Fully Funded STEM PhD Programs in the USA 2027 (Assistantships)

There is no single US government STEM scholarship for international students, so this page now covers the most common real route to free STEM study in the United States: funded PhD programmes. Most science and engineering PhD programmes support admitted students with a tuition waiver and a monthly stipend through fellowships, research assistantships or teaching assistantships for five years or more. Most programmes close applications between 1 and 15 December for autumn 2027 entry; the date below is an estimate. Checked 8 October 2026 against EducationUSA, the US Department of State's advising network: universities mainly fund graduate students through fellowships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships and administrative assistantships. Working as a teaching or research assistant in exchange for a tuition waiver, a stipend or both is very common at PhD level. Scholarship and grant deadlines can be as early as 18 months before the programme starts, so plan early and contact professors in your target department. There is no single deadline; each department sets its own, so the date shown on this page is only a typical one.