Kent State University: the Global Scholarship is automatic and banded by GPA

At most US universities a scholarship is a separate file to prepare alongside the application. Kent State University differs on the main award: the Global Scholarship is assessed automatically on admission, banded by grade average, with no separate scholarship application.

Global Scholarship — automatic, banded by GPA

• Admitted to the Honors College: US$15,000, plus a US$2,000 Honors Scholarship.
• GPA 3.70 and above: US$12,000.
• GPA 3.6 – 3.69: US$10,000.
• GPA 3.5 – 3.59: US$7,000.
• GPA 3.49 and below: US$4,300.

It applies to incoming international undergraduates on F-1 visas at the Kent campus, first-year or transfer. Worth noting: the bands sit 0.01 apart yet differ by thousands of dollars, so if your average is near a threshold, which transcript you submit can move you a whole band.

Two awards that need a separate application

• Honors Scholarship — US$2,000, new first-year students only, requiring an invitation to apply to the Honors College by the stated deadlines. Combined with a Global Scholarship at 3.70+, the total is US$17,000.
• Polatajko Family Scholarship — a US$1,000 non-renewable award, undergraduate or graduate, minimum 2.75 GPA, with preference for applicants who have experience in Hungary, Poland or Ukraine. Applied for through ScholarshipUniverse.

Undergraduate English requirements

• TOEFL iBT: 71 — MyBest scores are not accepted.
• IELTS Academic (and IELTS Indicator): 6.0.
• Duolingo English Test: 100.
• PTE Academic: 48.
• SAT: a minimum of 510 evidence-based reading and writing.
• ACT: a minimum of 21 in English.
• Or completion of ESL Center Level 8 with a minimum 3.75 GPA.

Graduate programmes set their own English requirements, so do not carry the undergraduate figures above across to a master's application.

One requirement that catches people out: the university does not accept Medium of Instruction letters as evidence of proficiency. If you studied an international programme and intended to rely on one, plan another route from the start.

A way in without the score

Kent State offers conditional admission: applicants who meet the academic requirements but not the language score can be admitted, take English classes at the ESL Center, then move into their programme. Some graduate programmes offer this too.

That is what makes the "ESL Center Level 8 with a 3.75 GPA" route above worth knowing — it is entry without resitting a test.

Published tuition — 2025–2026 academic year

• International undergraduate: US$23,590 a year, tuition and fees.
• International graduate: US$20,561 a year.
• ESL programme: US$10,776 a year.

These are the rates published for the 2025–2026 year, not the current one. US tuition is revised annually and varies by discipline — some architecture and design master's programmes run considerably higher. Check the current rate for your specific programme and intake.

Set side by side, the scholarship's weight becomes clear: at the 3.70+ band, US$12,000 covers roughly half that year's international undergraduate tuition.

Confirm before applying

• Whether your programme falls under the Global Scholarship, and its own tuition rate.
• Which band your converted GPA falls into — that number decides the award.
• Honors College deadlines, if you are aiming at the top band.
• The English requirement of the specific graduate programme, if applying at master's level.

Next step

Send us your transcript and intended major and VNIS will convert your GPA the way the university assesses it, estimate the band you fall into and check the current tuition. See also the Kent State University profile in our directory.