University of Dayton Merit Scholarship for International Students

The University of Dayton Merit Scholarship is a partially funded, merit-based award for international undergraduate students at the University of Dayton in Ohio, USA, a private Catholic research university founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary. It is the second-largest private university in Ohio and offers more than 80 academic degrees, including one of the first undergraduate human-rights degree programs in the country; in the U.S. News & World Report 2022 national ranking it sat at 132nd overall. The merit scholarship is open to international applicants of any nationality accepted for first-year or transfer admission across fields such as arts and sciences, business administration, engineering, education and health sciences, and law. The award is partial rather than full: it includes a merit scholarship of up to $30,000 each year toward tuition, plus a textbook scholarship of $4,000 spread over four years, with no separate registration fee charged. Eligibility requires a secondary-school diploma and proof of English language proficiency such as a TOEFL or IELTS score. Application deadlines run by term, around 1 May for the Fall term and 1 November for the Spring term. Because award values and the closing dates are set each cycle, confirm the current 2026/2027 figures and deadlines on the official University of Dayton admission page before you apply.

What's covered

• Merit scholarship — A merit award of up to $30,000 each year toward undergraduate tuition for eligible international first-year or transfer students.
• Textbook scholarship — A textbook scholarship of $4,000 spread over four years (about $1,000 per year) to cover the cost of course textbooks.
• No registration fees — No separate registration fee is charged to scholarship recipients, reducing the cost of enrolling.
• Renewable annual award — The merit scholarship is applied each academic year of the undergraduate programme, subject to the university's renewal conditions.
• Partial funding model — The award is partial: it reduces tuition substantially but students remain responsible for the balance of tuition, living costs, and fees, estimated at several thousand US dollars per year.
• Total scholarship value — Across four years the merit and textbook scholarships together can be worth around ~$124,000 (est.) ($30,000 tuition per year plus $4,000 in textbooks), confirmed per cycle on the official page.

How to apply

Apply for undergraduate admission to the University of Dayton and submit the required documents; the merit scholarship is then awarded on academic merit.

1. Start your admission application — Apply for first-year or transfer undergraduate admission to the University of Dayton through the official international admission process.
2. Prepare your documents — Gather a notarised copy of your diploma or certificate, a personal statement or statement of purpose, a short CV, recommendation letters, and proof of English proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS).
3. Upload and submit documents — Upload all required documents, including passport details and any additional supporting materials, and submit them correctly through the portal.
4. Meet the term deadline — Submit before the relevant deadline, around 1 May for the Fall term or 1 November for the Spring term.
5. Await the admission decision — Wait for confirmation of your admission and merit scholarship; if accepted, follow the instructions to accept the award and enrol.