Top schools that offer first graduate scholarships to international students with application fee waivers

The application process for graduate programs abroad involves significant fees that international students must pay. This can range from $50 to $150 or more per school. While fee waivers are commonly offered for American citizens or residents based on financial need, it is tougher for international applicants to get this benefit. Fortunately, some top universities provide application fee waivers as part of prestigious graduate scholarships specifically for international students.

The University of California system has system-wide scholarships known as UC-National Fellowships available at all its campuses including Berkeley, LA, San Diego, etc. Along with covering tuition and living expenses, these highly competitive awards include an application fee waiver to any UC campus. No minimum GRE, GMAT, or language scores are mandatory either.

In the United Kingdom, highly-ranked universities like Oxford and Cambridge offer over 50 Clarendon scholarships annually. These cover full tuition, a living stipend, and a travel allowance for one or two years of study. Significantly, application fees to both universities are waived for Clarendon applicants making it simpler to widely apply.

Moving to Canada, the University of Toronto extends application fee waivers as part of some major scholarship programs. For instance, their exclusive Canada Graduate Scholarships include reimbursed application costs along with a C$35,000 stipend and tuition coverage. Similarly, McGill University’s prestigious Graduate Excellence Fellowships come packaged with waived application fees.

In Germany, top institutes like Humboldt University Berlin and Max Planck Institutes provide complete application fee exemptions to nominated candidates of their exclusive International Max Planck Research Schools. These facilitate tuition, living expenses, and research exposure for a doctoral degree.

Other notable schools with application fee waivers under competitive international awards include the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Nanyang Technological University Singapore. This perk not only assists applicants in applying widely but also signals the high caliber of candidates pursued.

Academically exceptional international students seeking partially or fully-funded graduate education should browse such elite scholarships. The included application fee exemptions make exploring top global universities much more affordable and feasible for aspiring scholars worldwide. This is a prudent path to relieve financial stress on a student’s journey to their academic and career goals.

All the best!