Do you have an intention of studying abroad? The tuition fees and living expenses of studying abroad are quite expensive. University Scholarships were established to remove the burden and to provide the necessary financial support that so many students desire. They are lots of universities scholarships, but the major challenge is how to find them.
What is a Scholarship?
According to the Oxford dictionary, a scholarship is “a payment made to support a student’s education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievements”. A scholarship can also be described as a sum of money or other aid granted to a student, because of merit, need, etc., to pursue his or her studies.
What are the Differences Between Scholarships and Grants?
Scholarship and grants are quite similar, both are types of financial/gift aid, which implies that students are not required to pay the money back. Grants are normally need-based, and most times they are awarded to young people who cannot afford the costs of their studies. Scholarships on the other hand are often awarded based on academic, athletic, or artistic abilities.
What are the Differences Between Scholarships and Student Loans?
A student loan is far different from a scholarship. Student loans come in form of financial aid that requires payback and most times with interest. Student loans have lots of advantages and disadvantages as well. For instance, in the US, student loan debt has gotten to $1.5 trillion in 2020.
Who Can Apply for Scholarship?
Anybody who meets the application eligibility criteria can apply. They are different types of scholarships and they target different students. Ensure to check if you are eligible to apply if the scholarship application deadlines are up to date and if the scholarship is open to citizens, international students, or both.
Below are most of the common application requirements for scholarships:
- Registration or application form
- A letter of motivation or an essay
- Letter of recommendation
- Letter of acceptance from an academic institution
- Proof of low income, official financial statements
- Proof of extraordinary academic or athletic achievement
How to Find University Scholarships
Your favorites university official websites are the best place to start searching for a scholarship. If you can’t find what you are expecting, contact a representative via email or chat and see if they can be of help.
The internet is your friend, you can search on the internet for available financial aid. However, it’s not always easy to find reliable information and only a few websites have updated content. Below are a few resources that can enable you to find the right scholarship program.
- Scholarships.com – It has a database with over 3.5 million scholarships and grants
- Official EU scholarship page – this is the official website that list the scholarships available for studies in Europe
Below are the official scholarship pages of popular countries
- official scholarships website in Austria
- official scholarships website in Denmark
- official scholarships website in France
- official scholarships website in Germany
- official scholarships website in Sweden
- official scholarships website in the Netherlands
- official scholarships website in the UK
- official scholarship website in Canada
How to Apply for University Scholarships
Immediately you have secured an international scholarship for which you can apply, ensure that your documents are ready. A normal application process looks like this:
- Register for the scholarship by completing an online application form
- Confirm or ensure that you’ve received the confirmation email.
- Write or compose a personal statement or essay. There are a lot of templates on the internet but ensure that your essay is original and also impress through your unique experiences and ideas.
- It is necessary to obtain official proof of your academic, athletic, or artistic achievements. Translate the documents if necessary
- Obtain official proof of your low income or nationality (for region-based scholarships). Again, a translation might be necessary.
- Proofread all documents for error and forward them to the scholarship provider.
- Submit the acceptance letter from the university (or an official document from the university proving you’ve been accepted). You won’t get the scholarship without confirming that you will actually begin your studies.
- Sit tight and wait for the results. If selected, congratulations.
Types of University Scholarships
These are the most common types of scholarships you can apply for as an international student
- Scholarships for excellent academic results (also known as merit scholarships)
- Research scholarship, artistic, or athletic achievements
- Scholarships for students with low incomes
- Underrepresented groups scholarship (e.g. women, Hispanic and African-American students, citizens from developing countries)
- scholarships for all international students
Good Luck.