Are you wondering about scholarships for international students in the USA? Along with all the other things you need to know about studying in the US, the cost is an important factor to consider when planning your trip.
Since many international students enroll in undergraduate and graduate programs at American schools, there are many forms of financial aid available.
In this article, we will cover how to get a scholarship to study abroad, as well as the different types of scholarships available to international applicants. But before we get straight to the point, let’s look at 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’ve found your dream study-abroad destination, you’ll need to find some funding to make your dream come true. In most cases, you will not be the only one completing the scholarship application form.
There are many other international students who want to win the same prize as you. Due to the high volume of applicants, you will face a lot of competition for this scholarship. How can you improve your chances of winning?
First, you need to prove that you are worthy of this award. You need to have a high GPA, which means you need to focus on what’s going on in your school and spend a lot of time studying and preparing for tests and exams.
You also need to participate in extracurricular activities (sports, music groups, voluntary organizations, etc.), which means that you must do something outside of school and do your best.
Last but not least, you need to plan ahead. When applying for scholarships to study abroad, there will be essays to write or letters of recommendation to apply for.
If you want to show off your best skills, you should give yourself enough time to review your scholarship application until it shines. If you can, try to register as soon as possible!
Types of Scholarships Offered at American Universities
After covering some tips on how to apply for scholarships, let’s see what types of scholarships are available for international students: full, partial, and external.
Please note that the third type of scholarship is not awarded by universities in the United States, but you can use the award money to pay your academic bills.
Full Scholarships
This first type is probably the most sought-after scholarship among international candidates, and the reason behind this is that the comprehensive scholarship awards will cover all or their participation costs (registration taxes, lodging and food, insurance, airfare, and much 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 greatest financial benefits for international students.
However, this great benefit comes at a cost, which is actually very 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 for themselves.
Due to a large number of scholarship applicants, this means that you have a very low chance of winning a full scholarship. Don’t try to just bet on a full scholarship as chances are high you won’t get it.
Please note that full scholarships can come in different forms such as fully funded scholarships or full scholarships.
Partial scholarships
The second type of scholarship offered by US institutions to international applicants is called a partial value scholarship. Unlike the full scholarship, partial scholarships only cover the 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 might just be a certain amount of money that can be used to pay for college tuition.
Since you only partially cover your bills, you need other forms of financial assistance to fully cover the full cost of care. As this type of scholarship offers a lower value than full scholarships, there is a high chance 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, remember that scholarships are not the only form of financial aid, as international students can apply for work-study internships, scholarships, and external loans.
External Scholarships
Last but not least, international applicants can apply for external scholarships, which are financial awards offered by outside organizations other than their university, private organizations, and small businesses.
Even if your school doesn’t offer this type of scholarship directly, you can use the award money from outside scholarships to pay your college bills.
The external scholarship is probably the most overlooked type of bag among these three types of scholarships. Due to the fact that external scholarships are not as well known as scholarships offered by American institutions, many international students do not apply for these scholarships even though they could have won the scholarship money if they had applied.
Additionally, there is no limit to the number of external scholarships you can apply for, as the external scholarships stack on top of each other. If you apply for hundreds of small-value outside scholarships and win money on most of them, chances are you’ll earn enough money to pay for your college education and even have money left over to help with living expenses.
Apply, apply and apply!
Remember, there is no limit to the number of scholarships you can apply for, so start your search to find the scholarships for which you are eligible.
Once you’ve figured out all the opening dates, make a schedule so you can use your time wisely and efficiently.
I hope this information helps you and good luck with your scholarship application!
