How to achieve Scholarship for Graduate Students studying abroad? | AdmitEDGE

Financial assistance of any form is of utmost importance to international students applying for admissions to universities abroad.

Does the name  Lloyd Chen ring any bells?

Let me tell you why this 17 year old teen from California is very important for this discussion.

About Lloyd

Llyod grew up in extreme poverty and managed to get full ride scholarship from not only one but nine of the most prestigious universities in US. The list of the universities Llyod landed includes 3 Ivy league institutions namely Harvard, Princeton and Yale apart from MIT, Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and UC Davis.

Moral of the Story

The moral that this example drives home is that “100 % scholarships or full ride scholarships are no longer a myth”. The holy grail of every college applicants scholarship search is no longer unachievable. But it’s not going to be a cakewalk either. Limited seats and lot of competition make it a very difficult spot to be in. Standing out from the crowd is crucial to getting a full ride scholarship.

Education system in the US might be a lot more expensive compared to education systems elsewhere in the world. There are a lot of options whereby you yourself can fund your education without having to depend on your parents or family members.

Factors influencing 100% Scholarship

1. Start early, finish strong

The scholarship deadlines precede the admission deadlines by a couple of months. Cash in before the competition commences. In order to remain ahead of the competition you need to start early and fill up the applications.

The adage early bird catches the worm is very true for this case. You need to keep yourself updated with the     university deadlines. Visiting websites of universities you wish to shortlist is the right thing to do.

Websites to help you in university shortlisting

• Scholarships.com
• CollegeBoard
• FastWeb
• CollegeNet
• ScholarshipMonkey
• scholars4dev

2. Careful short listing of universities

Not all colleges provide scholarship to international students. So you’ll have to pay extra attention while shortlisting universities. Wondering how to find the comprehensive list of colleges/universities that offer scholarships? Don’t worry. After going through every nook and cranny of the Internet starting from hundreds of college/university websites to tons of educational forums, I’ve compiled a list of universities which provide scholarships to its students.

Download the complete list of Universities with number of students & amount of Scholarships received here.

Scholarship programs from humanitarian organizations:

Apart from scholarship stipend and fellowships provided by the universities, there are several international organizations which can provide you scholarship programs. It’s very important that you keep a look out for these programs.

Here’s a list of Scholarship programs offered by different organizations:

a) Foreign Fulbright Student Program:

This program helps graduate students from abroad to continue research and studies. It encourages students from all fields. The Scholarship is awarded to  approximately 4000 students each year. The program receives invites from 155 nations.
Website link: https://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/

b) Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarships

The  Joint Japan World Bank  Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) sponsors students from developing countries to pursue graduate studies leading to a Master’s degree from preferred and partner universities around the world. Scholars are expected to return home to contribute to the development of their country. The scholarship includes

1. Travel costs between your home country and the host university
2. Tuition for your graduate program
3. The cost of basic medical insurance
4. A monthly subsistence allowance to cover living expenses, including books.

To know more about the program and eligibility criteria please visit:

c) AAUW International Fellowships

AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University Women) awards International Fellowships for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not United States citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate study at accredited institutions are supported.Fields of study include Business, government, academia, community activism, the arts, and sciences.Since it started, International Fellowships have been awarded to over 3,000 women representing 135 countries. International Fellowships funds are only available for: educational expenses, living expenses, dependent child care, and travel to professional meetings, conferences or seminars, as long as it does not exceed 10% of the fellowship.

• Master’s/Professional Fellowship: $18,000
• Doctorate Fellowship: $20,000
• Postdoctoral Fellowship: $30,000

To know more about the eligibility criteria and application process please visit: http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/international-fellowships/

d) Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme

The Aga Khan Foundation provides a limited number of scholarships each year for postgraduate studies to outstanding students from developing countries who have no other means of financing their studies. Scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant: 50% loan basis through a competitive application process once a year in June or July. The Foundation assists students with tuition fees and living expenses only. The cost of travel is not included in AKF scholarships. Half of the scholarship amount is considered as a loan, which must be reimbursed with an annual service charge of 5%. A guarantor is required to co-sign the loan agreement. The payback period is five years, starting six months after the study period funded by the Aga Khan Foundation.
For more information please visit: http://www.akdn.org/akf_scholarships.asp

e) Rotary Foundation Global Study Grants

The Rotary Foundation offers scholarship funding through the Rotary Foundation Global Grant scholarships. The scholarship funds graduate-level coursework or research for one to four academic years. Rotary Foundation Global Grants can be used to fund scholarships with sustainable, high-impact outcomes in one of Rotary’s six areas of focus: Peace and conflict prevention/resolution, Disease prevention and treatment, Water and sanitation, Maternal and child health, Basic education and literacy, and Economic and community development. The minimum budget for a Global Grant scholarship is $30,000 which can fund the following: Passport/visa, Vaccinations, Travel expenses (as specified in the grant terms and conditions), School supplies, Tuition, Room and board,  Household supplies, Language training courses (but not if university admission is contingent on improvement of language skills).   Most personal and miscellaneous expenses are not covered by the scholarship funding.

f) USIEF Scholarships

The United States India Educational Foundation was established to promote academic partnerships between Indian and American universities and provide Indian students the opportunity to study in top American universities. The Tata Scholarship at Cornell University, Brandeis University Scholarship and The University of California Berkeley Scholarships are some of the popular scholarships offered by USIEF and its partners.
Students are also advised to visit the website of the Ministry of Human Development for details of other scholarships that Indian students are eligible to apply and offered in partnership with other governments.

g) Tata Scholarship (Cornell University for Indian students)

The Tata Scholarship Fund will support approximately 20 scholars at any given time and will ensure that the very best Indian students have access to Cornell, regardless of their financial circumstances. The scholarship will be awarded annually; recipients will receive the scholarship for the duration of their undergraduate studies at Cornell. A $25 million endowment courtesy of  Tata Education and Development Trust, has been established that will allow Cornell to provide financial aid to undergraduate students from India.
To know more about the program and selection criteria please visit: http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/international-students/tata-scholarship

3. Scholarship Essay-can make it or break it

A good scholarship essay can work wonders for you. You’ve to be very confident while writing your scholarship essay or SOP depending upon the requirements of the university you choose. You have to list all your accomplishments without exaggerating. Be straightforward and honest but at the same time don’t shrink or belittle your achievements. Leave no stone unturned in your preparation for the SOP/Scholarship essay. After drafting the first copy make sure to get it proofread and edit accordingly.

4. Showcase your leadership skills

Leadership skills are as important as your academic background. Most Universities take this into account. If you had any experience managing or leading an event say technical or cultural festivals during your undergrad days make sure you include that while applying for scholarships.

5. Good scores go a long way

Last but not the least, good GRE and TOEFL/IELTS score can boost your scholarship chances immensely. In the stiff competition that is the race for scholarships your scores count. a good score can goes a long way.

Receiving financial aid in the form of scholarships is on everyone’s checklist, but you need to be very careful about the whole university shortlisting process. You have to choose wisely between good universities offering you scholarships and top universities which are not. Find a middle ground during choosing one out of them both. We understand that it is a difficult task and hence we have something to offer, that will make the task of shortlisting universities simpler and easier.

Future Lloyd Chens tell us how you are planing to secure a 100% scholarship by commenting below.