University sports in sunny, tropical Miami are extremely popular. As an international student in a very cosmopolitan city, you have plenty of opportunities -including scholarships- to play for a university.
Florida National University is located in Miami and offers Certificates, Associate, Baccalaureate and Master’s degrees that are fully-accredited and recognized nationally. Our international student-athlete program requires you to be accepted and active in a bachelor’s degree, while our athletic scholarship open to all FNU students (not specifically for international students) covers your full tuition but you can be enrolled in a Certificate, Associate or Master’s degree program.
Choose Your Sport:
Men’s
- Baseball | Basketball | Soccer | Tennis
Women’s
- Basketball | Soccer | Tennis | Volleyball
We also have a Cross Country team and Softball!
Our stellar soccer teams have won two national championships this year under coach Fernando Valenzuela, who caught the attention of the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association, which awarded him the title of coach of the year!
“Contact the FNU athletics department and get the answers to your questions about sports teams at FNU in Miami. ¡Se habla español!”
Three Scholarship Opportunities for International Student-Athletes at FNU
On our teams, we have various international students and with our successes every day we have more students
asking us from abroad about how to become a Conquistador in Miami for Florida International University. And we are happy to see new talent!
As you are applying for an FNU scholarship we may ask you to fill out a FAFSA, the U.S. government’s extensive form that it uses to determine a student’s financial need.
Also, keep in mind that if you are on any kind of FNU-awarded assistance, such as a military, government,
rehabilitative tuition incentive, scholarship or other financial aid you can only use one. With regard to our two FNU athletic scholarships, you can apply for both FNU athletic scholarships, but, again, you can only accept one of them.
1. FNU ATHLETIC INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP*
This scholarship is specifically for international students wishing that has applied (start the application here) and been accepted into a Baccalaureate program at FNU. View FNU’s Bachelor of Science and Arts degrees. Find out FNU’s international student requirements and how to apply for a student visa.
Qualifications:
- International student accepted into a B.A. or B.S. program at FNU (this includes passing an FNU English placement exam satisfactorily)
- Possess collegiate athletic eligibility (an offer by an FNU coach in your respective sport)
- Have a GPA of 2.0 upon acceptance
- Maintain an academic GPA of 2.0 every semester
- Pass a minimum of 24 credits per year (12 credits per semester)
- Show proof of international eligibility to study at FNU
- If awarded, perform 300 hours of community/university service by the end of the program
- Service hours break down into a minimum of 25 hours per semester
Amount: 20% of Tuition (currently a maximum of $3,600)
Note: students in the Nursing, MSN, Respiratory Therapy A.S. and Physical Therapist Assistant degrees are excluded from applying for this scholarship.
“Contact the Financial Aid Office and get the answers to your questions about the scholarships at FNU. ¡Se habla español!”
2. FNU ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP*
From the FNU coffers, the university offers this exclusive scholarship to FNU students with relatively few requirements. International students must show proof eligibility to study in the U.S. Find out FNU’s international student requirements and how to apply for a student visa.
Qualifications:
- Possess collegiate athletic eligibility (an offer by an FNU coach in your respective sport)
- Have a GPA of 2.0 upon acceptance
- Maintain an academic GPA of 2.0 every semester
- Pass a minimum of 24 credits per year (12 credits per semester)
- Maintain athletic standards
- If awarded, must perform 300 community/university service hours by the end of the program
Amount: Complete Tuition (excludes books, uniforms, and other incidentals or program-related fees/incurred expenses)
Note: students in the Nursing, MSN, Respiratory Therapy A.S., and Physical Therapist Assistant degrees are excluded from applying for this scholarship.
3. Baccalaureate International Scholarship*
FNU appreciates all of the positive benefits of cross-cultural collaboration in the Miami area, so from their own coffers, the university earmarks this academic scholarship specifically for international students.
Qualifications:
- Have a GPA of 2.0 upon acceptance
- Maintain an academic GPA of 2.0 every semester
Amount: 20% of Tuition (Currently a maximum of $3,600)
*Note that FNU has the right to modify or terminate all FNU’s scholarship.
Quick International Student Suggestions for Choosing a University and Degree
- Hopefully, you have already narrowed down your preferred career and lifestyle
- Match that to a study program that will lead to your desired career and ensure the university has a reputation to help you pass certifications and give you some post-graduating care
- Pick a city whose lifestyle you’d enjoy (learn about student lifestyle in South Florida)
- Compare the programs based on:
- Whether you meet admission requirements for each school
- Whether you meet scholarship requirements and can keep up with their academic and other expectations
- Evaluate if the scholarship award for international students are favorable and the end cost of your program is manageable
- Lifestyle compatibility
Very Important Tip for International Athletic Student Searching for Scholarships
If a website really has a scholarship they will display their requirements transparently without needing you to give up your email and personal information.
Logically, you would give your contact information, stats or any other data as the second step only after having, first, read the qualifications and have determined that you do qualify, secondly filling out an official form with the name of the scholarship in the header.
This needs to be stated because many websites immediately ask international students to input their contact information instead of displaying the scholarship requirements right away.
One business model typically charges fees to help a student find scholarships they could apply to. This is not a guarantee that this company will find you one, nor that the student will be awarded a scholarship even if you apply. If you wish to pay for one of these services, it is up to you investigate their success rate and credibility.
The U.S. Department of Education specifies a couple of alarm bells to help you avoid “scams”. One place to start your search for scholarships is the U.S. Department of Labor’s free scholarship search tool.
Footlocker offers a scholarship for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent legal residents and is an example of a scholarship whose requirements are listed transparently on their webpage. This scholarship is very competitive and requires a minimum GPA of 3.0.
“Don’t hesitate to contact us at FNU with any questions as an international student-athlete.”
We offer Online Classes, so you can complete your studies through distance learning modules using the Blackboard system, an e-learning industry standard.
