Education is crucial, and it is calming and bewildering when you have the chance to study abroad at minimal cost or even for free. Thankfully, scholarships provide the much needed financial support when you want to fulfil your dreams overseas.
There is good news, you can actually end up paying less than the required fees, if you are a worthy and brilliant student.
If you want to study overseas with a rebate on the tuition fees or free-of-cost education, scholarships are what you should be looking for. There are multiple programs for international scholarships that you can apply for to study abroad.
How to apply for a scholarship to study overseas?
Being awarded a good scholarship is like getting an exceptional opportunity. To get a scholarship, you need to have an awareness of the circumstances and a sense of purpose. If you want to apply for scholarships that will be an aid to your studies abroad, these steps will be helpful:
Explore International Scholarship Options Right from your College
Graduate schools or Colleges have experienced staff who will guide you on options for scholarships. Career centers, counselors, and offices for financial aid can help you. They have the correct information and will provide help to you in choosing a suitable scholarship.
You can contact them through email or visit them in person on the campus. You can bring to their notice that you are a prospective candidate for scholarships. This act will give you an extra edge as they would be prompt in response if a suitable opportunity for a scholarship comes up.
Look for scholarships beyond the campus
If you put efforts into searching, you will find multiple scholarships offered by various organizations outside the campus. You can search for them online, interact with resourceful people, and list the scholarships that aptly match your subject and requirement. Take note of the application deadlines for the scholarships. Make an effective resume and give it your best shot.
Requirements
You are required to submit the documents listed below with your application:
- Your resume
Mention all the details of your academic qualifications, experiences, interests, hobbies, achievements, and social skills. Inform them about the languages you know and list out your skill levels in soft skills and technical knowledge.
- Duly filled application form
Fill out the form with accurate and authentic information about you
- Copies of diplomas/transcripts
Submit the copies of all your academic certificates. The transcript of these records will be proof of the courses and the grades corresponding to them. The document should have a signature and an official stamp from the institute and the faculty.
- Statement of purpose/letter of motivation
An effective SOP or Statement of Purpose is a document stating the reason you choose the course and how you intend to apply. You should also communicate your career goals and persuade them to see how you are suitable for your choice of course. The text in the SOP should be approximately 400 words.
- Standardized test scores
Multiple standardized test scores are applicable to your course application based on where you intend to study. This could be GRE, SAT, GPA, ACT, and the like. A high score in these exams could increase your chances of admission depending on what other documents you submit.
- Letter of Recommendations
Attach one or two LOR or letters of recommendation from your faculty or employers of your past academic and professional institutes. This letter is an authentic proof of your capabilities, and thereby it is a crucial addition to your application.
There are other additional documents you may be asked to submit. These include:
- Essay relating to the scholarship
You might be asked to submit an essay about a subject that concerns the scholarship you plan to apply for. The aim is to assess your motivation and register your personal achievements in the given field. When writing the essay, you need to write according to the given guidelines.
- Portfolio
For students of design, art, and the like courses are required to attach a portfolio. It should contain the creative works that were done by the applicant and projects that they had participated in.
- Financial information
You are required in specific cases to produce your personal or your parents’ information about finances. It includes income tax returns and bank statements.
- A medical report
In some instances, a medical report signed by an authorized medical professional is required.
- Apply on time
Apply for multiple scholarships. When you do that, you are required to keep track of the dates of essential appointments. The dates include interviews and submission dates. To pass the interview, you need to submit authentic, coherent information, and stick to the narrative during the interview. The interviewers need to be convinced that you will honestly utilize the funds of the scholarship.
What are some of the best scholarships?
It is your field of study and career intentions that you should consider before you make a decision about the scholarship you want to apply for. If you are going to study overseas for with minimal expense on your end or even for free, you should also know the best scholarships to apply for. If you are looking at options that are country-specific for the best scholarships, there are a few scholarships we can suggest for you.
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degrees scholarships (EMJMD)
EMJMDs are graduate-level study programs at institutions all over Europe. The scholarships are awarded for the programs, with each having varied deadlines. The students who are interested need to keep a track in the online official scholarship portal to not miss the deadline
- British Council GREAT Education Full Scholarships
The British Council’s GREAT Education Scholarships were started in collaboration with 25 eminent UK Universities. They offer complete scholarships to the brightest students from all over India. The scholarship is for Indian graduate students who want to study outside the country. This applies to multiple undergraduate and graduate study programs in the UK.
- INSEAD Deepak and Sunita Gupta Endowed Scholarships
This scholarship is aimed at students who have graduated and come from developing countries. The students want to pursue an INSEAD MBA study program but are financially backward. This scholarship facilitates specific qualified scholars to get financial assistance of approximately EUR 25,000 for their MBA degree.
- The Heinrich Böll Foundation scholarship
Through this German scholarship, students will get approximately 850 Euros every month along with other individual allowances. If you want to apply to study in Germany through this scholarship, you are required to have outstanding academic records.
This is a scholarship awarded annually to graduates and doctoral students of all disciplines and nationalities. You are also required to have a written proof of proficiency in the German language. Moreover, the applicants are required to have demonstrated past experiences in social and political engagement. The deadline for this scholarship is March 1 of every year.
- Scotland’s Saltire scholarships
The scholarship offers approximately 8000 Euros for tuition fees for studying in Masters’ programs in Scotland. The applicants are required to pursue science, technology, creative industries, renewable and clean energy, healthcare, and medical sciences.
- Great Wall Program
This scholarship is aimed at students from developing countries. These are specifically for students who want to study or pursue research in China. It was launched by the Chinese Ministry of Education for UNESCO. It is meant to fund students and scholars.
- Orange Tulip scholarship
The candidates for this scholarship should be students residing in India. They should have been admitted to a university in the Netherlands or should be in the process of getting admitted to Dutch universities or colleges.
Hopefully, reading this blog guided you on how to apply for scholarships and which scholarship to apply for.
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Study abroad with the help of international scholarships
Posted on May 17, 2022