Lamar University's Presidential Scholarship is a genuine full ride: tuition, fees, room and board, and books for four years, which the university values at $100,000.
For an international applicant the route in is a test score. Where domestic applicants need a 4.40 recalculated average and a top-ten-per-cent class rank, the university states international students may qualify by submitting an SAT of 1330 or an ACT of 29.
It needs a full application: a resume, a 500-word essay and references, submitted between 15 August and 15 January, with interviews through the autumn. Recipients must stay in the honours college for the whole degree, and the award pays nothing toward graduate courses.