UCSC Silicon Valley announces $1,000 merit scholarship for new F-1 international students

The scholarship recipients must maintain full-time enrolment (12 units per quarter), achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0, remain in valid F-1 visa status, and comply with all academic and orientation requirements.

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3 min readNew DelhiFeb 10, 2026 09:13 AM IST First published on: Feb 9, 2026 at 04:24 PM IST

UCSC Silicon Valley has announced the international student merit scholarship, a merit-based award for supporting international students, including those from India, who wish to pursue certificate-based education at UCSC Silicon Valley. The scholarship offers a one-time award of $1,000, applied as a reduction to the international student fee during the student’s first quarter of enrolment, and is available to new F-1 international students enrolling full-time in eligible UCSC Silicon Valley certificate programmes.

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It is for international graduates and early-career professionals. The programmes include project-based coursework and curricula aligned with current industry practices and focus on building practical skills relevant to roles in technology, business, and innovation-driven sectors in the US and other global markets, according to the press release.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must apply as new F-1 international students, meet all admission requirements for their chosen certificate programme, submit complete application documentation, and enrol full-time as per visa regulations. The scholarship is not available to continuing students, part-time enrolments, or applicants on non-F-1 visa categories.

Applicants must submit a separate scholarship application, including a 300–500 word personal statement outlining academic objectives, professional interests, and reasons for applying to the programme. Scholarship applications must be submitted one month before the respective programme application deadlines.

Application deadlines

The application deadlines are as follows:

–Fall: June 15
–Winter: October 15
–Spring: January 15
–Summer: April 1

How to apply

Step 1: To apply for the scholarship at UCSC Silicon Valley, students must first complete and submit their programme application along with all required admission documents.

Step 2: Once the programme application is submitted, students must also complete the scholarship application form, which includes a short personal statement of 300–500 words addressing their academic goals, career aspirations, and how studying at UCSC Silicon Valley will support their future.

Step 3: Finally, applicants must ensure that all materials are submitted before the deadline, as incomplete applications without the required documents will not be reviewed.

Applicants are advised to factor in visa processing timelines when planning their applications. Scholarship recipients must maintain full-time enrolment (12 units per quarter), achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0, remain in valid F-1 visa status, and comply with all academic and orientation requirements. Additionally, this scholarship is not available to continuing students, part-time students, or students studying on other visa types.

For more information on eligibility, application requirements, and deadlines, students are encouraged to visit the official UCSC Silicon Valley website: ucsc-extension.edu/international/student-merit-scholarship.