How To Study Abroad With Scholarship
Do you intend to study in another country? Then you’re already aware that tuition fees and living expenses can quickly build up to a sizable schooling budget. Scholarships, fortunately, provide the financial assistance that so many students require. In this article, we are going to consider how to study abroad with scholarship, in order words, how you can search for scholarship, apply for it and study abroad with it. Before, we start, I will like to briefly give a description of a scholarship.
Read also: Harvard University Scholarships
What’s a scholarship?
A scholarship is “an amount of money given by a school, college, university, or other organization to pay for the studies of a person with high aptitude but little money,” according to the Cambridge dictionary. I’ll add that some scholarships are more flexible, allowing kids of all academic abilities and financial circumstances to apply.
Student Grants vs Scholarships
Scholarships and grants are both sorts of gift aid, meaning students do not have to pay back the money. Grants, on the other hand, are frequently given to young people who cannot afford to pay for their education. Most scholarships, on the other hand, are given out based on intellectual, athletic, or creative qualities.
Scholarships vs Student loans
Student loans, unlike scholarships, are a type of financial help that must be repaid, sometimes with interest. In disguise, student debts can be both a blessing and a curse. Student loan debt in the United States, for example, has surpassed 1.5 trillion dollars in 2020.
Who’s eligible to apply for scholarships?
Anyone who meets the eligibility requirements is eligible to apply. Yes, it’s a cliche, but different types of scholarships cater to different types of students. Always double-check that you are eligible to apply, that the scholarship application deadlines are current, and that the scholarship is open to both national and international students.
What are some scholarship requirements?
- Application form
- Motivation letter or personal essay
- Recommendation letter
- Acceptance letter from a university
- Official financial statement
- Proof of academic or athletic achievement
Steps on how to apply for a scholarship
Start preparing your documentation once you’ve selected a study abroad scholarship you’d like to apply for. This is an example of a typical application process:
- Apply for the scholarship by filling out an online application form
- Make sure you’ve gotten the confirmation email by checking your inbox
- Make a personal statement or an essay for your application. There are plenty of samples on the internet, but don’t forget to be unique and impress with your own experiences and ideas.
- Obtain official documentation of your academic, athletic, and creative accomplishments, if necessary
- Obtain official documentation proving your low income or nationality (for region-based scholarships)
- Check all documents for mistakes before sending them to the scholarship provider
- Submit the university’s admission letter (or an official document from the university confirming your acceptance). You will not be awarded the scholarship until you certify that you will begin your studies immediately.
- Wait for the outcome. Congratulations if you were chosen; you are a winner! Throw a party, but don’t blow all of your scholarship money on it. Just kidding; your tuition is normally paid straight to your institution or college (or a part of it).
How to search for scholarships
The best place to start looking for a scholarship is on the official websites of your favorite universities. If you can’t discover anything useful, contact a customer service representative by email or chat to see if they can assist you.
The next step is to search the internet for different sources of financial assistance. However, finding credible information is not always easy, and not all websites contain up-to-date content. Here are some tools to assist you in your search for the proper scholarship program:
What are the different types of scholarships available?
These are the list of scholarships you can apply for depending on your condition. Always check the requirement for each scholarship before you start the application.
- Scholarships for excellent academic results
- Scholarships for research, artistic, or athletic achievements
- Scholarships for students with low incomes
- Scholarships for under-represented groups (e.g. women, Hispanic and African-American students, citizens from developing countries)
- Scholarships for all international students
Scholarship for excellent academic results
To apply for these scholarships, you must be a top student. Universities and colleges are the most common providers of academic achievement scholarships, but they aren’t the only ones. Check the official university website’s ‘costs and funding’ page to see if a university offers this form of financial aid.
Scholarships for artistic, research or athletic achievements
This scholarship area is for those who are interested in research, athletics, or the arts. Athletic excellence scholarships are particularly popular in the United States, but they are also available in other nations. You must demonstrate your abilities in order to receive financial aid. Impressing scouts, demonstrating research skills beyond your years, or creating a work of art that would readily wow critics are all what’s needed to get this type of scholarship.
Scholarships for low income students
Scholarships of this type are fairly similar to grants. The goal is to help students who desire to study but can’t afford full tuition or living expenses. Need-based scholarships are a great investment for universities and other organizations since future graduates frequently give back to their communities and strive to help others who are going through similar difficulties.
Scholarships for under-represented groups
The purpose is to help and encourage people from underrepresented groups to pursue higher education without fear of financial hardship. Listed below are a few examples:
- Students who come from developing countries
- African-Americans
- Native Americans
- Hispanic-Latino
- Women
International students scholarships
Not all scholarships target this or that group of students. Some private institutions or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) simply want to contribute to higher education and allow any international students to apply for their scholarship. These students still have to meet the requirements, but those are very general and broad, not focused on a specific region, minority, or ability.
Hope you enjoyed reading this article on How To Study Abroad With Scholarship. If you follow the tips on this article, you should be able to apply for scholarship and study abroad with it. Please note that most scholarships target student that fall within this groups: Very intelligent students with excellent grades, students with low or poor income, students with skills in sports, crafts etc. If you fall within this group, don’t fall to study abroad with a scholarship.
