Temple University Merit Scholarships

Temple's merit scholarships are competitive awards based primarily on the strength of an applicant's academic record and overall application. Temple explains that the number and value of awards can depend on the size, quality and characteristics of the applicant pool and the funding available.

For international students, these scholarships are particularly useful because international students generally cannot access U.S. federal or state financial aid. Temple specifically identifies academic scholarships as one of the sources of financial assistance available to international undergraduate applicants.

The scholarships are tuition-only awards, meaning students should not assume that the scholarship covers accommodation, food, transportation, health insurance, books or other living expenses.

Successful applicants may receive:

1. Up to $20,000 per year toward undergraduate tuition for eligible international first-year students.
2. Potential renewal for up to four years/eight consecutive undergraduate semesters, provided the student satisfies Temple's renewal requirements.
3. No separate scholarship application for the standard merit award.
4. Consideration for the scholarship as part of the regular undergraduate admissions process.
5. The opportunity to combine the merit award with other eligible funding, subject to Temple's rules and the limitation that tuition-restricted scholarships cannot exceed tuition charges.

Important: The scholarship does not normally function as a fully funded scholarship. It is primarily a tuition award, so international students should budget separately for living expenses and other costs.

Applicants should generally meet the following requirements:

1. Be applying for undergraduate admission to Temple University.
2. For the first-year award, be a student who is currently completing secondary/high school and has not enrolled in a college or university after graduation.
3. Be an international student for international-specific merit consideration.
4. Demonstrate a strong academic record. Temple states that academic performance, accomplishments and, for some academic colleges, artistic talent can influence merit scholarship decisions.
5. Submit a complete undergraduate admission application by the relevant deadline. Temple says applicants who submit by February 1 are automatically considered for academic scholarships.
6. Meet Temple's admission requirements.
7. Maintain the required academic performance and full-time enrollment requirements to renew the scholarship after the initial guaranteed period.

Temple is currently test optional, and students who choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores remain eligible for merit scholarships.