International Students: Scholarships And Funding Opportunities

International students can access scholarships to help fund their studies, although these can be competitive and challenging to find. The majority of scholarships are reserved for domestic students, but international students can still apply for a range of scholarships, including those offered by universities, governments, and private organisations. International students can also access loans, although these often require a co-signer. To improve their chances of success, applicants should carefully review their applications and showcase their leadership skills, academic records, and writing abilities.

Do international students get scholarships?

Scholarships for international students in the USA

International students can access scholarship funding from a variety of sources, including private, corporate, nonprofit, and government scholarship funds. Some universities also offer scholarships specifically for international students, such as the Presidential Scholarship offered by Clark University in Massachusetts, which is open to both domestic and international students. Additionally, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program provides funding for graduate students, young professionals, and artists to study and conduct research in the United States, with awards of up to $38,000. The Humphrey Fellowship program is another option, which places successful international applicants in a US university that suits their interests.

There are also scholarships aimed at specific groups, such as the P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship, which is awarded to women from other countries earning graduate degrees in the USA. The Society of Women Engineers has also awarded over $1 million in scholarships to women pursuing degrees in engineering, engineering technology, or computer science.

To increase their chances of success, international applicants should demonstrate leadership and writing skills in their applications. They should also be cautious of scholarship scams and never send money or personal financial details to any organisation promising a scholarship.

Leadership and writing skills

International students can access scholarships to help fund their studies in the USA, although there are fewer available scholarship dollars from universities than for domestic students. However, strong leadership and writing skills can make international students more competitive applicants.

Leadership skills

Leadership skills are highly valued by universities and can make your scholarship application stand out. Examples of leadership skills include being the head boy or girl, captaining a sports team, leading a school publication, or founding a club or society. These positions demonstrate your leadership potential and show universities that you are a future leader.

Writing skills

Writing skills are also important, as the personal statement is the most critical part of a scholarship application. It allows admissions officers and scholarship committees to get to know you and understand your self-awareness and ability to tell your story. To improve your writing skills, consider taking writing-intensive, advanced-level courses and getting involved in extracurricular activities such as launching and running a school magazine or newspaper.

To find scholarships that value leadership and writing skills, international students can use free online scholarship databases such as Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Funding for U.S. Study website, International Scholarships, and International Student Scholarships. These databases provide information on a variety of scholarships, grants, and loans that are available to international students. Additionally, students can seek advice from their school counsellor, English teacher, or EducationUSA advisor when applying for scholarships.

Online scholarship databases

There are several online scholarship databases that international students can refer to for their studies. These databases provide comprehensive listings of scholarships, grants, loans, and other financial aid opportunities for students wishing to study abroad.

One such database is InternationalScholarships.com, which offers more than 2,000 awards, including scholarships, grants, and study abroad loans. The website also features a dedicated section for International Education Financial Aid (IEFA.org), which is specifically tailored to international students seeking financial assistance. IEFA claims to be the premier resource for international scholarship and grant information, with a comprehensive database of opportunities for both US and international students looking to study abroad.

InternationalStudent.com is another valuable resource for international students. The website provides a free and up-to-date list of scholarships, grants, and other awards available to international students worldwide. It also offers country-specific scholarship programs, such as the MPOWER/InternationalStudent.com Central America Scholarship Program, which offers up to $3,000 for students from Central America. InternationalStudent.com also has a user-friendly interface where students can create an account, save awards of interest, and easily access application information.

Additionally, eduPASS is a notable resource for international students. It offers a searchable database of grants, scholarships, and loan programs. The website also provides a list of partner organizations that support undergraduate scholarships and MBA funding opportunities for international students.

Other scholarship databases include Fastweb, which provides access to 1.5 million scholarships worth $3.4 billion, and Buddy4Study, a scholarship search engine specifically for Indian students applying to schools in the USA and other countries.

These online scholarship databases serve as invaluable tools for international students seeking financial assistance to pursue their educational goals abroad. They offer a wide range of opportunities that can help make studying abroad a reality for ambitious students worldwide.

Scholarships for specific countries

International students can access scholarships to study in the USA, although minimal scholarship aid is available, and most of it is reserved for graduate study. Despite this, international students should still apply for the available scholarships.

The Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme offers scholarships for postgraduate international students from countries in Africa. The MasterCard Foundation also provides scholarships for African students to study in the US and Africa.

The American Association of University Women offers fellowships for non-American women who want to earn a Master's or doctorate in the USA. Priority is given to women who demonstrate a commitment to the advancement of women and girls.

The Civil Society Leadership Awards offers full scholarships for Master's students from specific countries who are dedicated to fostering social change.

The University of Oregon International Scholarships are aimed at international students from around the world. The University of Wisconsin Superior Non-resident Tuition Waiver Program offers a tuition waiver for international students demonstrating financial need.

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program provides comprehensive financial coverage, including tuition, a monthly stipend, airfare, health insurance, and a travel allowance, to students from developing countries who have supported their home country's development and are applying for a development-related Master's program.

Conacyt provides scholarships for Mexican students pursuing postgraduate studies in institutions abroad, while ColFuturo does the same for Colombian students.

The David P. Shapiro Autism Scholarship is a scholarship worth US$1,000, open to current or prospective students in the US diagnosed with autism.

The Preply Scholarship is open to all students, domestic and international, and at any study level, aged 16-35. To enter, students must submit a 500-word essay related to online education, multilingualism, and professional development.

The Surfshark Privacy and Security Scholarship is a $2,000 prize available to a student currently enrolled in the US or another study destination as a high school, undergraduate or graduate student. The scholarship is open to all nationalities, and applicants must submit an essay.

Undergraduate scholarships

International students seeking undergraduate scholarships in the USA face a challenging task, as most federal funding is reserved for American students. However, scholarships for international undergraduates do exist, and there are several ways to find them.

Firstly, prospective students can contact the financial aid office of their chosen university, as many universities offer scholarships to international students as a way of promoting diversity. For example, the University of Arkansas offers the New Arkansan Non-Resident Tuition Award Scholarship, which provides an annual award of $9,500 to $17,000 per year based on 30 hours of enrollment. The Wien International Scholarship Program at Brandeis University in Massachusetts is another example of a university-based scholarship for international students.

Secondly, there are scholarship databases that can be used to find opportunities. Some databases charge a fee, but free alternatives are available, such as International Student, which provides a comprehensive and searchable database of grants, scholarships, and loan programs for international students. Fastweb is another free database, providing access to 1.5 million scholarships worth $3.4 billion. Students can create a profile and keep track of their applications on the website.

When searching for scholarships, it is important to remember that not all opportunities will be explicitly labelled as "international scholarships". Many scholarships that are open to all students, rather than just US citizens, will not be advertised as such. Therefore, it is worth checking the requirements for scholarships that do not specify their eligibility.

In terms of what universities are looking for in a candidate, strong leadership and teamwork skills, letters of recommendation, and a consistently strong academic record are all desirable qualities. Special skills, talents, or abilities may also be considered for merit-based scholarships, which are usually very competitive.

Frequently asked questions