When you’re looking to study in the USA, there’s one thing that always stands out above all else – the cost of tuition and living expenses. Sure, you can seek out scholarships to cover your costs, but that takes time, effort, and luck. If you’re struggling to find money fast and don’t want to wait around to see if a scholarship comes your way, what other options do you have?
The Fulbright Program
If you want to study abroad in America, there are a few opportunities available. The Fulbright Program, funded by the U.S. government, offers competitive fellowships for international students and scholars who want to pursue graduate research or teach English overseas. You can find out if you're eligible and apply here. The program is open to citizens of other countries as well as U.S. citizens living abroad, but keep in mind that any applicant needs a degree from an accredited institution before applying and can't have lived outside their country of citizenship for more than three years during this decade (2012 - 2020).
If you don't qualify for a Fulbright, other options are available. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs offers a handful of fellowships that promote cultural exchange between citizens of different countries. You'll need to be accepted by a university or organization in America before applying, but eligibility is open internationally (with some exceptions). Some programs require you live on campus during your studies while others allow you to commute from your home or even stay overseas during your scholarship period. To find out more about any program, including how to apply, contact them directly.
The IIE Generation Study Abroad
Generation Study Abroad is an IIE initiative that provides information, tools and opportunities so all students can explore, learn and connect with other cultures. The website features a Scholarship Search Tool that allows you to search over 800 scholarships available to study abroad. There are also stories from current and former students who have studied abroad, as well as blogs by educators and professionals on how studying abroad has made an impact on their lives.
Generation Study Abroad also has resources like The Ultimate Guide which walks you through every step of the process of applying for a scholarship. You will find helpful tips about preparing your materials and advice about what not to do when completing your application.
IIE also lists special awards, such as The Spirit of China Scholarship which allows Chinese students to study abroad at a U.S. or Canadian university. This scholarship not only covers tuition, but also includes a monthly stipend and an on campus accommodation award.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
This is a highly competitive and prestigious scholarship offered by the U.S. Department of State and National Security Education Program (NSEP) that provides funding to students of limited financial means with demonstrated academic merit and leadership potential who wish to study abroad, but who might not otherwise have this opportunity.
The Gilman Scholarship is open only to undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university and intend to pursue studies outside of their home country on a program lasting no longer than one year.
Some typical reasons why an applicant may want to participate in an overseas educational experience include: expanding linguistic skills, broadening perspectives on other cultures, exploring business opportunities, conducting research unavailable elsewhere, among others.
The Boren Awards for International Study
The Boren Awards are open to undergraduate students who have completed at least one year of full-time university studies. They offer up to $20,000 per year for up to two years of graduate or undergraduate study. To apply, you'll need a degree from an accredited institution and a letter of recommendation from your current university president; application deadlines are November 1 and April 1. The Fulbright US Student Program (six sentences)
The Fulbright US Student Program is open to graduate students who are citizens of the US or Canada and non-US citizen nationals with US permanent residency status. This scholarship offers up to $30,000 per year for two years of graduate study overseas. Applicants must have already completed one full academic year of master's level coursework.
Fulbright applicants must be endorsed by a US university and complete an online application, which can take up to three hours to complete; then they are required to submit their transcripts and letters of recommendation. If you have already begun your studies, you'll need a letter from your university stating how far along you are. The University recommends that applicants use their official transcript service or ask their school registrar's office for an official copy.
The Critical Language Scholarship Program
The fellowship includes a one-time award of $20,000 USD, which can be renewed for up to two years at a time. The Critical Language Scholarship Program is open to US citizens who are college juniors or seniors, and they may apply after completing their sophomore year. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in at least one critical need language: Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian or Turkish. Students also must have completed 2 years of college coursework by the start date of their fellowship and be able to spend 3 semesters abroad during the term of their scholarship.
The program’s deadline is usually around January or February, but applications typically open 6 months before that date. The earlier you apply, though, the better – language learning takes time and participation on your part. Keep an eye out for updates on our website and follow us on Facebook so you can be sure you don’t miss important dates or news about deadlines or changes to policy. You may also want to ask a current Critical Language Scholarship recipient if they would mind answering a few questions regarding their experience with TLSI!
The DAAD Scholarship Program
There are three types of DAAD scholarships. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers one scholarship that is open to all students and graduates from all countries, regardless of their academic background. One scholarship is available only to graduate students and another one is available only to undergraduate students. All applicants must have completed at least two years of college education or have graduated from a high school diploma program abroad before they can apply for these DAAD programs.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers one scholarship that is open to all students and graduates from all countries, regardless of their academic background. The DAAD Study Abroad Scholarship is awarded based on academic merit and financial need. In 2017, 40 undergraduate students received a total of $1,000 each as part of their DAAD award.
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program: This program focuses on graduate students who are studying STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields of study. The purpose of NSF GRFP is to help create a more diverse STEM workforce by providing highly qualified doctoral candidates with support during critical stages in their graduate training.
The ETA International Teacher Exchange Program
The goal of The ETA International Teacher Exchange Program is to provide U.S. teachers with opportunities to teach abroad while improving English language proficiency and cultural understanding. The program offers up to $5,000 in financial aid, covering both airfare and living expenses overseas. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education, have completed one year of teaching experience, and demonstrate proficiency in English as a second language at or above the Intermediate Low level according to TOEFL scores (iBT: 22). Previous winners have taught in countries such as Costa Rica, New Zealand, Cambodia, South Korea and Argentina.
In order to be eligible, you'll need to complete an application detailing your educational and professional background, as well as a 500-word essay on why you want to teach abroad. Deadline: June 1 of each year. Sponsored by The Exchange Visitor Program (ETV), part of U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, The ETA program receives more than 6,000 applications from English language teachers from around 150 countries annually . Each candidate is carefully screened before being awarded a spot on a waiting list for one or more available exchange spots.
The Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program of the Fulbright-Hays
The program is open to graduate students who are currently enrolled in a full-time Ph.D.
applications must be submitted by a professor who serves as your mentor or advisor. You can use a current or past advisor, someone from your department, an outside professor with whom you’ve worked on a specific project, and so on. Your application will also need information about where you want to do your dissertation research—your university doesn’t actually host students through Fulbright-Hays but does provide funding for students who are chosen. The application process is rather straightforward and usually only takes a few weeks to complete; it requires submitting some paperwork along with letters of recommendation and writing samples.
There’s an application fee of $50 per student, but that covers all students within a university who want to apply. However, Fulbright isn’t your only choice. The Robert J. Shillman Fellowship Program provides between $10,000 and $20,000 for graduate students who do their research at top-ranked American universities; it doesn’t have as strict of a field focus as Fulbright but still focuses primarily on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation offers fellowships worth up to $30,000 for master’s level students doing their work at top-ranked American universities; it also doesn’t require a thesis or dissertation be completed by applicants.
The Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships
Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships offer up to five awards of $15,000 each year. The recipient is selected on the basis of a proposal that will be submitted by September 18, 2018. The proposal can address one or more of three main topics: 1) addressing social justice and conflict through music; 2) examining how music and art can promote peace and understanding; 3) exploring music as a force for change.
The application requires essays which are limited to 2500 words, references, transcripts, five letters of recommendation from teachers/professors and two from employers, as well as two sample compositions (one solo piece with accompanying instrumentation). A video component is also a possibility.
The application deadlines are on September 18, 2018, October 20, 2018 and November 12, 2018. Fulbright will award a recipient before December 31, 2019. Award recipients will be expected to participate in an upcoming on-campus information session and concert. The Fellowship is open to all majors who are full-time students at an accredited institution of higher education throughout their senior year (2019). Applicants must also be citizens of nations other than the United States or permanent residents of countries other than Canada or Australia. Awardees must either plan to enroll or have been accepted as graduate students at one of more than 1,200 U.S. colleges and universities that offer Fulbright programs worldwide or expect enrollment by September 2019 at a high school U.S.
The Fund for Education Abroad Rainbow Scholarship
conclusionconclusionThe Rainbow Scholarship is awarded through The Fund for Education Abroad, a non-profit organization. It is available to students with financial need who are interested in studying abroad. The scholarship includes:
· $5,000 per year toward tuition and books at any accredited American college or university
· airfare from your place of origin to the United States round-trip
· Housing allowance of $2,500 per semester
· Visa sponsorship
Applications can be submitted here.
Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and show financial need.
Conclusion
1. Consider where you want to go and what you want to do before deciding which schools to apply for. 2. Work with your guidance counselor or college advisor if you're not sure how to start your application. 3. Get started early! The sooner you get started, the more time you have for research, planning and gathering materials. 4. Be as organized as possible when filling out your application form: use a checklist and keep track of any documents that need sending in or are required after submitting an application form (e.g., transcripts, letters of recommendation). 5.
6. Make sure you read all relevant application material closely, as many scholarship applications have different deadlines and unique requirements. 7. Don't wait until the last minute - allow yourself time to send everything in on time and double check that it's all correct and spelled correctly! 8.