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United States Open for Fall 2026 entry — Early Action 1 November 2025; Regular Decision 1 January 2026

Northeastern Global Scholar Award

The Northeastern Global Scholar Award is a renewable merit scholarship for international undergraduate students — USD 18,000 to USD 25,000 per year (LKR 5.8M – 8M), worth up to USD 100,000 (LKR 32M) over a four-year degree. There is no separate application; Northeastern's admissions office automatically considers every admitted international undergrad. The award is renewable for all four years provided you maintain a GPA of 3.0+. Northeastern is best known for its co-op programme — every undergrad does 6-18 months of paid full-time work placements as part of the degree, which gives Sri Lankan graduates direct US work experience and a head-start on H-1B sponsorship.

Northeastern University

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

USD 18k–25k/yr × 4 yrs (~LKR 32M)

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Duration

4-Year Renewable

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Bonus

Includes Co-op Work Placements

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Admitted to Northeastern Undergrad

You must be admitted to a Northeastern undergraduate programme at one of its campuses (Boston, Oakland, London, or Toronto). The Global Scholar Award is for full-time international students starting their first undergraduate degree.

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Strong Academic Profile

Northeastern typically admits international students with A-Levels 2-3 A grades, IB 32-38, or SAT 1350+. Award value scales with academic strength — highest awards (USD 25,000) go to applicants in the top 10-15% of the admitted international pool.

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International Citizenship

Open to applicants who are not US citizens or permanent residents. Sri Lankan citizens applying from Sri Lanka or any international school are squarely eligible. Aid for international applicants is purely merit-based — Northeastern's need-based aid is reserved for US citizens.

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English Proficiency

TOEFL iBT 92+, IELTS 6.5+, or PTE 64+ for direct entry. The TOEFL / IELTS requirement is waived if you've studied for 3+ years in an English-medium curriculum — most Sri Lankan A-Level / IB / Edexcel candidates qualify for the waiver.

account_tree Application Process

Submit Common App by 1 January

Apply to Northeastern via the Common Application — Early Action 1 November 2025 (non-binding), Regular Decision 1 January 2026. Submit Northeastern-specific essays, school transcripts, two teacher recommendations, and counsellor recommendation.

Automatic merit review

Every admitted international undergraduate is automatically considered — no separate scholarship form. Northeastern's admissions committee assesses your academic record alongside the admissions decision.

Receive award in offer letter

The Global Scholar Award value is named explicitly in your admissions offer letter alongside the cost-of-attendance breakdown. Most international admits receive some level of award; values are differentiated by academic strength.

Confirm enrolment and I-20

Accept the offer and pay the enrolment deposit by the standard reply date (1 May for Regular Decision). Northeastern then issues the I-20 reflecting reduced tuition liability — you apply for the F-1 visa with the net figure.

Why Northeastern?

Northeastern is consistently ranked in the US top 50 (US News) and is famous globally for the co-op model — full-time paid 6-month work placements built into the undergraduate degree. Sri Lankan undergrads can graduate with 12-18 months of US corporate experience plus a degree, dramatically improving graduate-job prospects on both OPT and H-1B.