Do you desire to study abroad? Then, it would be best if you were conscious that this might not be an easy journey, considering how expensive education can be overseas. Are you discouraged already? You shouldn’t! You can apply for international scholarships that help students achieve their dream of studying abroad!
They exist in their numbers!
So
this article will help you learn the following:
- Meaning of Scholarship
- Types of scholarships
- How scholarship is different from grants and student loan
- How to Find international scholarships
- How to apply for international scholarships
Are you ready to begin?
We shall start, but first, we believe you need to know some good universities for your study mission abroad.
Do you want to know?
Here you have them:
Read also: 9 Fully Sponsored UK Scholarships For International Students.
- IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany
- University of Canberra, Australia
- Universite de Lyon, France
- The University of California, Berkeley (UCB), US
- University of Toronto, Canada
- Imperial College London, the UK
- EU Business School, Spain
What Is A Scholarship?
Cambridge dictionary defines a scholarship as “an amount of money given by a school, college, university, or other organization to pay for the studies of a person with great ability but little money.”
However, some scholarship programs are flexible, permitting all applicants to apply regardless of their academic ability or financial status.
Now that you know what a scholarship is let’s talk about its various types.
Ready?
Here we go!
Types of International Scholarships for Students
1. Scholarships By Universities
University scholarships are scholarships from universities/colleges to help students fund their studies.
A lot of them are entry scholarships. This means that applicants don’t have to apply to be eligible for the scholarship.
Your acceptance into the college or university automatically will make you qualified.
This is a scholarship specifically designed for international university students.
2. Scholarships Based On Merit
These are international scholarships for students who demonstrate exceptional academic or other achievements get these scholarships.
The criteria are determined by a child’s performance and do not consider the financial situation.
The most common misconception is that merit-based scholarships are restricted to grades.
However, the truth is that some universities consider all co-curricular talents, including musical or athletic skills. The money awarded through merit-based scholarships is mostly used to pay tuition costs.
3. Need-Based Scholarships
Also known as bursaries/need-based scholarships, they are a form of financial aid that allows students to attend graduate school.
In this scholarship type, when parents support a student, the school will look at the parents’ earnings and financial capacity to pay the tuition charges.
They can also consider citizenship and residency status, tax declarations, or employment.
However, the authorities will analyze living costs and income if the students support themselves.
As we mentioned earlier, these scholarships are not dependent on academic merit. However, in certain instances, students can be eligible for merit-based and need-based scholarships, depending on the school or program.
4. Government Sponsored Scholarships
Various agencies are registered with the government in this type of scholarship to provide students with scholarships.
States may offer the award of scholarships to students in their states.
Foreign governments can provide international scholarships to students who wish to study in their own country.
The Fulbright International Student Program and The Chevening Scholarship are good examples of scholarships available to international students.
5. Country-specific Scholarships.
As the name implies, these specially-designed scholarships for countries to help students from those countries, mostly developing countries, pursue higher studies in developing countries. There are many private institutions offering students from these countries.
6. Scholarships By Private Institutions And Individuals
These are scholarships that private donors, companies, or individuals fund. Various communities or groups, companies, and businesses provide scholarships for studying abroad.
Scholarships from these organizations are called outside/external/private scholarships.
Individual donors create an individual fund for students who require financial assistance.
The scholarships are granted based on the student’s academic performance or financial needs.
Many of them come with very strict qualifications for eligibility, like originating from an emerging country or for women/minorities/specific areas of study.
Now that you know the various forms of scholarships, what’s next?
Follow this strategy below to proceed to the next step:
- Make the list of international scholarships that you may be qualified for.
- Prepare a list for each award.
- Collect the required documents such as essays, transcripts, LORs, etc.
- Review your application and get an evaluation of your work.
- Submit your application before the closing date.
How Do I Apply For an International Scholarship?
After identifying an international study scholarship for which you are eligible, begin preparing your application documents. A typical application procedure is as follows:
- You can apply for the scholarship typically by filling out your application online.
- Check your mailbox to ensure you’ve received your confirmation email.
- Make a personal statement, or write an essay. Many examples are available online, but ensure you are unique and stand out with your thoughts and experiences.
- You must have evidence of academic or athletic, or artistic accomplishments. Translate the documents, if necessary, and it usually is.
- You can also get formal proof of your income or nationality (for regional scholarships). A translation may be required.
- Check all documents for errors and send them to the school where you want to receive them.
- You must submit acceptance letters to the institution (or an official letter from the institution confirming that acceptance). You will not be granted the scholarship without confirmation that you’ll start your studies.
- Check the results to see if you have been chosen. If you’re chosen, bravo! Start putting things together and getting ready to go to the country and institution of your choice.
Are there any known differences between scholarships, grants, and students loan?
Let’s find out!
Differences Between Scholarships, Grant, and Students Loan.
Often, we use these three words as if they were the same. We do this either deliberately or out of ignorance. However, there’s a thin line between the three.
Here you have the differences.
Scholarships and grants are no-cost aid (or “gift aid”). That is, they don’t require to be repaid, which makes them the most sought-after option.
The significant difference between a grant and a scholarship is the source of the funds, the eligibility requirements, and the application process.
In general, grants are granted in response to financial needs. In contrast, scholarships are merit-based and are awarded to students based on their academic performance, extracurricular activities, field studies, and much
more.
In a nutshell, a grant can be described as a gift that doesn’t have to be repaid. The student’s financial needs determine it. A scholarship is an award typically dependent on academic results, ability, capabilities tests, or class rank.
On the other hand, loans are the most popular type of financial aid.
The difference between loans and grants or scholarships is that they’re not “free.” You pay them back with interest.
But, they usually have fewer criteria to be eligible and are more readily available and accessible to a more significant number of individuals.
Also, read: 13 Great Reasons You Should Study in Canada.
Who Is Qualified For an International scholarship?
Anyone who meets the criteria is eligible to apply for a scholarship. It’s an obvious answer; however, various types of scholarships target students at different times.
Ensure you’re eligible to apply if the deadlines are in order and the scholarship is available to national and international students.
Here are a few of the most commonly requested criteria for scholarships:
- Application form or registration form
- Letter of motivation or personal essay
- Letter of recommendation
- acknowledgment letter by an institution of higher learning
- the evidence of an income of a low-income family proof of low income
- evidence of exceptional athletic or academic achievement
Where can I locate International scholarships for study abroad?
If you’re looking for scholarship opportunities, where should be your first point of call?
Scholarship websites? They count, but they’re not your first point of call.
Where then?
The first place to look for a scholarship should be the official website of the university you are considering for a scholarship.
Reason?
They might offer scholarships for students of your region or in your field or provide external scholarships that you can apply for, as well as provide full details on how to approach the said scholarships.
If you’re finding it difficult to get useful information, you can chat up a representative or send an email seeking assistance on available scholarship opportunities.
After this first step, you can now look at other websites for information on scholarship opportunities.
However, because it’s sometimes difficult to locate reliable information, and many websites do not have the most up-to-date information, we have provided you with some resources to help you find the most appropriate scholarship program.
Take a look:
- Educatescholars.com – a website that provides educational issues and the latest scholarship updates.
- Scholarshipportal.com -a database of over 5,000 scholarship opportunities
- Scholarships for Development Web site that provides programs for financial aid that are specifically focused on students from countries in the developing world
- European Education Area-a website for quality education and training for all.
- Scholarships.com – a database that contains more than 3.5 million grants and scholarships
- Scholarsarena.net– Website for various local and international scholarships.
Also, you can visit the official pages or websites of countries of interest to know more about scholarship opportunities and policies.
Conclusion.
The points below should serve as your final takeaway from this post:
- Scholarships are a kind of gift aid – cash you don’t need to repay. They’re like grants (primarily based on need); however, they differ from the student loan ( that you pay back in packs usually and with interest).
- As per their nature, scholarships are available to students from the local area, international students, students from all schools, students from specific minorities or regions, etc.
- Applying to receive a scholarship requires registration, writing an essay or letter, translating it, the official study documentation and proof of enrollment, and so on.
- You can utilize various sources to locate scholarships for study abroad, including university websites, online databases of scholarships, official study abroad websites for specific countries, and more.
- The most popular scholarships include academic, need-based, merit-based, athletic and minority, region-based, and so on.
Did you get value or have any questions or suggestions? Leave a comment in the comment section.
See you in the next post!
Equally recommended posts: 5 Great UK Postgraduate Scholarships for Women.