AAUW International Fellowships FAQ: 16 Answers From the Official Rules
Sixteen questions answered from AAUW’s own 2027–28 page and FAQ: GPA, citizenship, degree level, STEM fields, taxes, visas, renewals and results.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Answers below are rewritten from the official AAUW International Fellowships page and its FAQ, checked on 6 October 2026. If AAUW changes a rule, AAUW wins. For anything not covered, use AAUW’s help centre.
Eligibility and applying
No. The 2027–28 window ran from 17 August 2026 (9:00am ET) to 17 September 2026 (5:00pm ET). Applicants hear in March 2027. The 2028–29 window is expected around mid-August 2027, based on the 2026 pattern.
$20,000 for a first master’s degree and $25,000 for a first doctorate in 2027–28, paid in two equal instalments. There is no postdoctoral award this cycle.
No. Permanent residents and applicants for permanent residency are not eligible, even if they hold another citizenship.
No. AAUW’s FAQ uses this exact example. The minimum is a cumulative 3.5 on a 4.0 scale — on your bachelor’s-equivalent degree for master’s applicants, or your highest degree for doctoral applicants.
Yes. You must be admitted to or enrolled in at least one programme at the time of application. You can list up to five, but you must enrol in one of them if you win.
No. The master’s award is for your first master’s only. You may apply for a first doctorate instead.
Check AAUW’s STEM fields PDF. Psychology, public health and econometrics count only on quantitative or scientific tracks. If your field is not listed, AAUW refers to the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List.
There is no written return pledge in the 2027–28 rules. Reviewers do score how you will serve your home country and/or the community where you live, and living at home when you apply is a tie-breaker. Applicants who cannot return for humanitarian reasons are still considered.
Study, money and after the award
No. Only full-time programmes or research are eligible.
A limited number of awards are available for study in a country other than your own. If that is neither the U.S. nor your home country, you need Graduate Women International membership, unless you are from a U.S. travel-ban country and cannot get a U.S. student visa.
Yes, as long as you stay enrolled full-time and are not away so long that you break the residency rule — usually more than six months.
Yes. AAUW withholds 14% for F, J, M and Q visa holders (or a lower treaty rate), and 30% for other statuses or if you have no U.S. tax ID.
No. International Fellowships are one-time awards.
No. AAUW does not provide visa sponsorship or help with J-1 waivers, but your award letter can be included in your visa application.
Not if it was an AAUW fellowship or grant. Community Action Grants and branch or local AAUW awards do not count against you.
No. AAUW says it cannot honour requests for earlier notification.
Run the eligibility checker, then the document tracker. If you fail a gate, the alternatives page lists programmes with different rules.