The McDonnell International Scholars Academy is an annual graduate fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. It combines degree funding with leadership, communication, mentorship, and cohort programming.
Recipients study in an eligible WashU graduate or professional program while participating in Academy activities. The Fall 2026 cycle is closed, and WashU says information about the Fall 2027 cycle will be available in late summer 2026.
Benefits & funding
- A $41,000 annual stipend for the defined degree-program length or up to five years, whichever comes first.
- A full tuition scholarship and a 100% health subsidy covering health, dental, and wellness fees.
- A $2,000 annual travel allowance and a $1,500 one-time relocation allowance.
- Priority access to cohort housing, subject to availability, plus leadership and communication programming, faculty mentorship, and Academy events.
- First- and second-year Scholars take Academy trips to New York and Washington, D.C.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be incoming first-year students seeking admission to an eligible WashU master’s, doctoral, or professional degree program and must be admitted to that program before fellowship eligibility is finalized.
- Applicants from all countries and institutions may apply; graduates of partner universities receive priority, but partner status is not a requirement.
- The Fall 2026 eligibility tool required applicants to have earned, or expect to earn, a bachelor’s degree before July 2026.
- Current WashU graduate students are not eligible; no separate residency, work-experience, age, or gender requirement is published.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Choose an eligible WashU degree program and submit that program’s application.
- 2After submitting the degree application, access the separate McDonnell Academy application through the route provided by WashU. MD applicants first submit the Academy opt-in form, wait for verification, and then receive an application link.
- 3Complete the Academy application by the published deadline for the cycle.
Program timeline
Recorded application deadline for the closed Fall 2026 cycle.
Jan 31, 2026
Late summer 2026
WashU expects to publish information about the Fall 2027 cycle.
The MD applicant route begins accepting opt-ins for the 2027–28 academic year.
Oct 1, 2026
Next cohort enrollment cycle referenced by WashU; an exact program start date is not published.
Fall 2027