Application Process
International Students

Students holding only the following Visas are NOT eligible for any federal, state, or institutional financial aid:

• Student Visas (F1 or F2).
• Exchange Visitor Visas (J1 or J2).
• G-Series Visas (international organizations).
• Non-citizens with only I-688A or I-688B Cards.
• Non-citizens with only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464).
• Non-citizens with only Family Unity Status (Form I-797).

To be considered for federal, state, and/or institutional aid, students must be at least one of the following:*

• United States citizen (native-born or naturalized).
• U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain's Island).
• U.S. permanent resident. Must have an I-151, I-551, or I-551C (Alien Registration Receipt Card), or a Passport or an I-94 Form with a stamp indicating I-551 status.
• Eligible Non-citizen with an INS Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) Form with one of the following designations:
  • "Refugee"
  • "Indefinite Parole" and/or "Humanitarian Parole"
  • "Asylum Granted"
  • "Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending,"
  • "Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before 4/1/1980).
• Temporary Resident with an I-688 Card.

*Federal, state, and institutional aid includes: Federal Perkins, Stafford and PLUS Loans, Federal Pell and SEOG Grants, Federal Work-Study, all grants and scholarships administered by the Maryland State Scholarship Administration, UM and Frederick Douglass Grants, and Banneker/Key, Deans, Full University, Presidents, Regents, and UM Scholarships. These aid programs also have additional eligibility requirements.

Student Loans for International Students

International students with a F1 or J1 visa cannot use these funds for issuance of an I-20 or DS-219.

Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships for International Graduate Students

International graduate students are eligible to apply for all graduate assistantships and most graduate fellowships (depending on the source of the fellowship funds). Graduate Assistantships provide graduate students with the opportunity to provide teaching, research, or other work for the university in return for pay and tuition waivers. Fellowships provide exceptional students with tuition waivers and a living stipend. To inquire about available assistantships, students should contact individual academic and administrative departments and the Career Center at 301-314-7225. To inquire about fellowships, students should contact the Fellowship Information Office at 301-405-4207.

Other Sources of Financial Aid

The eligibility requirements described above apply only to federal, state, and institutional funds. While these are the primary sources of financial aid, they are not the only sources of financial aid. Some academic departments and many organizations outside of the University of Maryland offer privately endowed scholarship funds. Ask your academic department if they have any departmental scholarships for which international students may apply. For additional information about Financial Aid for International Students, please see the International Student section of the Financial Aid Information Page on the internet at www.finaid.org.

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If you are eligible to receive Federal Aid, please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
For more information on international students, visit International Education Services.