Scholarships for International Students
Undergraduate International Students
All accepted international students will be considered for a partial international scholarship at Clarkson. There is no separate application to complete to be considered for an international scholarship. These scholarships range from $5,000 to $30,000 per academic year. The amount awarded is based on the student's academic record. For first-year students this includes: secondary school GPA, rigor of the curriculum, SAT and TOEFL scores, and letters of recommendation. For transfer students, university GPA, rigor of curriculum, TOEFL score, and letters of recommendation are considered. International scholarships do not increase after the first year. Students must maintain good Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to maintain their international scholarship.
Clarkson does NOT offer need-based financial aid to international undergraduate students.
International students may apply for admission to our Honors Program. There is a separate application process for this program. An on-campus interview or telephone interview is also required. Students who are accepted into the Honors Program receive a $2,000 per year scholarship. Admission to this program is very competitive.
Special Awards and Unique Funding Options
The Clarkson Ignite Presidential Fellowship program is a merit-based scholarship covering all tuition costs for 10 first-time students entering Clarkson for four years (eight semesters) of undergraduate study.
To apply for this award, you must:
- First, you must apply to Clarkson University for Early Decision OR Regular Decision.
- Second, you must apply for the Clarkson Ignite Presidential Fellows program by February 15.
Clarkson University now offers an additional $8,000 scholarship to Early Decision admission applicants. The scholarship will be split evenly over four years ($2,000 per year) and is exclusively offered to Early Decision admission applicants.
To qualify for this award, you must:
- apply for admission to Clarkson via Early Decision no later than December 1
- be a new incoming freshman applicant
- submit your Early Decision admission deposit within two weeks of receiving your financial aid notice (in extenuating circumstances the Admission Office may offer a short extension)
Federal, State, and Institutional Aid is awarded on an annual basis. It is based on full time enrollment (12 credits per semester) in both the Fall and Spring semesters. If a student is not enrolled in a semester, the aid will be pro-rated for 1 semester of attendance, i.e. 1/2 of the annual award amount. Students are not eligible to receive the annual total amount in one single semester.
Clarkson offers a $1000 scholarship to any student who has an official undergraduate admissions visit to our Potsdam, New York campus. Visits must be completed no later than December 1st for Early Decision and February 15 for Regular Decision of the senior year of high school. Like most Clarkson scholarships, this award is renewable each year for four years for a total of $4,000. Each student will only receive one $1000 Clarkson Visit Scholarship, regardless of how many official admission visits they complete.
Qualifying official admission visits include:
- any personalized visit set up directly through the Undergraduate Admission Office
- pre-arranged overnight admission visits for accepted students
- Summer Visit Day, Fall Open House, Spring Open House, Accepted Students Day
- Group visits to campus (high school, college planning/access program, athletics) in which you have a pre-arranged on-campus admission interview or complete an interview following the visit via phone, video or an off-campus interview
- Official Admission Virtual Visits and Official Admission Virtual Events will count (until further notice)
Federal, State, and Institutional Aid is awarded on an annual basis. It is based on full time enrollment (12 credits per semester) in both the Fall and Spring semesters. If a student is not enrolled in a semester, the aid will be pro-rated for 1 semester of attendance, i.e. 1/2 of the annual award amount. Students are not eligible to receive the annual total amount in one single semester.
The Honors Program offers unique academic challenges and experiential learning opportunities to prepare Clarkson University’s most promising students to lead fulfilling lives and to drive positive change in science, technology, and society. Admission to the Honors Program is highly competitive and requires a separate application. Learn more about the Honors Program application process.
Students interested in the Honors Program must complete the Honors Program application in addition to the regular admissions requirements for Clarkson University. The priority deadline for Honors is February 1. Early applications are welcome and will be reviewed as they are completed.
"You Are Welcome Here" Scholarship
Clarkson University is one of 50+ colleges and universities nationwide that has joined the #YouAreWelcomeHere national scholarship program, pledging to create scholarships for international students to study in the U.S.
Clarkson will offer two annual, renewable scholarships that cover at least of 50% of tuition to international undergraduates dedicated to furthering the #YouAreWelcomeHere message of bridging intercultural divides. Students with a strong academic profile are encouraged to apply!
For further information contact Colleen Thapalia.
Graduate International Students
Graduate students enrolled in master’s and PhD level programs may finance their education through a combination of university awards and student loans. University awards are granted by each graduate school.
Graduate Assistantships
The opportunity for graduate assistantships varies by program and should be discussed with the department staff and/or program coordinator directly.
Other Scholarship Sources
We encourage you to apply for additional scholarships. We will not reduce our scholarship/grant offer if you receive outside scholarships, unless the total amount of your scholarship money from all sources exceeds Clarkson's cost.
- Veteran's benefits - the Yellow Ribbon Program
- Employer tuition benefits
- Online searches
- Recommendations from your academic department based on your area of study
- Potential for transfer credit or course waivers for previous study
- A list of external scholarships for graduate students in Education.
Job Opportunities
Campus Jobs
There are limited work-study positions available for international students on campus. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to secure on-campus employment. Priority is given to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents who are work-study eligible under federal guidelines. While there are some areas on campus that hire international students, our food service provider, ARAMARK, seems to be the best area to seek employment. The average student will work about eight to 10 hours per week. The pay is minimum wage ($9.70/hour until 12/31/17 and $10.40 until 12/31/18). Work-study earnings should be viewed as spending money and not as a source for greatly defraying the cost of attendance. Under the terms of the F-1 student visa, international students cannot work more than 20 hours per week on campus.
Off-campus Jobs
Off-campus employment is only permissible with appropriate authorization under the regulations of the F-1 student visa. The International Students & Scholars Office will work with students who wish to pursue employment off campus either prior to or after completion of the degree program admitted to. Students in F-1 status are allowed 12 months of optional practical training before or after completion in work related to their major field of study and in certain circumstances, international students may be eligible for curricular practical training for required practical experiences.