The program provides financial assistance to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents and intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career while pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral studies in the United States.
A limited number of awards are available to Graduate Women International members for study outside the United States (excluding the applicant’s home country) (see the list of GWI affiliates). Graduate and postgraduate studies at accredited institutions in the United States are both supported.
By the application deadline, applicants must have earned the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in the United States and must have applied to their proposed institutions of study. Recipients are chosen for their academic achievements as well as their demonstrated commitment to women and girls.
Recipients return home to become leaders in business, government, academia, community activism, the arts, or science.
Scholarship Benefits
- $20,000 for a master’s/first professional degree
- Doctoral degree: $25,000
- $50,000 for postdoctoral research.
Eligibility
- Have citizenship in a country other than the United States, or be in possession of a nonimmigrant visa if residing in the United States. Women who are currently or expect to be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or dual citizen of the United States and another country are not eligible.
- Hold an academic degree (earned in the United States or abroad) equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in the United States by November 15, 2022.
- During the fellowship year, they intend to devote themselves entirely to the proposed academic plan.
- After finishing their studies, they intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career.
- Be fluent in English and demonstrate proficiency by submitting one of the Required Components (listed below), which may include certain English proficiency exams, transcripts from English-speaking institutions, or a written statement confirming English is the applicant’s native language. Applicants who plan to take one of the accepted English proficiency exams should do so as soon as possible. Please direct any test-related inquiries to the test provider.
- Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral applicants must have applied to an accredited institution of study for the fellowship year by November 15, 2022, and must include the name of the institution in the International Fellowship application. While acceptance is not required at the time of application, fellows must include official institutional confirmation with their award acceptance materials.
- Fellowships for master’s or professional degree programs such as J.D., M.F.A., L.L.M., M.Arch., or medical degrees such as M.D., D.D.S., etc. are available. Certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees are not eligible.
- Doctoral fellowships are designed for doctorates classified as research degrees, such as the Ph.D. or Ed.D.
- Postdoctoral applicants must provide proof of their doctorate degree; hold a doctorate classified as a research degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., D.M.) or an M.F.A. by November 15, 2022; and indicate where their research will be conducted.
- Master’s/first professional degree applicants and doctoral candidates must be enrolled in a U.S. accredited institution in the United States during the fellowship year.
- Graduate Women International members are eligible for a limited number of awards for study or research in countries other than their own. It should be noted that foreign branches of US institutions are considered outside the US.
- Applicants may apply for the fellowship during any year of their program, but they must be enrolled in a full year of study or research. International Fellowships do not cover the cost of a single semester of study or research. Programs that end before April of the fellowship year are ineligible.
- Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral fellowships support traditional classroom-based courses of study at colleges or universities through distance learning/online programs. This fellowship program does not fund distance-learning or online programs, or degrees that rely heavily on distance-learning components. AAUW will make the final decision on what constitutes distance learning under these fellowships. AAUW will accept applications from applicants who are temporarily studying remotely at their institution due to COVID-19 precautions.
Application Criteria
- Applicants who are currently residing in their home country, from developing/emerging countries, or from an underrepresented group in any region will be given special consideration.
- Return to home country position
- Academic and/or professional credentials
- Demonstrated dedication to the advancement of women and girls in one’s own country.
- Timetable proposed.
- The proposed study or research plan’s quality and feasibility.
- Evidence of prior community and/or civic service in one’s home country.
- The need for specialized knowledge or skill in the applicant’s country.
- Financial necessity
- Motivation for pursuing graduate studies or research.
Required Documents
Provide three recommendations from professors or professional colleagues well acquainted with the applicant, their work, and their academic background, in striving towards scholarly pursuits.
When possible, recommenders should be professors or professional colleagues in the applicant’s home country who can speak about the applicant’s qualifications and about the country’s need for the specialized skill or knowledge they plan to acquire with their proposed study or research. AAUW does not accept references from dossier services, such as Parment or Interfolio.
Documents
Proof of highest degree: Upload transcripts** from the college or university where the highest degree (not a certificate) was obtained. Highest degree must be at least a bachelor’s degree (must be earned on or before November 15, 2022).
Transcripts** must include a list of courses taken and grades received.
If the institution does not provide a transcript or a list of courses taken and grades received or the degree did not require coursework, an official letter from the institution where the degree was received that includes the degree completion date must be uploaded.
Do not upload copies of additional certificates or other documents the applicant may have received during their education.
Proof of current enrollment (currently enrolled applicants only): Upload transcripts*/lists of courses/institution letters from the college or university in which the applicant is currently enrolled, if enrolled. Transcripts must include a list of courses taken and grades received. Many transcripts do not include current coursework. If fall 2022 semester grades are not available and are not on your transcript, a list of courses taken that semester must be provided by the institution’s Office of the Registrar. If the institution does not provide a transcript or a list of courses taken and grades received or the degree did not require coursework, an official letter from the institution where the degree was received that includes the degree completion date must be uploaded.
Proof of a doctorate or M.F.A. degree (postdoctoral applicants only): Upload any one of the following:
Transcript showing degree and date received (must be on or before November 15, 2022).
Official letter from institution where degree was received that includes the degree completion date.
Copy of diploma showing date degree was received (must be on or before November 15, 2022).
Proof of English proficiency: Upload one of the following:
Official report of an acceptable and valid TOEFL or IELTS score. Scores are valid for two years. Institutional TOEFL scores and other English proficiency test scores will not be accepted.
Minimum acceptable scores are as follows:
TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test): 79
TOEFL Essentials: 8.5
Revised TOEFL Paper-Delivered Test: 60
IELTS: 6.5
Written statement verifying the applicant’s native language is English.
Academic transcript or diploma confirming one of the following:
Secondary diploma or undergraduate degree is from an English-speaking institution.
One semester of full-time study in the applicant’s discipline at an English-speaking institution between November 2020 and November 2022.
*A certified English translation is required for all components provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.
**All transcripts provided must include the applicant’s full name, the school’s name, all courses, and all grades, as well as any other information requested in the application instructions.
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