Wondering about scholarships for international students in the U.S.? Along with all the other things you will need to know about studying in the United States, cost is an important factor to consider when planning your trip. Since many international students enroll in undergraduate and graduate programs at U.S. schools, there are many forms of financial aid available.
In this article, we'll cover how to get a scholarship to study abroad, as well as the different types of scholarships that are available to international applicants. But before we dive right in, let's cover some tips that can increase your chances of receiving one of these scholarships.
How can you, as an international student, increase your chances of winning a scholarship?
Once you find your dream destination to study abroad, you will need to find some funding to make your dream a reality. In most cases, you won't be the only one filling out the scholarship application form. There are many other international students who want to get the same award as you. Due to the sheer volume of applicants, you will face a lot of competition for that scholarship. How can you improve your chances of winning?
First, you must prove that you are worthy of this award. You need to have a high GPA, which means you need to focus on what is going on in your school and spend a lot of time studying and preparing for tests and exams. You also need to be involved in extracurricular activities (sports, music groups, volunteer organizations, etc.), which means you need to do something outside of school and do it to the best of your ability.
Last but not least, you should plan ahead. When applying for scholarships to study abroad, there will be essays you will need to write or letters of recommendation you will need to request. If you want to showcase your best skills, you should make sure you have enough time to review your scholarship application until it shines. If you can, try to submit your application as early as possible!
Types of scholarships offered at U.S. universities.
After covering some tips on applying for scholarships, let's look at what types of scholarships are available to international students: full, partial, and external. Note that the third type of scholarship is not awarded by U.S. universities, but you can use the scholarship money to pay your academic bills.
1. Full-Travel Scholarships
This first type is probably the most sought after scholarship among international applicants, and the reason behind this fact is that full-ride scholarships will cover the full cost of attendance (tuition fees, room and board, insurance, airfare, and more.) ). This means that full scholarship recipients do not have to pay a dime to receive their four-year college education.
This type of scholarship is the most prestigious award as full scholarships contain the highest financial benefits for international students. However, this great benefit comes at a cost, which is a really high competition compared to other forms of financial aid. Since this scholarship program pays for their entire college education, many international students apply for this scholarship to earn this award themselves.
Due to the large number of scholarship applicants, this means that you have very little chance of winning a full scholarship. Do not try to gamble on a full scholarship alone, as there is a high probability that you will not receive it. Note that full-tuition scholarships can come in different forms, such as fully funded scholarships or full scholarships.
2. Partial Scholarships
The second type of scholarship offered by U.S. institutions to international applicants is called a partial value scholarship. Unlike the full scholarship, partial scholarships only cover a partial amount of your college bills. For example, a partial scholarship may only cover your tuition while you need to pay for your room and board. Other times, it may only be a certain amount of money that can be used to pay for college tuition.
Since it only partially covers your bills, you need other forms of financial aid to fully cover your total cost of attendance. Since this type of scholarship offers a lower value than full-ride scholarships, there is a high probability that you will receive this scholarship.
Always apply, even for low-value scholarships, as the small amount you earn can add up very quickly. Also, keep in mind that scholarships are not the only avenue for financial aid, as international students can apply for work-study positions, outside scholarships, and loans.
3. External Scholarships
Last but not least, international applicants can apply for outside scholarships, which are financial awards offered by outside organizations other than your university, private organizations and small business corporations. Although your school does not offer this type of scholarship directly, you can use outside scholarship money to pay your college bills.
The outside scholarship is probably the most overlooked of these three types of scholarships. Due to the fact that outside scholarships are not as well known as scholarships offered by U.S. institutions, many international students do not apply for these scholarships even though they could have earned the scholarship money if they had applied.
In addition, there is no limit to the number of external scholarships you can apply for, as external scholarships stack on top of each other. If you apply for hundreds of small-value outside scholarships and earn scholarship money on most of them, you will probably get enough money to pay for your college education and even have money left over to help with living costs.
Apply, apply, apply!
Remember, there is no limit to the number of scholarships you can apply for, so start your research to find scholarships for which you are eligible. After you find out all the open dates, make a schedule so you can use your time wisely and efficiently.
In this article, we'll cover how to get a scholarship to study abroad, as well as the different types of scholarships that are available to international applicants. But before we dive right in, let's cover some tips that can increase your chances of receiving one of these scholarships.
How can you, as an international student, increase your chances of winning a scholarship?
Once you find your dream destination to study abroad, you will need to find some funding to make your dream a reality. In most cases, you won't be the only one filling out the scholarship application form. There are many other international students who want to get the same award as you. Due to the sheer volume of applicants, you will face a lot of competition for that scholarship. How can you improve your chances of winning?
First, you must prove that you are worthy of this award. You need to have a high GPA, which means you need to focus on what is going on in your school and spend a lot of time studying and preparing for tests and exams. You also need to be involved in extracurricular activities (sports, music groups, volunteer organizations, etc.), which means you need to do something outside of school and do it to the best of your ability.
Last but not least, you should plan ahead. When applying for scholarships to study abroad, there will be essays you will need to write or letters of recommendation you will need to request. If you want to showcase your best skills, you should make sure you have enough time to review your scholarship application until it shines. If you can, try to submit your application as early as possible!
Types of scholarships offered at U.S. universities.
After covering some tips on applying for scholarships, let's look at what types of scholarships are available to international students: full, partial, and external. Note that the third type of scholarship is not awarded by U.S. universities, but you can use the scholarship money to pay your academic bills.
1. Full-Travel Scholarships
This first type is probably the most sought after scholarship among international applicants, and the reason behind this fact is that full-ride scholarships will cover the full cost of attendance (tuition fees, room and board, insurance, airfare, and more.) ). This means that full scholarship recipients do not have to pay a dime to receive their four-year college education.
This type of scholarship is the most prestigious award as full scholarships contain the highest financial benefits for international students. However, this great benefit comes at a cost, which is a really high competition compared to other forms of financial aid. Since this scholarship program pays for their entire college education, many international students apply for this scholarship to earn this award themselves.
Due to the large number of scholarship applicants, this means that you have very little chance of winning a full scholarship. Do not try to gamble on a full scholarship alone, as there is a high probability that you will not receive it. Note that full-tuition scholarships can come in different forms, such as fully funded scholarships or full scholarships.
2. Partial Scholarships
The second type of scholarship offered by U.S. institutions to international applicants is called a partial value scholarship. Unlike the full scholarship, partial scholarships only cover a partial amount of your college bills. For example, a partial scholarship may only cover your tuition while you need to pay for your room and board. Other times, it may only be a certain amount of money that can be used to pay for college tuition.
Since it only partially covers your bills, you need other forms of financial aid to fully cover your total cost of attendance. Since this type of scholarship offers a lower value than full-ride scholarships, there is a high probability that you will receive this scholarship.
Always apply, even for low-value scholarships, as the small amount you earn can add up very quickly. Also, keep in mind that scholarships are not the only avenue for financial aid, as international students can apply for work-study positions, outside scholarships, and loans.
3. External Scholarships
Last but not least, international applicants can apply for outside scholarships, which are financial awards offered by outside organizations other than your university, private organizations and small business corporations. Although your school does not offer this type of scholarship directly, you can use outside scholarship money to pay your college bills.
The outside scholarship is probably the most overlooked of these three types of scholarships. Due to the fact that outside scholarships are not as well known as scholarships offered by U.S. institutions, many international students do not apply for these scholarships even though they could have earned the scholarship money if they had applied.
In addition, there is no limit to the number of external scholarships you can apply for, as external scholarships stack on top of each other. If you apply for hundreds of small-value outside scholarships and earn scholarship money on most of them, you will probably get enough money to pay for your college education and even have money left over to help with living costs.
Apply, apply, apply!
Remember, there is no limit to the number of scholarships you can apply for, so start your research to find scholarships for which you are eligible. After you find out all the open dates, make a schedule so you can use your time wisely and efficiently.