AAUW Opens $20,000 and $25,000 STEM Fellowships for International Women

AAUW Opens $20,000 and $25,000 STEM Fellowships for International Women

Editor’s summary: Women who are not US citizens or permanent residents can apply for postgraduate STEM support for 2027–28. The application closes at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on 17 September.

UNITED STATES — The American Association of University Women is accepting applications for its 2027–28 International Fellowships, offering $20,000 for a first master’s degree and $25,000 for a first doctoral degree.

The programme is open to women who are neither US citizens nor permanent residents. For this cycle, applicants must be admitted to or enrolled in their first master’s or academic or professional doctorate in a STEM discipline.

Applicants need a bachelor’s-equivalent degree and a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 on a four-point scale for their highest completed degree. Study must generally be full-time at an institution accredited by the US Department of Education.

The programme must begin by 15 September 2027 and continue until at least 30 April 2028. Limited exceptions allow some applicants to study outside the United States, including certain members of Graduate Women International or people affected by a US travel ban; the official rules should be reviewed carefully.

Applications close on 17 September 2026 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Candidates should calculate the deadline in their own time zone rather than assume it ends at local midnight.

Required documents include two recommendations, proof of degrees, transcripts, evidence of admission or enrolment, GPA calculation and proof of English proficiency where applicable. Degree documents issued in other languages require translations, with certified translations required for specified records.

Applicants should register recommenders early. AAUW states that an application is incomplete until recommendations have been submitted, so an applicant’s own early submission will not protect her from a missing reference.

Selection considers academic excellence and a record of empowering women and girls. The review may also consider caregiving responsibilities, experience in a single-parent household and the resources available at the applicant’s institution.

The stipend can support tuition, required educational expenses and living costs, including childcare, subject to the official conditions. Applicants should confirm how an award would interact with university aid, visa evidence and tax obligations.

AAUW has supported international women’s study since 1917, but history does not make selection automatic. Applicants should use specific evidence of research ability, community impact and future plans.

For women preparing STEM applications, the immediate task is practical: secure admission evidence, request recommendations and complete transcript translations before the 17 September deadline.

Deadline: 17 September 2026, 5 p.m. ET.

Award: $20,000 for master’s study; $25,000 for doctoral study.

Source Check: AAUW International Fellowships official page, accessed 28 August 2026; AAUW Fellowships and Grants portal, accessed 28 August 2026.

Image recommendation: Create an original SheFront opportunity card listing the award levels and deadline, credited “Design: SheFront.” Image-page reference: AAUW fellowship page. Do not reproduce AAUW branding without permission.