US scholarships that cover living expenses for international students

In the US, only a few scholarships fully cover both tuition and living costs for international students. The most reliable options are large university-funded awards and two well-known government or government‑linked programs that pay for housing, health insurance, and monthly stipends.

US Scholarships That Truly Cover Living Expenses

• Fulbright Foreign Student Program: For master’s or PhD. Covers tuition, health insurance, travel, and a monthly stipend that usually meets basic living costs.
• Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship: For students from specific developing countries in approved master’s programs. Covers tuition, travel, and a monthly allowance.
• University of Michigan–African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS): Fully funded research residency for early‑career scholars from Africa; provides stipend, housing, and health insurance.
• Harvard (various schools): Many master’s and PhD offers include full tuition and a living stipend. Funding is part of the admission package.
• MIT, Stanford, Yale, Princeton PhD funding: Nearly all PhD offers include a stipend that pays rent, food, and insurance.
• Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, and a few other liberal arts colleges: Offer need‑based packages for undergrads that can include housing, meals, insurance, and small personal allowances.

How These Awards Work

Coverage: Full tuition plus a fixed monthly amount for rent and food. Universities typically pay the stipend through campus payroll, so a US bank account is required after arrival.

Eligibility: Usually requires strong academics, English proficiency, and proof of returning home after studies for government programs. University programs focus mainly on academic strength.

Competition: Extremely high. Most students rely on a mix of campus scholarships, on‑campus jobs, and personal funding because fully funded awards are rare.

Realistic next step: Identify a field of study and target universities where full funding is standard for that program (especially PhD and some master’s). Check each school’s “Funding” page; if it says “all admitted students receive full support,” that means living expenses are included.