Merit-Based Scholarships are Illinois Wesleyan University awards for international students earning a bachelor’s degree on its campus in Bloomington, Illinois. IWU counts anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident as international.
Completing the admission application brings automatic consideration; there is no separate scholarship form. The awards recognise strong academic achievement, and IWU admits international students on a need-sensitive basis.
Benefits & funding
- Up to US$38,000 a year, renewable for up to four years; IWU says merit awards can cover up to half the annual cost of attendance.
- Not a full ride: recipients still pay housing, meals, health insurance, visa costs and international travel.
- Extra IWU-funded need-based aid (scholarships, loans, campus jobs) is open through the CSS Profile, preferably filed by March 1.
Eligibility
- Citizens of any country except the USA; U.S. permanent residents of any citizenship are not eligible.
- Applying for undergraduate admission to IWU as a first-year or transfer student.
- Able to show a family contribution of at least US$30,000 a year under IWU’s need-sensitive international admission, via the Family Financial Statement.
- English: native speaker, at least three years at an English-medium secondary school, or minimum scores of IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 80, Duolingo 115 or PTE 56 (GTEC also accepted).
- Must turn 17 by August 1 of the entry year (January 1 for spring entry).
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Andorra · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Bahamas
+ 184 more
Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belarus · Belgium · Belize · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · China · Colombia · Comoros · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cuba · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Estonia · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Fiji · Finland · France · Gabon · Gambia · Georgia · Germany · Ghana · Greece · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hungary · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kosovo · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Latvia · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Malta · Marshall Islands · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Moldova · Monaco · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nauru · Nepal · Netherlands · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Korea · North Macedonia · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Palau · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Russia · Rwanda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · San Marino · São Tomé and Príncipe · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Serbia · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Africa · South Korea · South Sudan · Spain · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Suriname · Sweden · Switzerland · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · UAE · UK · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Vatican City · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Education required
High School · Bachelor Enrolled
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Apply via the Common Application or the Illinois Wesleyan Application: Early Action by November 15, otherwise by March 15, the preferred international deadline (the general how-to-apply page says Regular Decision is open any time).
- 2Have schools and testing agencies send transcripts and English scores directly; copies sent by applicants are not accepted.
- 3Admitted international students receive merit awards automatically; there is no extra step.
- 4For further need-based aid, file the CSS Profile, preferably by March 1.
Program timeline
Applications open.
August 1
Early Action deadline.
November 15
Early Action decisions due by this date.
December 15
Preferred CSS Profile filing date.
March 1
Preferred international deadline for fall entry.
March 15