A diverse group of graduates in academic gowns throwing their caps in the air.

United States Open for Fall 2026 entry — additional Trustee Scholar essay required by 1 December 2025

BU Trustee Scholarship

The BU Trustee Scholarship is Boston University's most prestigious undergraduate award — full tuition for four years (around USD 70,000 per year, totalling USD 280,000+ or LKR 89 million+ over the degree). Approximately 20 Trustee Scholars are selected annually from a pool of around 70,000 BU undergraduate applicants. The scholarship is open to international students, including Sri Lankan citizens, and requires both an exceptional academic record and an additional essay demonstrating intellectual curiosity and ambition. This is one of the very few US scholarships at the 'covers full tuition for an internationally-admitted student' tier outside the Ivy+ need-based system.

Boston University

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

Full Tuition (~USD 280,000 / LKR 89M)

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Duration

4 Years (Renewable)

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Awards

~20 per Year (Global)

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Apply to BU Undergraduate

You must apply to a Boston University undergraduate programme through the Common Application by the Regular Decision deadline. Trustee Scholarship candidates must additionally complete a supplementary essay by the earlier 1 December deadline.

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Exceptional Academic Record

Trustee Scholars typically have 3+ A* / A grades at A-Level (or IB 42+, SAT 1500+), top decile class rank, and standout subject contests / olympiads / research / academic competitions. Sri Lankan applicants need to be at the very top of their cohort — Royal Junior National Science Quiz, Sri Lankan Maths Olympiad medallists, etc.

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Demonstrated Leadership

Selection also weighs leadership outside academics — sustained extracurricular impact (founding initiatives, leading school societies, captaining sport, organising community projects). Authentic depth in one or two areas beats a long list of memberships.

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Open to International Students

Trustee Scholarships are open to applicants of any nationality, including Sri Lankan citizens. English proficiency requirement: TOEFL iBT 90+, IELTS 7.0+, or English-medium curriculum waiver for A-Level / IB / Edexcel candidates.

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Submit Trustee Scholar essay by 1 December

Submit your Common Application to BU and complete the additional 600-word Trustee Scholarship essay by 1 December 2025. The prompt typically asks how you have demonstrated leadership and intellectual curiosity beyond the classroom.

First-round selection

BU's Trustee Scholarship committee shortlists around 100 finalists from the global applicant pool in January. Finalists are evaluated holistically — academics, essays, recommendations, extracurricular impact.

Interview by Zoom

Finalists are invited for a 30-minute Trustee Scholarship interview, conducted online via Zoom in February. The interview probes the supplementary essay, intellectual interests, and post-graduation aspirations.

Final selection and admission

Trustee Scholars are notified alongside the standard admissions decision in mid-March. The full-tuition award is renewed annually subject to satisfactory academic progress (GPA 3.0+). Trustee Scholars also receive priority consideration for BU's research and study-abroad funding.

Why Boston University?

Boston University is consistently ranked in the global top 100 (QS #108 in 2026) and the US top 50 (US News). BU's Charles River campus stretches along Commonwealth Avenue in Boston — a city with 30+ universities and one of the strongest tech, biotech, and finance graduate-job markets in the US.