Scholarship Application Instructions

You may submit your financial aid application by completing this form

Items you will need to include when completing the form are:

1. The completed budget form; 
2. Personal Statement of 500 words or less, along with a 150-word summary of key points for the committee in one text or Word document, saved by your last, first name; 
3. Your official/unofficial transcript showing your GPA; 
4. For U.S. or Permanent Residents, include your FAFSA Submission Summary. This is required to be submitted with your I-House Financial Aid application. Please account for any additional time to receive the proper documentation from FAFSA. We cannot accept late applications due to a FAFSA delay. 

Questions?

For all Scholarship-related questions, email FinancialAid@ihouseberkeley.org.

Applications for room and board scholarships are available to graduate or upper-division UC Berkeley degree-registered international students, U.S. citizens, and permanent residents who have demonstrated financial need and have a room reservation to reside at International House for the coordinated term.

To be considered for financial assistance, an applicant must meet the eligibility criteria found on the main Scholarships page.

It is the long-standing policy of I-House that any student with an unpaid balance to International House for room and board is not eligible to receive room and board financial aid.

Financial Aid awards consist of partial payment of room and board fees at International House, usually calculated by a reduced-payment plan. It is the established policy of I-House that students who are staying in large, premium or bay-view rooms are not eligible to receive International House room and board scholarships or Gateway Fellowships. If you prefer to change to a budget or regular room in order to qualify, we will do our best to accommodate based on availability. 

After your award is offered, you must accept your award by responding to the award email within the stated deadline. Award recipients will be required to turn in an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) within one week of I-House move-in.* See Tax Number requirements below.  

Applications are pre-screened to select UC Berkeley students who closely fit the guidelines.  International House reserves the right to seek comparable financial information from campus departments, the Berkeley International Office, or other appropriate sources. 

The International House Financial Aid Committee makes final award selections. Applicants will be informed via email regarding the status of their application.  We cannot offer a scholarship award without a room contract in place.

*Tax Number requirements:

If you receive an award, you will be required to submit your Social Security number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to International House. If you do not have either number, you will be required to apply as soon as you arrive in the U.S. (International Students: download the W-7 ITIN application from the IRS website.)  You may submit your ITIN application through the Berkeley International Office, along with other documents that they require.  If you don't yet have a tax number, you are still welcome to apply for financial aid. Depending on your passport country’s tax treaty for room and board scholarships, taxes may need to be withheld from your award (30 percent without an ITIN or Social Security number; 14 percent after your number is given to I-House). You will be required to submit your tax number to the I-House Cashier as soon as it arrives in the post. Awardees are required to submit the I-House Scholarship Recipient Data Form and a copy of the country-issued passport. 

​Social Security numbers are given ONLY if you have a written job offer.​ Other award recipients should apply for an ITIN.

Please check with the Berkeley International Office or go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber/