AAUW International Fellowship 2027 | Study in United States — American Association of University Women (AAUW)
Few scholarships are genuinely open to women from any country studying any subject. The AAUW International Fellowship is one of the longer-running examples that still manages that breadth.
Despite being U.S.-based, the fellowship has funded women from dozens of countries over its history. Its openness is part of what makes it worth knowing about early in your planning.
About the Scholarship
The American Association of University Women runs this fellowship specifically for women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, supporting full-time graduate or postgraduate study at accredited U.S. institutions. It is one of AAUW’s flagship international funding programs.
AAUW has operated continuously for well over a century, with fellowship and grant programs forming a core part of its mission to advance equity for women through education. The International Fellowship sits within that broader institutional history.
Unlike narrowly targeted scholarships, this fellowship does not restrict applicants by field, country of origin, or career stage, beyond the basic requirement of pursuing graduate or postgraduate study. That openness draws a genuinely large and diverse applicant pool each cycle.
Because demand is high and funding is limited relative to the number of qualified applicants worldwide, competition for this fellowship is real. Strong academic records and clear, well-articulated study plans matter significantly in review.
AAUW also maintains an active alumnae network of past International Fellows, many of whom have gone on to significant academic, professional, and public leadership roles in their home countries after completing their U.S. studies.
The fellowship’s broad eligibility also means it draws comparisons to a wide range of other scholarships. Applicants often use it as one of several applications submitted in the same cycle, given how competitive the single-fellowship landscape can be.
AAUW’s broader advocacy work, focused on closing the gender pay gap, expanding access to STEM education for women, and supporting women’s leadership, shapes the kind of applicant the organization tends to prioritize. A study plan that connects to these themes, even loosely, can resonate with reviewers familiar with AAUW’s mission.
The organization also runs several related funding programs beyond this specific fellowship, including grants for community projects and support for women in STEM at earlier academic stages. The International Fellowship is the flagship program specifically for women from outside the United States pursuing graduate study here.
Because AAUW has operated for so long, its selection committees often include experienced reviewers who have evaluated many cycles of applications. That experience means genuinely distinctive, well-prepared applications tend to stand out clearly against a large volume of more generic submissions.
Applicants sometimes underestimate how much weight a clearly articulated return-and-impact plan carries in review, even though the fellowship does not explicitly require one as a strict eligibility condition. Demonstrating genuine purpose behind your chosen field of study is one of the more reliable ways to strengthen an otherwise strong academic application.
International fellowships of this kind also tend to value diversity across country of origin and field of study within each cohort, meaning your specific background and field, whatever they are, are unlikely to work against you simply because they are uncommon among past recipients.
Applicants from countries that rarely appear among past recipients should not assume this counts against them. If anything, reviewers often welcome genuinely distinctive geographic and disciplinary perspectives within each year’s fellowship cohort.
Scholarship Benefits
- Funding support for full-time graduate or postgraduate study at a U.S. institution
- Access to AAUW’s long-standing network of past International Fellows
- Recognition from a well-established, century-old organization focused on advancing women’s education
- Eligibility across virtually any academic field, giving broad flexibility in program choice
- Potential connections to AAUW’s wider programming and advocacy community
Eligibility Criteria
- You must be a woman who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- You must be pursuing full-time graduate or postgraduate study at an accredited U.S. institution
- You must hold the academic qualifications required for admission to your chosen program
- There is no restriction on field of study
- You should plan to return to your home country after completing your U.S. studies, consistent with the fellowship’s broader mission
Fields of Study Covered
The AAUW International Fellowship does not restrict applicants to a specific discipline. Past recipients have studied everything from public health and engineering to education policy and the humanities.
This openness makes the fellowship genuinely comparable across very different applicant profiles. A woman pursuing an engineering master’s and one pursuing a doctorate in literature compete under the same general criteria, with academic strength and clarity of purpose mattering more than the specific field chosen.
Professional and research-oriented programs are both eligible, as long as the underlying degree is a genuine graduate or postgraduate qualification.
Required Documents
- A completed AAUW International Fellowship application
- Proof that you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Confirmation of admission or enrollment in a full-time graduate or postgraduate program
- Academic transcripts
- Letters of recommendation
- A personal statement outlining your academic and professional goals
How to Apply (Step-by-Step)
- Confirm your eligibility as a non-U.S. citizen or permanent resident woman
- Secure admission to, or confirm enrollment in, a full-time graduate or postgraduate program at a U.S. institution
- Gather your transcripts and request recommendation letters well in advance
- Write a clear personal statement connecting your studies to your broader goals
- Submit your complete application through AAUW’s current application portal before that cycle’s deadline
Selection Process
AAUW’s review committee evaluates applications for academic achievement, the clarity and feasibility of the applicant’s study plan, and the strength of supporting recommendation letters. Because the fellowship is open to any field, reviewers assess relative strength within each applicant’s own discipline rather than comparing unrelated fields directly against each other.
A personal statement that clearly connects graduate study to a specific, realistic set of goals tends to perform better than one describing only general academic interest.
Tips to Improve Your Chances
- Make your personal statement specific about what you plan to do with your degree, not just why you want to study
- Request recommendation letters from people who know your academic work well, giving them plenty of lead time
- Apply as early in the cycle as your program allows, since AAUW reviews a large volume of applications
- Research AAUW’s broader mission and reflect genuine alignment with advancing women’s education in your personal statement
- Keep your transcripts and supporting documents organized and submitted well ahead of the deadline
- Consider applying to multiple suitable scholarships in the same cycle, since competition for this fellowship specifically is significant
- Women in graduate study may also want to compare this against the Margaret McNamara US-Canada Program or the P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Fund
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this fellowship open to women from any country?
Yes, there is no country restriction, only that you must not be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Can I apply for any field of graduate study?
Yes, the fellowship does not restrict applicants by academic field.
Do I need to already be admitted to a U.S. program to apply?
You should have confirmed admission or enrollment in a full-time graduate or postgraduate program; check the current cycle’s exact timing requirement.
Is this fellowship renewable for multiple years of study?
Check AAUW’s current terms, since renewal policies can vary by cycle and program length.
How competitive is this fellowship?
It draws a large, global applicant pool given its broad eligibility, making it genuinely competitive despite the lack of narrow restrictions.
Does AAUW expect recipients to return to their home country afterward?
The fellowship’s broader mission favors applicants with a clear intent to apply their education in their home country, though you should confirm exact current expectations.
Can I combine this fellowship with other scholarships?
Check AAUW’s current stacking policy directly, since rules on combining funding sources can vary.
Is there an interview stage in the selection process?
Check AAUW’s current application guidance, since interview stages can vary between cycles.
What is the exact deadline for the current cycle?
AAUW’s international fellowship deadlines shift by cycle; confirm the current date directly on AAUW’s official fellowships page before applying.
Does AAUW fund study at any accredited U.S. institution, or only specific ones?
The fellowship generally supports study at any accredited U.S. institution appropriate to your program, rather than a fixed list of partner universities; confirm current guidance for any exceptions.
Can I apply if I already hold a graduate degree and am pursuing a second one?
Check AAUW’s current eligibility guidance on applicants pursuing additional graduate degrees, since this can vary by cycle.
Is there a minimum required GPA or academic average?
Specific thresholds are not always published; focus on presenting the strongest possible academic record available to you.
How many International Fellowships does AAUW award each year?
The number of awards can vary year to year depending on available funding; check AAUW’s current materials for recent figures.
Will accepting this fellowship affect my eligibility for other U.S.-based funding?
Check AAUW’s current policy and your other funding sources’ own rules on stacking awards, since this can vary between programs.