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Top Fully Funded PhD Scholarships / Funding Opportunities in the USA (2026)
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program
- Covers: Tuition, stipend, health insurance, and travel for graduate-level study (including PhD) in U.S. universities. travul.org+1
- Open to international students from many countries. travul.org
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford University)
- AAUW International Fellowships
- Offered by the American Association of University Women. Eduloaded.com
- Designed for women from around the world pursuing full-time graduate or doctoral programs. Eduloaded.com
- Covers tuition, living costs, and research expenses. Eduloaded.com
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
- Designed for students in STEM and social sciences. Wikipedia
- Provides a multi-year stipend + tuition support for PhD students. Wikipedia
- Note: Mostly for U.S. citizens or permanent residents, not always available for international students. Leaving Nigeria
- SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program
- Provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. UScholarships
- Fully funds tuition, provides a stipend, and includes work obligation with DoD after graduation. UScholarships
- University of Missouri – Biology Graduate School
- 30 fully funded PhD positions for 2026 in its Biology PhD program. UScholarships+1
- These typically include stipend, tuition waiver, and research funding. ScholarshipTab
- University of Idaho PhD Graduate Research Assistantship
- Funded PhD assistantship in Veterinary Science / Animal Sciences. ScholarshipTab
- Usually covers tuition plus a stipend for research teaching duties. ScholarshipTab
- Yale University Graduate Fellowships
- Yale provides many fully funded PhD offers. travul.org+1
- Typically includes tuition, health insurance, and a living stipend via assistantships or fellowships. travul.org
Other Notes / Tips
- Assistantships (RA/TA): Many U.S. PhD programs offer Research Assistant (RA) or Teaching Assistant (TA) positions that cover tuition + stipend. Look for “fully funded PhD + RA/TA” in university program listings.
- Application Deadlines: Vary by scholarship program and university — check often.
- Eligibility: Some programs are only for U.S. citizens/permanent residents (e.g., NSF GRFP), while others are open to international students (Fulbright, Knight-Hennessy).
- Documents: You’ll likely need a research proposal, recommendation letters, CV, transcripts, and standardized test scores (GRE, TOEFL, etc.).
- Funding Duration: A fully funded PhD typically covers 4–6 years, but this depends on university, department, and discipline.
