This award gives international students in F-1 or J-1 status the Minnesota resident tuition rate. St. Cloud State puts the figure on the I-20 as an $8,652 offset against a $21,384 cost of attendance, which brings tuition to $11,258 a year.
It is neither a merit competition nor a need assessment. Eligibility follows from visa status, attending orientation, and completing two cultural sharing activities each semester: cultural nights, the Cultural Café, International Education Week, on-campus employment, student organisation roles and similar. Undergraduates hold a 2.5 GPA to stay eligible and file a Cultural Activities Form each term. Exemptions exist for graduate assistants, students on CPT, athletes, and a few other groups.
Students do not apply for the first semester; they opt in by attending the Center for International Studies orientation after arriving. The Intensive English Center, online programmes, the North Hennepin site and doctoral programmes are excluded.