Lawrence University Scholarships for International Students: A Comprehensive Guide

Pursuing a high-quality, private, university education in the United States represents a substantial financial investment. Lawrence University, a private liberal arts college established in 1847 in Appleton, Wisconsin, is committed to making this investment accessible to talented students from around the world. To support its diverse student body, Lawrence University provides several scholarships and financial aid opportunities for international students. All admitted students receive a financial aid package with their admission letter, which includes scholarships and any need-based aid.

Understanding Financial Aid at Lawrence University

Lawrence University recognizes that financing higher education is a significant concern for many international students. The university offers a combination of merit-based and need-based financial aid to international students, although it's important to note that full scholarships are not available. These opportunities are competitive, emphasizing the importance of a strong application. Scholarships and financial aid are awarded based on a combination of academic achievements, personal accomplishments, and demonstrated financial need.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

To apply for financial aid, students must indicate their desire to do so on their Common Application and complete the Lawrence University Certification of Finance form. It is crucial to submit the Common Application, Certificate of Finance form, and all required documentation simultaneously. Applicants are automatically considered for financial aid once their application is complete.

After submitting your application for admission, you must complete the Lawrence University Certification of Finance form, available in your application status portal, within five days of your application deadline. No other forms (e.g., CSS Profile) will be accepted as substitutes. Submitting this certification form, along with supporting financial documents, enables our financial aid team to determine your eligibility for additional financial assistance beyond any merit scholarships offered by the university.

The Certification of Finances form is made available within the application status portal after the application for admission is submitted. This form asks questions about family assets and expenses to determine the level of family contribution toward the student's education.

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The deadline for processing the Certificate of Finance for first-year students is February 1. Please note that your initial Certificate of Finance does not need bank signatures or documents.

Types of Scholarships Available

Lawrence University offers a variety of scholarships to international students, including:

International Scholarships

These merit-based awards recognize international students for their academic achievements. We review each application and award merit to students based on their academic achievements. For international students, these merit awards are called International Scholarships.

Academic Merit Scholarships

The Academic Merit Scholarships offer partial funding to undergraduate students, covering up to 50% of tuition fees, awarded based on outstanding academic records. Students are considered for academic scholarships as part of our review of their application for admission. No additional steps are required. Because Lawrence draws students from so many different schools-each with its own unique combination of course offerings, grading systems, and level of competition-you won't find one of those "X GPA + Y ACT/SAT = Z Scholarship" tables here. Class rank, if available. Students who receive a merit scholarship will learn about it at the time they receive their admission decision.

Conservatory Scholarships

For Conservatory of Music (B.Mus., B.M.A., or B.A./B.Mus. Dual Degree) candidates, audition scores are factored into overall merit scholarship consideration. Conservatory students are awarded holistic merit scholarships that consider both musical and academic accomplishments. Scholarships are renewable annually and range up to half tuition. Conservatory applicants are considered for scholarships as part of our review of their completed application for admission and audition. No additional steps are required. Eligibility for merit scholarships will be determined on the quality of your audition along with your academic application qualifications (see Academic Merit Scholarships above).

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Con Brio Award: The Con Brio Award is a one-time $1000 award granted to every student who auditions in person at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music and is subsequently admitted to the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Musical Arts, or Dual Degree. Inspired by the musical term con brio-meaning “with spirit” or “with brilliance”-the name also plays on “Con,” short for Conservatory, celebrating both the artistry and energy students bring to their live audition and the vibrant Conservatory community they’re joining.
Encore Scholarship: The Encore Scholarship is awarded to students who have participated in a Lawrence-affiliated camp, conference, or event and who demonstrate exceptional promise as musicians and community members. This scholarship celebrates the lasting impact of those formative experiences and encourages students to continue their musical journey at Lawrence. Like an encore performance, it represents both recognition of past achievement and enthusiastic anticipation of what comes next. Up to $2,000 per year.
Music Education Scholarship: Students interested in the music education major who wish to be considered for a music education scholarship must either participate in the Music Education Workshop as part of their on-campus audition or request and complete a virtual interview with a music education professor. To be eligible to request an interview, your application for admission must be submitted first. Then, to ensure full consideration, virtual interview requests must be submitted by the following deadlines: Early Decision (ED) and Early Action 1 (EA1): Request by Nov. 6, complete by Nov. 15 Regular Decision (RD): Request by Feb. 2, complete by Feb.
Accompanist Fellowship: Each recipient is granted a one-year $5,000 fellowship, which is renewable each ensuing year based on satisfactory performance as an accompanist. The student pianist provides accompanying services 10 to 12 hours per week in ensembles and individual studios, receiving faculty coaching as needed on accompanying projects.

Canadian Scholars Program

This new scholarship program is designed to identify and recognize talented incoming first-year Canadian students who wish to study in the United States. The Canadian Scholars Program seeks students who have excelled academically and demonstrated leadership in some compelling way in their communities. This leadership may be school-related, service-related, or any other avenue in which the student has invested substantive time.

St. Lawrence University Kenya Scholarship

In an effort to maintain this special relationship with Kenya, we offer two full scholarships to qualifying Kenya students on an annual basis. The scholarship covers tuition, fees, room, and board. Please note that all materials listed above must be submitted directly to the Office of Admissions at St. Lawrence University. The deadline to apply for admission and be considered for the Kenya Scholarship is February 1.

Colleges That Change Lives Scholarship

Lawrence is proud to be a member of the Colleges That Changes Lives consortium. Learn more about the consortium and how to apply for the scholarship. This scholarship provides $1,500 per year.

Transfer Scholarships

Lawrence is committed to supporting all Transfer students in financing their education. All Transfer students are eligible for annually renewable merit scholarships that range from $27,000 to $38,000. There is not a separate application process for scholarships. Students are notified of scholarships with their admission decision. Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members and students who transfer from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh-Fox Cities are eligible for a $35,000 renewable scholarship upon applying to Lawrence University.

Additional Financial Aid Opportunities

Beyond Lawrence University's internal scholarships, international students can explore external funding options.

External Scholarship Resources

High School Guidance/College Counseling Office: A good starting point for high school seniors.
Parents' Employer and Community Organizations: Check for potential scholarship opportunities.
Global Scholarships: Hi! I am Hyun, and I am the founder at Global Scholarships. I've received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College and a $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for my undergraduate degree and was offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. You can read more about my scholarship journey here.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship: citizens who wish to study abroad. Students attending programs world-wide may apply but some preference is given to applications for programs outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Applicants must be Federal Pell Grant recipients. If you are unsure if you are a Pell Grant recipient, please contact the Financial Aid Office. This competitive scholarship provides up to $5,000 for a semester or year abroad. Two application cycles per year; applications due March and October.
The Fund for Education Abroad: The Fund for Education Abroad aims to increase opportunities for American students to participate in rigorous study abroad programs promoting cultural immersion. Preference is given to support students who demonstrate financial need, represent a group that is traditionally underrepresented in education abroad, will be participating in a program in a non-traditional destination, and/or will be studying the language of the host country. Awards are made in amounts up to $10,000 for an academic year and up to $5,000 for a semester program. The application for Summer, Fall, and Academic Year 2025-2026 programs is accepting applications until 12pm (noon) Eastern Time on February 5, 2025.
AASAP/UK Lord Acton Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship for study abroad in the UK is worth £1000 for a term, semester or an academic year. It is a merit-based scholarship through the Association of American Study Abroad Programmes in the UK (AASAP-UK) of which Lawrence is a member. Lord Acton was AASAP-UK’s first Honorary President. His professional career included work as a banker, barrister, human rights campaigner, writer, and politician. He sat in the House of Lords as both a life and hereditary peer on the Labour benches. He was a champion of international educational and cultural exchange, and offered invaluable assistance and guidance to AASAP-UK. Further application information, deadlines and additional award information is available at the AASAP/UK Lord Acton Memorial Scholarship page.
Freeman-ASIA: citizens and permanent residents with first-hand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its peoples and cultures. From the program's inception in 2001, Freeman-ASIA has supported 4,600 undergraduates from more than 600 institutions to study abroad in East and Southeast Asia. Awards are up to $5,000 for a semester program and up to $7,000 for an academic year. The application for 2024-2025 is now closed.
The American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ) Bridging Project: The American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ) Bridging Project offers scholarships to American students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan. corporations has made it possible for AATJ to award 100 scholarships annually to assist students with the travel and living expenses they will incur while studying abroad in Japan for a semester or an academic year. Bridging Scholarship recipients receive a stipend of $2,500 (for students on semester-long programs) or $4,500 (for students on academic year programs).
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): DAAD is the German national agency for the support of international academic cooperation. They offer programs and funding for students and others in higher education studying in Germany.
Boren Scholarships: interests (including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America & the Caribbean, and the Middle East) but generally underrepresented in study abroad (therefore, Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded). NSEP was designed to provide Americans with the resources and encouragement they need to acquire skills and experiences in areas of the world critical to the future security of the US. The 2025-2026 Boren Scholarship application is now open.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

Ted Cloak Century Scholarship: The Ted Cloak Century Scholarship recognizes young theatre makers that who will fill the 21st Century with innovative, collaborative, clear, and nuanced productions that warm the hearts and challenge the minds of generations to come. (up to $2,000 per year).
National Merit Scholarship: National Merit Finalists who have designated Lawrence University as their first choice are eligible for this scholarship. National Merit Finalists who report Lawrence as their first choice by May 1st will be included in the group of students referred to Lawrence for National Merit Scholarship consideration.
Wisconsin State Excellence Award: Wisconsin students who are selected to receive the Wisconsin State Excellence Award will receive a state-sponsored scholarship of that will be matched by Lawrence.
Hilton Cares Scholarship Program: The Hilton Cares scholarship program is available to students enrolled in their final year of high school or secondary school as well as those who are enrolled or plan to enroll in post-secondary, undergraduate, graduate or professional studies programs at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational technical institutions or CEGEP institutions (or equivalent) for the entire upcoming academic year. Those who are enrolled or plan to enroll in certification programs that are organized through an accredited institution and that run on a standard academic semester calendar. Citizen, permanent legal resident, or DACA. Student must have minimum 3.0 GPA (on 4.0 scale) for high school students, and minimum 2.5 GPA for college students. (up to $5,000).
Wisconsin Garden Club Federation: Della H. Applicants must be an undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college/university having completed at least 1 semester of classes. All applicants must be enrolled in a curriculum that will enable them to pursue a career in a non-medical related field and have a 3.0 or higher GPA.
Col. Harold L. All scholarships are open to junior, senior, and post-graduate level students with declared majors related to WCSWMA's mission, and that are enrolled full-time at accredited Wisconsin universities or colleges. Scholarships may be used to offset the cost of credit courses, books, laboratory supplies, computer supplies, electronic devices and living expenses.

Eligibility Criteria for Some Scholarship

Seeking or enrolled at an institution of higher education in the United States, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Must be a legal resident of the United States, at least 18 years of age or older at the time of the application deadline, enrolled at least part-time at an accredited college or university.
Graduating high school students and current college students of all levels (undergraduate, graduate and PhD) and of Iranian descent regardless of citizenship or country of residency.
Open to students of all majors, must be at least 17 years old at the time of application.
Graduating high school seniors from a public or parochial high school in Calumet, Outagamie or Winnebago counties who are planning to pursue post-secondary education at an accredited college, university or technical college.
Must be interested in pursuing a career in the aerospace field, be a rising junior or senior working towards a bachelor’s degree in engineering, math or science.

Important Considerations

Guaranteed Renewal: Once awarded, your scholarship and financial aid are guaranteed and will be renewed annually at the same level through graduation.
Competitive Awards: Merit and need-based financial aid for international students are very competitive.
Deadlines: Pay close attention to application deadlines for both admission and financial aid. The deadline to apply for admission and be considered for the Kenya Scholarship is February 1. The deadline for processing the Certificate of Finance for first-year students is February 1.
No Full Scholarships: Please note that while Lawrence University offers generous international scholarships and grants, full scholarships are not available.
Student Employment: A small number of student employment opportunities are available to international students.
Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars Program: Lawrence is a proud member of the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars Program. The University has a firm commitment to the Davis Program and is committed to meeting 100 percent of the demonstrated need of any matriculated UWC student.

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