International Student Scholarships

The Invitation to Idaho is a tuition waiver for qualified new, first-time freshmen and transfer students pursuing their first bachelor’s degree in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 who meet the specific criteria listed below. The waiver results in savings of nearly $16,000 for the 25-26 academic year.

Non-resident students will notice a full in-state and non-resident charge for applicable tuition and fees each semester. Once a student is enrolled full-time, they will see their waiver applied towards their billing statement each semester. Fall term bills will be sent via email in late July, annually; spring term bills will be sent via email on or around January 2, annually.

To be eligible you must:

• Be a resident of a non-WUE state or an international student
• Be a new, first-time freshman admitted to University of Idaho
• Be pursuing your first bachelor's degree
• Have an incoming GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Be enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 credits)

There is no separate application for the Invitation to Idaho waiver. If you meet the requirements, you are automatically eligible to receive the waiver when you apply for admission to the university. Also, there is no deadline for completing the admission application.

• The waiver is renewable for up to four years of undergraduate enrollment for first-year recipients with a 2.5 minimum University of Idaho cumulative GPA.
• For transfer students, the award is renewable for up to three additional years, depending on the number of transfer credits, with a minimum University of Idaho GPA of 2.5.

Take advantage of external resources such as non-University of Idaho specific scholarships. It pays to search and apply. Any extra resource you bring in can help pay for the great education offered at the U of I.

Although you are automatically considered for any university-based scholarships for which you are eligible, we highly recommend that you consider additional sources of funding. Speak with your guidance counselor and check with family employers, credit unions, churches and other community organizations to see if they offer scholarships. Financial aid has a resource center located inside the financial aid office in The Pitman Center. You will find documents relating to other aid options, including a large list of outside scholarships. You may also find some of the following links helpful. 

Looking for Outside Scholarships?  Use ScholarshipUniverse! 

ScholarshipUniverse makes it easier to find scholarships outside the U of I. By answering a few simple questions, you could be matched to a variety of potential scholarships. The Scholarship Universe dashboard also provides a quick and convenient way to keep up with upcoming application deadlines.