Temple University International Student Scholarships 2027: Up to $20,000/Year for First-Year International Undergraduates in Philadelphia

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Temple University in Philadelphia is one of America’s largest public research universities — and it is offering some of the most creative and generous scholarship packages available to international undergraduate students in the United States.

Beyond standard merit awards, Temple has pioneered two distinctive scholarship programmes that celebrate international students specifically: the #WhyUS Scholarship (up to $10,000/year for the most creative responses to a prompt) and the #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship ($20,000/year for two students who demonstrate a vision for intercultural understanding). There is also a Sister City Scholarship for students from Philadelphia’s global partner cities.

All scholarships are renewable and can be combined.

Scholarship 1: Merit Scholarships (Automatic)

Value: Up to $20,000 per year for up to four years
Open to: All international first-year and transfer students with strong academic records
Application: No separate application — your admissions application serves both purposes

Temple automatically considers all international applicants for merit scholarships based on academic performance. Awards are determined by the strength and competitiveness of the applicant pool and available funding. Submit your admissions application — and all documentation — by the required deadlines to ensure full consideration.

Scholarship 2: WhyUS Scholarship (Creative Essay)

Value: $2,000 to $10,000 per year for up to four years (four years for first-year students, two for transfers)
Selected based on: Best creative responses to Temple’s prompt — independent of academic performance
Can be combined with: Other awards already received
Winners announced: By April 1

The #WhyUS Scholarship exists because Temple wants international students to know that the United States is one of the most desirable places in the world to study — and it rewards students who can articulate that most compellingly and creatively.

The key feature of this scholarship is that it is judged entirely on your response to the creative prompt — not on your GPA, test scores, or academic record. A student with average grades who writes an exceptional, creative, authentic response can win this scholarship over a student with a perfect academic record who writes a generic essay.

The creative prompt and full application details are available on Temple’s scholarship page at payingforcollege.temple.edu — check for the current 2027 prompt.

Scholarship 3: #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship

Value: $20,000 per year, renewable annually
Number awarded: Two first-year students per year
Selected based on: Demonstrated vision for enhancing intercultural understanding
Winners announced: By April 1

In 2016, Temple pioneered the #YouAreWelcomeHere initiative — a nationwide message from US higher education to international students that they belong and are valued in American universities. Temple was among the first nine universities to commit to this initiative and has backed it with scholarship funding since.

The #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship goes to two first-year international students per year who demonstrate the clearest vision for what intercultural understanding looks like and how they will advance it. At $20,000 per year — the same value as Temple’s top merit awards — this is a significant financial award for a non-academic-merit scholarship.

Past recipients: In 2019, Ayna Mammedova of Turkmenistan (Biochemistry) and Andres Mondragon of Peru became the inaugural recipients. Ayna’s response to the scholarship experience captures its spirit: “I know Temple is welcoming me. The university is so kind with its international students — and I am proud to be one of them.”

Scholarship 4: Sister City Scholarship

Value: $10,000 per year for four years
Open to: First-year applicants from Philadelphia’s official sister cities
Winners announced: By April 1

If you are from one of Philadelphia’s sister cities, Temple offers a dedicated scholarship recognising the special bond between Philadelphia and its global partner communities.

Philadelphia’s sister cities include:

• Abruzzo, Italy
• Aix-en-Provence, France
• Douala, Cameroon
• Florence, Italy
• Frankfurt am Main, Germany
• Incheon, South Korea
• Kobe, Japan
• Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
• Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
• Tianjin, China
• Toruń, Poland

For Nigerian and West African readers: Douala, Cameroon — one of Central/West Africa’s largest port cities — is a Philadelphia sister city. If you are Cameroonian or from the broader Douala region, this scholarship is available to you specifically.

Apply for the Sister City Scholarship through the dedicated application form at app.smartsheet.com/b/form/01990b50f1f775689c0476dfe79bb103

About Temple University and Philadelphia

Temple University is a large public research university with approximately 40,000 students, located in North Philadelphia — one of America’s most historically significant and culturally vibrant cities. Strong academic programmes span business (Fox School of Business — one of the largest business schools in the US), medicine, law, communication, engineering, architecture, and the arts.

Philadelphia is America’s sixth-largest city — affordable compared to New York or Boston, with a rich history (Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell), a world-class art museum, a thriving food scene, and easy access to New York (90 minutes by train) and Washington DC (2 hours by train).

Quick Summary: All Temple International Scholarships

All are renewable and can be combined where eligible.

For more information and application: 

Visit the official website of the Temple University International Student Scholarships 2027: