International Student Scholarship (Out-of-State Tuition Waiver) for qualified international undergraduate students who maintain F1 and J1 non-immigrant visa status while in the United States.

**Special Note for ELI Students**: Students who finish level six at the ELI at Valdosta State University have priority in the waiver awards process.

What It Is

The financial aid possibilities for international students are quite limited. Most grants, scholarships, and loans from public and private sources are restricted to US citizens and permanent residents.  Valdosta State University is pleased to be able to award International Student Scholarships (ISS) or, strictly speaking,  “out-of-state tuition waivers” to qualified international undergraduate students who maintain F1 and J1 non-immigrant visa status while in the United States. The International Student Scholarship (ISS) is a full waiver of the out-of-state portion of tuition and allows international undergraduate students to pay in-state tuition and fees. The criteria for this competitive award include, but are not limited to a high school diploma or academic transcript with GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 or equivalent, and an essay presenting applicants’ achievements and goals. The International Student Scholarship Committee has discretion over the limited number of such scholarships. The final selection is made after a review on a case by case basis every semester.

  • Students who receive this award will be allowed to pay tuition at the in-state rate, instead of the out-of-state tuition rate
  • Scholarship recipients will be notified once the Scholarship Commitee has made its decision.
  • The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of demonstrated academic ability, evidence of extracurricular involvement, and financial need.
  • Once a student has received the scholarship, it will be renewed each semester of the degree program as long as the student meets both academic and service requirements and maintains appropriate immigration status.

Application Requirements

  1. Submit a completed International Student Scholarship Application packet by the deadline
Application Form
Personal Statement/Essay
Recommendation Letter
2.  Applications will need to be submitted to iss@valdosta.edu
3.  Please be sure to complete your application carefully. Messy and incomplete applications are disqualified.
4.  Note: Many students apply for this scholarship each year. Because a limited number of scholarships is available, you should not depend on receiving the scholarship when you complete your Certificate of Finances.

Maintaining the Scholarship

Academic Requirements
  • Maintain a full academic load of 12 semester credit hours each semester as an undergraduate student.
    • Exceptions: Reduced Course Loads authorized by the International Student Advisor
  • Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0
    • Scholarship recipients' grades will be reviewed each semester. Recipients who fail to maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA will be put on probation for 1 semester. 
    • Scholarship recipients with a GPA of less than 3.0 must show continuous improvement (3.0 or better each semester) while on probation. If a scholarship recipient on probation does not show improvement with their semester GPA, they will lose the waiver and will have to apply again.
  • Maintain immigration status at all times 
    • Obey immigration regulations, university policy, state and local laws
Service Requirements:
  • Mandatory participation each Fall and Spring in service activities such as cultural presentations, serving as SIS officers, assisting with the open house and orientations, etc.
Immigration Requirements
  • Violations of immigration rules and regulations, university policy, or state and local law are grounds for immediate revocation of the scholarship.

NOTE: The scholarship is applicable for all three semesters: Fall, Spring, and Summer only for face-to-face/in-person classes.

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