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McDaniel College

McDaniel College

Dorsey Scholarship

Check providerFull RideMerit-BasedBachelor's

About the Scholarship

The Dorsey Scholarship covers full tuition, housing and meals at McDaniel College for four years, and adds allowances for books, technology and travel to the college's Budapest campus.

It is the rare American full ride that an international student can actually reach. The college requires the federal aid form, which F-1 students cannot file, and then writes the exception in: those who cannot submit it document that with the financial aid office instead. Almost every other full-tuition award in this directory dies on exactly that requirement with no such carve-out.

One date matters more than the college's general international deadline. Dorsey consideration requires an admission application by 15 December, not the 1 February international deadline, so an international candidate has to apply six weeks early. Around twenty are invited to compete and up to five are chosen.

What It Covers

  • Tuition
  • Housing
  • Books & materials
  • Travel
  • Other

Full tuition, housing and meals for up to eight consecutive semesters or until the bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. It adds up to $600 a semester for books, a one-time technology allowance of up to $2,000, up to $2,000 toward travel to the college's Budapest campus and $1,000 a semester in Budapest meal support. Housing is capped at a double room and there is no housing allowance for students living off campus. The college states the amount reflects each student's own financial situation and their eligibility for federal and state aid, so for a student with no such eligibility the college covers the whole amount.

Eligibility

Entry as a first-year student, selected on academic achievement and course rigour, character, motivation and leadership, and potential for success at the college. Renewal runs eight consecutive semesters with at least 12 credits, adherence to college rules and satisfactory academic progress, and recipients serve as college ambassadors.

Eligible Countries

The college requires the American federal aid form annually but states that international students who are not eligible to submit it must have this documented in writing following a meeting with the financial aid office. That is an explicit carve-out rather than a bar.

All countries

How to Apply

No separate application. Every student who submits an admission application by 15 December is considered automatically. About 20 candidates from the top 2 per cent of the pool are invited in January to a competition weekend and virtual interview, and up to five recipients are notified in mid-March.

Application Routes and Dates

Admission application deadline for consideration

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Recurring deadline: 15 déc. (check provider for current cycle)

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-10