Study Abroad

Last Updated on April 8, 2024 by Umer Malik

Abroad Scholarships for Colleges and universities award their students with financial support or scholarship which pays for their undergraduate degree. While some scholarships work once, some schools offer renewable scholarships where students receive annual funds.  

The money that students receive can be in the form of a cheque issued in their name or offered to their school. In the latter case, the student pays the financial difference on rent, tuition fees or board.

Let us now see the basics that you must remember when applying for a scholarship to study abroad. Let us start with the different types available.

Different Variety of Scholarships Available

Let’s look at the common scholarships that you can apply to study abroad –

1. Merit scholarships are those scholarships that candidates receive for achieving exceptional academic results. Often, colleges and universities provide such scholarships to their students. The information is available on the official university website’s “costs and funding” page.

2. Scholarships related to achievements in artistic, athletic or research fields.Candidates who share their preferences in arts, sports or research can avail of this scholarship. However, they must showcase their skill sets to the scholarship providers.

3. Scholarships for students in the low-income category share resemblance with grants.It will enable students who cannot afford to pay their entire tuition fees or living expenses to continue their education. Other organizations and universities can use need-based scholarships for an excellent investment. In addition, the graduates can offer support to their communities.   

4. Scholarships for under-represented communities (like women, citizens in developing nations, African-American and Hispanic-Latino students) aim to encourage these groups (like the Native Americans) to pursue education without considering expenses.

5. Scholarships for every international student. These scholarships are funded by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or private institutions where the contributions are offered to higher education. International students can apply for these scholarships but should meet their general requirements.  

So, what are the general requirements and eligibility?

Eligibility for a Scholarship

Any students who meet the basic requirements of their applications can apply for a scholarship. However, you should understand that different scholarships pertain to different students.

Before choosing your scholarship, see whether you can submit your application. Second, check whether the application deadlines for the scholarship are updated. Thirdly, ensure that the scholarship is accessible to national and international candidates.

Once you are sure about the eligibility, you need to get the essential applications ready at hand. So, which applications do you need? Find out!

Basic Applications Necessary to Earn a Scholarship

Let’s look at the basic applications that are important for you to earn your scholarship.

  1. An application form or registration
  2. A personal essay or letter of motivation
  3. Letter of recommendation
  4. An academic institution’s letter of acceptance
  5. Official financial statements and proof of low income.
  6. Proof of extraordinary athletic or academic achievement.

Now how do you get file and send the applications mentioned? Here is a snippet of the documentation procedure to study in abroad.

  • Fill up an online application form to register for your scholarship.
  • Check your email inbox and see whether you have received the confirmation mail.
  • You can write your statement or essay. Although you can take help from the internet, it is better to maintain originality using your ideas and experiences.
  • Obtain official proof of your arts, academics, or athletics achievements. It is usually advised to translate your documents.
  • Get the official proof of your nationality (applies for region-based scholarships) or low income. Translation might be required in this scenario as well.
  • Proofread your documents and check for errors before you send them to your scholarship provider.
  • Submit your university’s official document (like the acceptance letter), which validates your eligibility. You will not receive your scholarship until you confirm that you will start studying.
  • Once you obtain the results, your college or university shall receive the money to cover the fees for your tuition.

Once done with the basics, you must be wondering where to look for relevant scholarships. Do not be lost, for here is just the list you have been looking for!

How to Find Relevant Study Abroad Scholarships?

Let us look at the sources where you will get study abroad scholarships.

1. The official websites of your preferred universities provide your scholarships. You can also contact a representative through chat or email to learn more about your scholarship.

2. Surf the internet to look for financial support on websites like –

(i)Scholarshipportal.com â€“ Provides more than 5,000 scholarship options.

(ii) Scholarships for Development–Students from developing nations can visit this website, which offers financial support programmes for those who can’t afford them.

(iii) Official EU scholarship page â€“ Pupils can fetch different scholarships that are available in Europe.

(iv) Scholarships.com–Offers a large database with more than 3.5 million grants and scholarships.

Students can also visit the official study in abroad pages of various nations to learn more about the scholarships provided in those territories.

study in uk after 12th

Finally, you know where to look for a scholarship, and the technical details surrounding it. Let us now look at the most indispensable part of the process – earning a scholarship.Read on to master a few tricks!

7 Tricks to Ensure You Earn Your Scholarship

1. Work hard on the applications for your study abroad scholarships â€“ Hard work is crucial if you want to earn your scholarship. A minimum of 3 hours of investment is necessary to work on your applications.

2. List everything you’ve gained qualifications for –Begin with the home university and shift to the external providers. Or, you can also meet with the people at the study abroad office or the career centre.

3. Realize the organization’s objectives and priorities–Learn the organization‘s operations, values, and mission statement. Identify their priorities and the way they express their organization. Understand their values and write your application for study abroad scholarships using relatable keywords.   

4. Learn how to assess their candidates–Identify the qualifications the organization is seeking from their candidates. You can also reflect on the detailed FAQs on the website to learn more about how the organization screens their candidates. Most importantly, be honest about yourself.

5. Be prepared to adapt to new languages and visit rare countries–Sometimes, visiting rare countries to gain your scholarship can be helpful. You can learn a popular language from a less popular location. In addition, it’ll be affordable and lie within your budget.  

6. Avoid generic statements–You should use your personal experiences or real-life situations while applying for your scholarship. Avoid using common vague sentences. Instead, focus on your interests and motivations that drive you to take up your scholarship. You can communicate with your professors to learn how to avoid generic statements.  

7. Think about how you’ll use your knowledge for your community–You should focus on how to use your knowledge and experience to help your community. For example, you can create a blog, initiate a photography exhibition or make short videos on famous landmarks.

Conclusion

Earning a scholarship can open up new doors and opportunities for you and your career. But, you must know how to apply for them. This post discusses the types, eligibility, applications, resources, and tricks you can use to earn your scholarship. writedailynews.com