AAUW International Fellowship Award 2027–28: What You Receive After Tax
$20,000 for a first master’s, $25,000 for a first doctorate, paid to you in two equal instalments. Before you plan your budget, take out U.S. tax withholding and note what the money may not pay for.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The 2027–28 amounts
The official page says: “International Fellowships carry a stipend of $20,000 for a master’s degree and $25,000 for a doctorate degree. Stipends are payable to fellows only and are disbursed in two equal payments at the beginning and the midpoint of the fellowship term.”
| First master’s | First doctorate | |
|---|---|---|
| Stipend | $20,000 | $25,000 |
| Instalment 1 (July–Sept 2027) | $10,000 | $12,500 |
| Instalment 2 (Dec 2027 / Jan 2028) | $10,000 | $12,500 |
| Withholding at 14% | −$2,800 | −$3,500 |
| Paid out after 14% withholding | $17,200 | $21,500 |
| Withholding at 30% | −$6,000 | −$7,500 |
Instalment amounts are half the stipend, as the page states; exact payment dates are given as ranges. Withholding figures are our arithmetic on AAUW’s published rates.
There is no postdoctoral award in the 2027–28 cycle, and the award is not renewable — if your programme lasts several years, the fellowship covers one award year only.
U.S. tax withholding
Fellowships paid to foreign persons spending their fellowship year in the U.S. are taxable, and AAUW is required by law to withhold tax from them. The official rates:
- 14% if you hold an F, J, M or Q visa and related immigration status — or the rate in a tax treaty between your home country and the U.S., if lower.
- 30% for any other immigration status, or if you do not provide a U.S. tax ID (Social Security Number or ITIN).
- No U.S. withholding if you are a foreign person spending your fellowship year outside the U.S.
Foreign persons studying in the U.S. complete Form W-8BEN; AAUW sends a Form 1042-S by 15 March of the following year. The cheapest mistake to avoid is the 30% rate: if you are on an F-1 but have no SSN, apply for an ITIN early so the 14% rate (or your treaty rate) applies. Check the IRS list of U.S. income tax treaties for your country.
Withholding is a prepayment. Depending on your treaty, your tuition and whether part of the stipend counts as a qualified scholarship, you may owe more or get a refund when you file your U.S. return. AAUW says its tax guidance is for information only and is not financial or legal advice; your university’s international office usually runs free tax-filing help each spring.
What the money may not pay for
The official FAQ lists prohibited expenses:
- Research assistants
- Previous expenditures, deficits or repayment of personal loans
- Publication costs
- Institutional (overhead) costs
- Tuition for dependants’ education
Everything else that supports your study and living — your own tuition, rent, food, books, a laptop, conference travel — is not on the prohibited list.
The financial plan is scored
“Strength and feasibility of the financial plan” is one of the selection criteria at both levels. AAUW asks for “a clear and realistic financial plan identifying anticipated educational and research-related expenses, confirmed and pending sources of support, and any remaining funding gap”. In practice that means a one-year budget that adds up.
Tuition and fees from your offer or bursar statement; rent, food, insurance and transport from your university’s official cost-of-attendance page.
Assistantships, tuition waivers, departmental awards, family support — with amounts.
Other applications still open, with decision dates.
What is left after confirmed support, and how $20,000 or $25,000 closes it.
A plan that shows the AAUW stipend closing a real gap is stronger than one where the stipend is a bonus on top of full funding — or one where a $40,000 hole remains with no answer. Neither extreme reads as feasible.
Combining with other funding
The official page does not forbid holding other scholarships or an assistantship at the same time, and its financial-plan criterion assumes you will list other support. What it does exclude is past AAUW fellowship and grant recipients (except Community Action Grants and branch or local awards). If another funder has its own no-stacking rule, that rule still applies to you.
After the award year
Timeline →You submit a mid-year report (December 2027) and a final report by 31 July 2028. Fellows who complete their programme and reporting can later apply for AAUW’s International Project Grants for a community project in their home country.