Cornell University scholarships are mainly offered as need-based grants. The university provides financial assistance to 100% students with demonstrated need. Cornell University has anticipated to provide a total financial support of 365 million USD in need based grants for over 7,000 undergraduate students. The average Cornell University scholarships for undergraduate students is 43,250 USD (35.38 lakhs INR).

While undergraduate students are offered only need-based financial assistance, graduate students are eligible for both need-based assistance and merit-based Cornell University scholarships and fellowships. These include need-based financial aid, merit-based Cornell University scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships. Graduate students availing the need based scholarships do not need to repay this amount.
Also Explore: Cornell University Student Profiles

To study in an ivy-league institution like Cornell University is a big financial commitment for an international student planning to study in USA. At Cornell University, the financial aid system varies as per the level of study, there is no minimum or maximum amout offered. Eligible students are considered on a case-to-case basis without any standard income bracket or cut-off. International students are eligible for several endowments grants through Cornell University scholarships. 

Cornell University Scholarships for UG & PG Students

Cornell University offers the majority of financial assistance through need-based grants. Undergraduate students receive more financial assistance at Cornell University than graduate students. The details of the scholarships for students pursuing undergraduate and graduate programs are as follows:  

Undergraduate Scholarships: The average Cornell University grant offered to a first-year undergraduate student in Class of 2025 is 43,250 USD (35.38 lakhs INR) and the highest grant awarded is 72,800 USD (59.55 lakhs INR). The grant covers almost 50%-90% of tuition and fees.

Graduate Scholarships: Merit-based Cornell University scholarships for graduate students are program-specific and based on admission applications. For instance, international students commencing Cornell Masters of Engineering program are eligible for Knight Scholarship upto 60,000 USD (49.09 lakhs INR) and MEC Scholarship of 10,000 USD (8.18 lakhs INR) per semester for 2 semesters. At the graduate level, students shortlisted for assistantships and fellowships are annually awarded 28,036 USD (22.88 lakhs INR) on average.

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Cornell University Grant

Cornell University grants are offered to financially needful students as determined by the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment. The financial aid comes from multiple sources like university endowments, general fund, and alumni gifts. The significant factors of the Cornell grants are as follows:

• Students are automatically considered for these funds if applied for financial aid
• There is no minimum or maximum limit of grant amount awarded
• There is no standard income bracket or cut-off to be eligible for the grants
• Students are considered for the grant on a case-by-case basis
• The university grants are awarded after work-study, loans and non-university funds.

Cornell University Endowed Scholarships

Students eligible for Cornell University grants can avail a named endowed scholarship. These awards are provide by donors including some Cornell University alumni. Students can build a direct connection with the donors through these awards. A majority of the donors meet or correspond with the recipients of the scholarships. Some of the important factors of the endowed scholarships are as follows:

• Students applying to financial aid are automatically considered for the endowed scholarships
• The scholarships are awarded to those students satisfying the eligibility criteria
• The endowed scholarships does not change the total amount of grant awarded to the student
• The funds awarded through endowed scholarships replaces the amount of award offered by the university grant or any self-help funding like loans, work-study etc on a dollar-by-dollar basis based on fund restrictions
• Selection for the award depends on the student’s match with the criteria of the donor.

Check Out: Scholarships for Indian Students in USA 

Cornell University Scholarship Application

Prospective applicants, seeking need-based financial assistance, are urged to express their requirements at the time of admission to Cornell University. To apply for financial aid, international applicants must complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS) application.

• Cornell University Financial Aid Deadlines:
  • Early Decision: November 1, 2022 (Closed)
  • Regular Decision: January 2, 2023 (Closed)
  • Fall Transfer: March 15, 2023
• Documents Required to complete CSS profile:
  • Tax returns
  • W-2 form/ records of current income
  • Records of untaxed income and benefits
  • Assets and bank statements

Complete your CSS profile with utmost accuracy, any discrepancies will result in rejection of the application.

Cornell University External Scholarships

As observed, international students are offered a limited financial assistance through Cornell University scholarships and bursaries. This stops several meritorious students from seeking admission at Cornell University. To help these students fulfill their dream of getting a Cornell education and degree, various private organizations invest in their education. Over the years, this has led to a significant increase in the number of international students from countries like India, China, Brazil, etc.

Some of the external Cornell University scholarships for Indian students are mentioned in the following table:

Applicants will have to apply for suitable external scholarships before commencing their chosen program at Cornell University. They must remember that each of these scholarships has separate eligibility criteria and selection process.

With Cornell University scholarships and financial aid and external scholarships, international students can definitely pursue their chosen program at this ivy league institution. Cornell University aspirants are encouraged to explore their funding options and apply for an eligible scholarship and financial aid programs.