Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships 2027-2028 in USA | How to Apply

Iowa State University offers International Merit Scholarships to both first-year and transfer international students for the 2027-2028 scholarship year. These are renewable, partial-tuition awards, not full scholarships, and they range from $2,000 a year up to a total of $40,000 over your degree, depending on your award level and entry type. First-year applicants are reviewed on SAT/ACT scores and high school grades; transfer applicants are reviewed on their college record plus achievements in areas like math, science, the arts, leadership, or entrepreneurship.

You apply through Iowa State’s OneApp portal, which opens on September 15, 2026 for this scholarship year, and deadlines differ by term and by whether you’re entering as a first-year or transfer student.

Below is the full breakdown: exact award amounts, every deadline, the eligibility rules for each track, and the renewal conditions that keep your funding active each semester.

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Summary of the Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships 2027-2028

About the International Merit Scholarships 2027-2028

Iowa State University was founded in 1858 in Ames, Iowa, as one of the country’s original land-grant institutions, and it carries the Carnegie Classification of R1: Doctoral Universities with Very High Research Activity. The university placed 449th in the QS World University Rankings 2026, an improvement from 470th the year before, and offers more than 100 undergraduate majors across colleges including Engineering, Business, Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Design.

International Merit Scholarships sit inside a wider scholarship system run through Iowa State’s OneApp portal, which the Office of Student Financial Aid, academic colleges, and other campus units all use to select recipients. Before this scholarship becomes relevant to you, you’ll need to go through Iowa State’s standard international admissions process:

• International First-Year Requirements
• International Transfer Requirements
• English Proficiency Requirement
• Admitted International Undergraduate Students

Iowa State also runs a separate International Student Excellence Award, though the university is explicit that this cannot be combined with the International Merit Scholarship covered in this guide.

What the Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships 2027-2028 Cover

This is a partial, renewable scholarship, not a package that covers your full cost of attendance. The amount and duration depend on which track you enter through:

First-year students

• Award of Achievement — up to $40,000 total, paid as $5,000 to $10,000 per year
• Award of Distinction — up to $16,000 total, paid as $2,000 to $4,000 per year
• Funding runs for a maximum of 8 semesters or until you finish your degree, whichever happens first

Transfer students

• Award of Achievement — up to $20,000 total, paid as $5,000 to $8,000 per year
• Award of Distinction — up to $10,000 total, paid as $2,000 to $4,000 per year
• Funding runs for a maximum of 5 semesters (2.5 years) or until you finish your degree, whichever happens first

The funds apply only to undergraduate tuition and fees, not to housing, meals, books, or other living costs. If you’re admitted but not selected for an International Merit Scholarship, your academic college or department may still offer separate scholarships through the same OneApp system, so check the additional Iowa State scholarships page once you’ve applied.

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Eligibility Requirements for the Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships 2027-2028

For first-year applicants, you must:

• Have an offer of admission to Iowa State as an international first-year student
• Be assessed international tuition rates
• Accept your offer of admission by May 1 for fall entry, or December 15 for spring entry

For transfer applicants, you must:

• Have an offer of admission to Iowa State as an international transfer student
• Be assessed international tuition rates
• Hold a cumulative GPA equivalent to at least 3.0 out of 4.0 (a B average)
• Accept your offer of admission by May 1 for fall entry, or December 15 for spring entry

Selection is competitive at both levels. First-year decisions come from a holistic review of your SAT or ACT scores and high school grades, detailed on Iowa State’s International First-Year Requirements page. Transfer decisions weigh your academic record alongside achievements in math, science, the arts, leadership, community service, innovation, or entrepreneurship, detailed on the International Transfer Requirements page.

Once you hold the scholarship, you keep it by maintaining a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, staying enrolled in at least 12 credits per semester (excluding summer), and remaining classified as an international student. Iowa State checks this every renewal cycle, not just at the point of award.

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Required Steps for the Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships 2027-2028

There is no separate scholarship form to download. Instead:

1. Submit Iowa State’s general undergraduate application and receive your admission decision first. Scholarship consideration only opens up once you have an offer of admission at international tuition rates.
2. Confirm your English Proficiency Requirement status, if applicable, since this affects when your file is considered complete.
3. Log in to OneApp and complete the General Application section first.
4. Inside OneApp, go to Opportunities, then Recommended, and select the International Student Admissions Scholarship Application for your specific entry term.
5. Submit before the priority deadline if you want the strongest chance at the larger award tier; the final deadline is a hard cutoff, not a second priority round.

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A detail worth knowing before you submit: OneApp does not auto-save your work, so save manually as you go, and the system logs you out after 30 minutes of inactivity. If you haven’t saved before that timeout, whatever you typed since your last save is lost.

How to Apply for the Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships 2027-2028

1. Apply for undergraduate admission to Iowa State as an international first-year or transfer student through Iowa State’s main application.
2. Wait for your admission decision and confirm you are being assessed international tuition rates.
3. Once OneApp opens on September 15, 2026 for the 2027-2028 scholarship year, log in through the OneApp scholarship portal.
4. Complete the General Application inside OneApp, then add the International Student Admissions Scholarship Application under Opportunities > Recommended for your term.
5. Submit by your track’s priority or final deadline, whichever you’re aiming for.
6. Accept your offer of admission by May 1 for fall entry or December 15 for spring entry — this is a separate step from submitting the scholarship application, and missing it can affect your eligibility.
7. Selection committees, which include the Office of Student Financial Aid along with academic colleges and departments, review applications using the data already in your OneApp file as of when they begin reading, so update anything that’s changed before that review period starts.

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Application Deadlines

• For fall entry as a first-year student: priority deadline February 15, final deadline May 1.
• For fall entry as a transfer student: priority deadline March 1, final deadline June 30.
• For spring entry at either level: priority deadline November 15, final deadline December 15.

OneApp opens September 15, 2026, for the 2027-2028 scholarship year. Iowa State doesn’t publish a specific clock time for these dates, and the portal itself only stays logged in for 30 minutes of inactivity, so don’t wait until the final hours of a deadline day to start your submission.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Iowa State International Merit Scholarship fully funded?
No. It’s a partial, renewable award worth between $2,000 and $10,000 per year, applied only to tuition and fees. It does not cover housing, food, books, or other living expenses.

Can Nigerian or other African students apply for the Iowa State International Merit Scholarship?
Yes. The scholarship is open to any international student admitted at international tuition rates, with no country restriction listed on the official page.

What GPA do I need for the Iowa State International Merit Scholarship?
First-year applicants are reviewed on SAT/ACT scores and high school grades rather than a fixed GPA cutoff. Transfer applicants need a cumulative GPA equivalent to at least 3.0 out of 4.0. Everyone must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA at Iowa State to keep the award each semester.

When does the OneApp portal open for the 2027-2028 scholarship year?
September 15, 2026. Deadlines vary by term and applicant type, so log in as soon as the portal opens rather than waiting for your specific deadline to approach.

How competitive is the Iowa State International Merit Scholarship?
Iowa State describes selection as highly competitive for first-year applicants and based on a holistic review for transfer applicants. The university does not publish a fixed acceptance rate or number of awards given per cycle.

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Can I combine the International Merit Scholarship with other Iowa State scholarships?
Iowa State states that academic colleges and departments offer further scholarships through OneApp that can be combined with the awards covered here, though some scholarships, such as the International Student Excellence Award, cannot be combined with the International Merit Scholarship. Check each opportunity’s combination rules inside OneApp before assuming they stack.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria were verified from the official Iowa State University website as of June 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official source before submitting your application.

Official Application Portal