Doctoral study in the United States is one of the few areas where international students regularly receive genuinely full funding, since most research universities guarantee a tuition waiver and stipend to admitted PhD candidates as a matter of policy.
The ten routes below cover named fellowships as well as the broader assistantship system that underpins most funded PhD places.
1. Fulbright Foreign Student Program
The [Fulbright Foreign Student Program](/foreign-fulbright-student-program/) funds doctoral study for a defined number of years at a US university, covering tuition, a stipend, airfare, and health insurance, often as a bridge before departmental funding takes over.
2. Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University
[Knight-Hennessy Scholars](/knight-hennessy-scholars/) funds doctoral and professional degree students admitted to Stanford, covering tuition and a living stipend for up to three years alongside a parallel leadership development program.
3. USC Marshall PhD Program Funding
The [USC Marshall PhD Program Funding](/usc-marshall-phd-program-funding/) package covers tuition, health insurance, and an annual stipend for doctoral candidates admitted to the Marshall School of Business, typically for the full expected length of the program.
4. AAUW International Fellowships (Doctoral)
Doctoral candidates are eligible for the [AAUW International Fellowship](/aauw-international-fellowship/) alongside master’s applicants, with award amounts intended to support a significant share of tuition and living costs during the dissertation year.
5. Rotary Global Grant Scholarship
Rotary clubs occasionally sponsor doctoral candidates through Global Grant Scholarships tied to one of the organization’s areas of focus, covering tuition and living costs for the relevant stage of the degree.
6. Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme
This program combines a scholarship with a low-interest loan for outstanding doctoral candidates from specific developing countries, based on both financial need and academic merit, and can apply to study at a US university.
7. P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship
Women pursuing doctoral study at a US or Canadian university can apply for this award, which is intended to help cover tuition and related costs for part of the program.
8. University Graduate Teaching and Research Assistantships
The most common source of PhD funding in the US comes through departmental teaching or research assistantships, which typically cover full tuition and provide a living stipend in exchange for part-time teaching or lab work.
9. Fully Funded PhD Programs in STEM at Major Research Universities
Most PhD programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at large research universities guarantee funding for every admitted student for the expected length of the degree, usually five to six years, regardless of nationality.
10. Emory University Laney Graduate School Funding
Emory’s Laney Graduate School guarantees a multi-year funding package, including tuition remission and an annual stipend, to PhD students admitted across most of its doctoral programs, international applicants included.
Because most of this funding is tied directly to admission rather than a separate scholarship form, the quality of the research proposal and the fit with a potential supervisor usually matters more than a standalone application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PhD funding in the US usually guaranteed for the full program length?
At most research universities, yes, provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress and, where applicable, continues teaching or research duties.
Do assistantships cover health insurance as well as tuition?
Most do, with many universities bundling subsidized or fully covered health insurance into the standard PhD funding package.
Can international students apply for the same assistantships as domestic students?
Yes, in nearly all cases, teaching and research assistantships are open to both domestic and international PhD students on the same terms.
Does Fulbright fund an entire PhD program?
Not usually. Fulbright typically funds an initial period, after which the university’s own departmental funding is expected to continue support for the remainder of the degree.
Is a master’s degree required before starting a US PhD program?
Not always. Many US doctoral programs admit students directly from a bachelor’s degree, folding master’s-level coursework into the early years of the PhD.
How many years does a typical funded PhD position last?
Most funded science and engineering PhDs run five to six years, while humanities and social science programs can sometimes extend slightly longer.
Do private foundations typically fund an entire doctorate?
Rarely on their own. Foundation fellowships like AAUW or Aga Khan usually supplement rather than fully replace university-based funding across the whole program.