Scholarships

Most graduate student funding opportunities are administered by the admitting academic departments based upon each department’s available funding. Prospective students should contact the department to which they will seek admission for further information regarding available assistantship opportunities. In addition, the FSU Graduate School has the most comprehensive information regarding financial resources for graduate students: http://www.gradschool.fsu.edu/funding-awards.

FSU's Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards works closely with current graduate students to help them identify and apply for funding to support their studies.

When making a decision regarding which financial offer to accept for a graduate program, also consider differences in the cost of living differences between different cities in the U.S. (see http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/LayoutScripts/Coll_Start.aspx), the cost of mandatory non-waivable fees like insurance, transportation, technology, etc., and state income tax. Florida has no state income tax, but other states tax anywhere from less than 1% to 13% of all income earned within the state.

The State of Florida Legislature established 11 International Linkage Institutes to develop stronger economic, cultural, educational and social ties between Florida and countries considered strategically important to the state (Florida state statute 288.8175). The Linkage Institutes' Out-of-State Tuition Exemption program provides international students from eligible countries with the opportunity to apply for a waiver of the out-of-state portion of tuition. Selection is competitive and students must apply to the appropriate Linkage Institute directly.

Requirements for all Linkage Institute Waivers: Applicants must be admitted to one of Florida's public universities or community colleges. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA, and must commit to returning home within 3 years of completing their degree for a length of time equal to the tuition exemption period.

NOTE: Pay close attention to application deadlines. Many occur during the spring for the following academic year.

The Florida Statutes include a provision that allows students from certain countries, who receive a qualifying State of Florida or U.S. federal government scholarship, to be classified as Florida residents for tuition purposes. At Florida State University, there is no process through which a student can apply for an LAC scholarship. Instead, individual academic departments make qualifying awards, when available, and provide required documentation of the qualifying State of Florida or U.S. federal government award to FSU’s Student Business Services. More information about this process is here.

The Southern Scholarship Foundation is a cooperative/communal living environment, where residents take turns cooking, cleaning, doing chores, and running their house as a team. Students qualify for placement in a Southern Scholarship House by demonstrating financial need, good character, motivation to live in the cooperative environment, and acceptance to FSU. Students pay approximately $950 per semester to cover food and utilities for the house, thus significantly reducing each student's living expenses. As long as a student continues to demonstrate significant financial need, maintain the required GPA, abide by the house rules (observing quiet study hours, no smoking, alcohol, or drugs and no visitation after hours), be positive, and live cooperatively within the house, the scholarship is renewable. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.southernscholarship.org.

The Rowe Fund is an educational loan program of the Organization of American States (OAS) that helps citizens from Latin America and Caribbean OAS Member States finance their studies or research in accredited universities across the United States by awarding interest-free loans of up to $15,000 dollars.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Fulbright awards are for graduate study and research (there are typically no undergraduate awards). The scholarship offerings vary significantly by country each year and may or may not be offered every year. Students will need to prepare for the Fulbright application approximately two years before their intended date of admission to a U.S. university by scheduling required tests and gathering necessary documentation. Country-specific information regarding Fulbright scholarships can be found here: https://exchanges.state.gov/non-us/program/fulbright-foreign-student-program.

Beware of scholarship search scams. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission cautions students to look and listen for these indicators of a scam:

• The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
• "You can't get this information anywhere else."
• "I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
• "We'll do all the work. You just pay a processing fee."
• "The scholarship will cost some money."
• "You've been selected" by a "national foundation" to receive a scholarship – or "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered.

More information regarding avoiding scams is at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0082-scholarship-and-financial-aid-scams

Finding appropriate scholarships takes time and careful advance planning, and there are very limited resources available for international students. Here are a few free sites that may help you begin your search for information:

• www.fundingusstudy.org
• http://www.amideast.org/our-work/academic-and-cultural-exchange/opening-doors-higher-education
• https://educationusa.state.gov