Office of Student Financial Aid

International Student Scholarships

More than 90% of UToledo international undergraduates receive scholarships or special tuition rates.

Types of Scholarships

UToledo Scholarships

New undergraduate international students are eligible for merit-based scholarships at UToledo. These are scholarships based on your academic performance.

Donor Scholarships

Generous donors provide hundreds of scholarships. Many of the scholarships are specific to certain colleges and majors. Donors decide the eligibility criteria.

Outside Scholarships

These are scholarships you receive from non-UToledo sources:

  • Banks and credit unions
  • Employers
  • Churches
  • Civic groups

Special Scholarships

Emergency funds. You can apply for additional aid if you experience a financial emergency. All you need to do is fill out a Rocket Aid application.

Office of Competitive Fellowships. We can help you apply for fellowships and prestigious scholarships like the Rhodes and Fulbright.

Study abroad. Learn about a variety of ways to fund a study abroad experience.


How to Find Scholarships

Merit scholarships and out-of-state aid 

 Are you a first-time, international freshman with a GPA of 3.5 or higher? You qualify for the International Scholar Tuition Rate — in-state tuition, with an additional fee of $100 a semester. (In-state tuition and fees averaged $11,356 for the 2021-22 academic year.) You won't have to pay the surcharge that most students who live outside of Ohio are charged. That saves you about $9,160 a year! 

 Are you a new international freshman or transfer student with a cumulative higher education GPA of 3.0-3.49 at time of admission? You are automatically considered for a $7,500 per year International Rocket Award when you apply to UToledo. This is a merit scholarship based on your GPA. No other application necessary! If you qualify, you get the scholarship when you are admitted to UToledo. Learn more about the International Rocket Award.

Are you a new international transfer student with a cumulative higher education GPA of 3.5 or higher at time of admission? You are automatically considered for an $8,500 per year International Rocket Award when you apply to UToledo. This is a merit scholarship based on your GPA. No other application necessary! If you qualify, you get the scholarship when you are admitted to UToledo. Learn more about the International Rocket Award.

Are you from one of the Toledo Sister Cities/Regions? You qualify for in-state tuition, with an additional fee of $100 a semester. In-state tuition and fees averaged $11,356 for the 2021-22 academic year.

Scholarship database

Search our database for donor scholarships and scholarships offered by your program or department. You can customize searches using a variety of criteria, review scholarship eligibility requirements and access applications.

 You are not eligible for any scholarship that requires a FAFSA (that’s an application for federal financial aid only available to United States citizens and eligible non-citizens). To filter out those scholarships in your search, click on “Need Based” in the box that says “Do not show these types of scholarships.”

Outside scholarship resources

Take advantage of institutions you or your parents do business with or organizations you may belong to. Many offer scholarships to members or their children.

  • Your bank or credit union
  • Employers
  • Churches
  • Civic groups

We also recommend the following websites:

NOTE: Scholarship applications should never require a fee. 


How to apply for scholarships

Merit Scholarships

  • No separate application necessary
  • If you qualify, you are automatically awarded a merit scholarship when you apply for admission to UToledo.

Donor scholarships

When you search the UToledo scholarship database, you’ll be given links to scholarships for which you may be eligible. Follow the directions for the easiest ways to apply.

Be sure to fill out the general application for the college you’re entering. This general application allows you to apply for many scholarships at once.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Pay attention to the deadlines. They vary by scholarship.
  • Fulfill all the requirements as directed for the scholarship. Each scholarship has its own requirements and may include:
    • Recommendations from teachers, employers, etc. Be sure to ask people well ahead of the scholarship deadline to fill out an online Scholarship Recommendation Form. If you need a recommendation for more than one scholarship, they’ll have to fill out a separate recommendation form for each scholarship.
    • Essays. Writing a good scholarship essay is an art. See our helpful tips before writing yours.

Timeline

  • October: Scholarship applications open.
  • February-March: Deadlines for most scholarship applications. NOTE: Deadlines vary. Doublecheck the dates in the scholarship database.
  • June 1: Most donor scholarships are awarded by June 1.

How Scholarships are awarded and paid

How do I know if I earned a scholarship?

  • Merit scholarships are awarded automatically if you qualify when you apply for admission to UToledo.
  • Merit scholarships and donor scholarships also are listed in myUT. To view your aid package:
    Go to myUT → Student tab → My Financial Aid → My Financial Aid Dashboard → Award Offer
  • Most recipients of UToledo donor scholarships will receive notification of their awards by June 1. As additional funds become available, scholarships may be periodically re-awarded throughout the school year. Notifications may occur at any time, so be sure to regularly check your Rocket email account.

    Scholarship funds are used to pay tuition and other charges on your account.

TIP: It’s always good form to send a thank you note to a scholarship donor. We’ll email you if you received a donor scholarship and remind you to fill out an online Thank You Form. You submit the form. We make sure your thank you note gets to the donor.

Outside scholarships

If you receive scholarships from a source other than The University of Toledo, follow these steps to make sure the funds are credited to your account:

  • Notify the Office of Student Financial Aid of any outside scholarships you expect to receive. There is no deadline for this step. But the earlier you let us know, the better.
    • Make a copy of your award letter from each scholarship sponsor. Include your name, Rocket number and the amount awarded.
    • Email it to FinancialAidScholarship@utoledo.edu or mail it to The University of Toledo Scholarship Services, Mail Stop 314, 2801 W. Bancroft St, Toledo, OH 43606.
  • Ask sponsors to send all scholarship checks to Scholarships Services at The University of Toledo Scholarship Services, Mail Stop 314, 2801 W. Bancroft St, Toledo, OH 43606. Your name and Rocket number and/or birthday should be recorded on each check or included on an attached letter. This will help us apply the funds to your correct account in a timely manner.

    Scholarship checks may also be submitted in person at Rocket Solution Central in Rocket Hall, Room 1200.

    If the check is made out to you and The University of Toledo, you must endorse the check in order for us to apply it to your account.

    If the check is made payable to you, it is your responsibility to notify the Office of Student Financial Aid that you received the scholarship money and to use it to pay any outstanding balance on your student account, before using it toward additional costs.
  • Outside scholarship checks are deposited and applied to student accounts weekly, or more frequently during peak times. You can view updates to your financial aid through myUT.
    Go to myUT → Student tab → My Financial Aid → My Financial Aid Dashboard → Award Offer

    Unless we receive specific instructions from you or the sponsor, scholarships of less than $500 will be applied in full to your fall semester; scholarships of $500 or more will be divided evenly between fall and spring semesters.

    We list scholarships as refundable if:
    • The accompanying documentation states the funds can be used for supplies or room and board
    • No instructions are included with the scholarship check

     The scholarship will be marked as nonrefundable if the donor states the check is to be:

    • Used for tuition only
    • Used for tuition and books
    • Returned if there are any unused funds

      For non-refundable scholarships that may be used for books in addition to student account charges (tuition/general fee), donors must designate a specific dollar amount to be transferred to the student’s Rocket card for use at the book store. The remainder will be applied to the student’s University charges.
  • My donor needs verification that I am enrolled at UToledo.
    Many donors just need a copy of your UToledo bill or class schedule. Or you can get official enrollment verification through the Office of the Registrar.

How to maintain scholarships

  • Most scholarships automatically renew as long as you meet the renewal requirements. Many require you to maintain a specific GPA and earn a specific number of credit hours each year.
  • Make sure you review your scholarships’ terms and conditions here. Terms and conditions vary from scholarship to scholarship.
  • If you don’t fulfill your responsibilities as listed in the terms and conditions, you may lose all or a portion of your scholarships.

Scholarships Frequently Asked Questions

Have Questions?

Ask Rocket Solution Central.

Rocket Solution Central — or RSC — is your one-stop answer shop for financial aid questions.

Call 419.530.8700
Monday - Wednesday and Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Visit 1200 Rocket Hall
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

No need to wait in line. Register through Rocket Q ahead of time or when you arrive. You'll receive wait-time updates and be notified when it's your turn.

Register by texting "University of Toledo" to 419.419.3430 or by entering your information online.

Financial Wellness

We could all use some help managing our money ― whether you’re a high school student, undergraduate or upperclassman ready to graduate.

UToledo's financial wellness team offers workshops, presentations and tools to help you improve your money management skills. You can even schedule an appointment with our counselor to discuss your personal financial plan.

  • How to pay for college
  • Managing student loans
  • Making a budget
  • And more
Financial Wellness Services
Last Updated: 2/21/23