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.
Open for Fall 2027 entry — Early Action 1 November 2026; Regular Decision 1 January 2027
Northeastern University
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Value
USD 18k–25k/yr × 4 yrs (~LKR 32M)
Duration
4-Year Renewable
Bonus
Includes Co-op Work Placements
info How this award actually works
Who awards it
Northeastern University — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.
How you are considered
Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.
What it covers
USD 18,000 – USD 25,000 per Year. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.
Where we come in
We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
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.
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.
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.
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 2027 (non-binding), Regular Decision 1 January 2028. 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.
#54
US News National (2026)
3,500+
Co-op Employer Partners
USD 100k
Max Award Over 4 Years
Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?
Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.
Work out your real number
Tuition, living costs, visa funds and flights for your destination — so you know the gap you are actually trying to close.
Open the cost calculator arrow_forwardSort courses by lowest fee
The full catalogue, cheapest tuition first. Changing course or country saves far more than most awards are worth.
Browse lowest-fee courses arrow_forwardWhat US actually costs
Tuition, living costs and the total first-year figure for US, in LKR as well as local currency.
See the cost breakdown arrow_forwardCheck your proof of funds
Every student visa requires you to show funds. Find out what you need before you commit to an application.
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