How To Apply For Scholarship Abroad

Exorbitant tuition costs may put an end to your dream of studying overseas and deter you from moving further. Applying for scholarships is a terrific method to manage your study expenses, and there are many of them available. How precisely can you identify the best ones, and how can you apply for a scholarship that would allow you to fulfill your ambition of studying abroad?

Don’t let the cost of studying abroad depress you. The idea that studying abroad is expensive is a popular one, but guess what? Thousands upon thousands of study abroad grants and scholarships are out there, waiting for your application! Who doesn’t enjoy receiving free money? The heart-eye emoji comes over to all of us as we think about it.

Making financial sacrifices in the months before your summer, semester, or year abroad may be necessary (say no to dessert indulgence and reduce post-Christmas sales shopping), but managing your money wisely before studying abroad is just one step towards greater and more exciting experiences.

How To Apply For Scholarship Abroad

Don’t assume that these are simple study abroad scholarships; instead, consider these tried-and-true methods for obtaining the greatest ones. We know you want to travel to amazing locations, but we don’t want to spend your time with antiquated methods or ideas to help you win those prizes because we know you’re busy balancing obligations to family, friends, work, and school. We wanted to get right to the point. Choose a location (preferably among the finest), and then proceed to study our basic guide on How to Apply for Scholarship Abroad.

How do scholarships work?

A scholarship is given to cover study costs, including tuition and enrollment fees, accommodation, study materials, and other expenses. In the case of receiving a scholarship, you may either get a check or the scholarship may be paid directly to the university you will be attending.

If the scholarship is lower than your tuition fees, student accommodation, or other study costs, you have to cover the remaining expenses yourself.

Who gives scholarships, and why?

Now, why would someone give away so much money for free? Many private organizations, NGOs, higher education institutions, and state institutions seek to make studying abroad possible for more people. To do so, they offer money to support students in accessing higher education, despite their circumstances.

Who can apply for a scholarship?

Anyone who meets the application requirements can apply. Yes, it’s a ‘Captain Obvious’ answer, but different types of scholarships target different students. These are called requirements, eligibility, or selection criteria, and they mean your profile needs to tick certain boxes to compete for the money. Always check those criteria and see if a specific scholarship is the right one for you, so you don’t waste valuable time applying to the wrong one. Some of the most popular conditions are:

• Academic Merit: A strong academic record is often a primary condition.
• Nationality/Residency: Many scholarships are specifically designed for students from certain countries or regions.
• Field of Study: Some scholarships are available only for students pursuing studies in specific fields, such as STEM, arts, or humanities.
• Work Experience: Some scholarships, especially for postgraduate studies, might require applicants to have a certain amount of relevant work experience.
• Age Limit: Some scholarships might have age restrictions.
• Previous Degree: For scholarships targeting postgraduate students, having a relevant undergraduate degree with a certain GPA might be a requirement.

Step 1. Research

It is vital to conduct thorough research! You will receive more financial help the more scholarships you can apply for. You can start your research on university websites: An alternative to our scholarship search is to browse through the official web pages of the universities where you wish to study. There you will find suggested scholarships for different subject areas, levels of study, and particular aspects like domestic or international status, country of origins, and so on.

If you can’t find anything on the university site, consider contacting an official institution representative via email and asking them if they have any scholarships available and how (or if) you can apply for one.  Another idea is to search for a scholarship depending on the country you plan to study in. You can find many opportunities on the official countries’ websites for higher education, such as Edu Canada or Study Australia.

Moreover, you can continue searching for options on the Internet. Make sure you read the deadlines and application dates well to avoid wasting time on expired offers. Here are some trusted sites that you can browse to find scholarships:

• Scholarships for Development – has a list of international scholarships open to foreign students’ applications.
• Official EU scholarship page – list of scholarships available for studies in Europe
• Hispanic Scholarship fund – offering scholarships to people of Hispanic heritage.
• Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships are offered to the best-ranked applicants worldwide to study for a Master’s degree in Europe.
• Commonwealth Scholarships – fully funded Master’s studies in the UK for foreign students coming from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries.
• American Association of University Women is open to all women wishing to pursue a full-time degree in the USA.
• CET Academic Programs Scholarships – scholarships for college study abroad programs.

Step 2: Ask for Help

First and foremost, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance from those in your immediate vicinity. Make inquiries regarding scholarships and grants that you may be aware of by getting in touch with the study abroad office at your university, your academic adviser, your lecturers, and the financial aid office.

Rather than only emailing or calling these offices, try to visit them in person to seek assistance on how to apply for a study abroad scholarship. Your lecturers and the study abroad office will not only find it easier to assist you in this way, but they will also be impressed by your initiative and unwavering will to come in person to talk about financial aid. The most difficult aspect of obtaining study abroad scholarships is locating them, so make sure to consult experts if you know any.

Which kinds of scholarships are available?

• Subject-Specific Grants and Scholarships for Studying Abroad: Many grants or scholarships are awarded to students who plan to pursue a certain field of study or major while abroad, such as Foreign Language Scholarships. This financial aid can be incredibly specific, zeroing in on not just the subject but also a certain subject to be studied in a particular country.
• Student-Specific Scholarships/Grants: Some scholarships are awarded based on the students themselves, due to factors such as gender, race, religion, disabilities, or sexual orientation. For instance, there are specific study abroad scholarships for high school students! With a demand for more diverse study-abroad students, programs such as the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship or Diversity Abroad Scholarships are especially helpful for students searching for financial aid. Study abroad scholarships for minorities are out there; you just have to find them!
• Government-Funded Scholarships and Grants for Study Abroad: Aside from assuring that your FAFSA financial aid will carry over for your study abroad semester, several government-funded grants or scholarships encourage students to study or do work abroad. Good examples of this include the Fulbright Program, or Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships, which are funded by the UK government specifically for international student leaders looking to study in the UK.

• Location-Specific Grants/Scholarships to Study Abroad: These scholarships or grants are created to encourage students to study in specific countries or even certain cities, such as scholarships specifically for students looking to study in Japan. You might find these scholarships provided by your university, by the government of the country you plan to study in, or even by the government of your home country, which hopes to foster international relations through the exchange of study abroad students.
• Program-Specific Study Abroad Scholarships and Grants: These scholarships or grants are often offered to students who decide to study abroad through a particular program. This could be an independent study abroad provider or a particular program crafted by your university, and only students who plan to study through that program qualify to apply.
• University-Provided Study Abroad Scholarships and Grants: Many universities provide scholarships or grants on a merit basis to be generally applied to any students looking to study abroad. However, don’t just research financial aid provided by your home university! Study abroad grants for undergraduates can be available from different institutions, depending on your affiliations. Also, look at the university you will be studying at while abroad; many higher education institutions throughout the world provide scholarships for international students to encourage a more diverse student body to attend their university.
• Organization-Provided Scholarships/Grants: Be sure to do thorough research on non-profit, chapter, or heritage organizations that may provide scholarships or grants to deserving students who match their criteria. Prime examples include scholarships for LGBT students or students of Italian or Hispanic descent. The possibilities are endless!
• Scholarships for excellent academic results. You need to be a top student to apply for this type of scholarship. Universities and colleges are the most common organisations offering scholarships for academic excellence, but they aren’t the only ones. To find out if a university offers this type of financial aid, check out the ‘costs and funding’ page on the official university website.
• Scholarships for research, artistic, or athletic achievements. If you’re into research, sports, or the arts, then this scholarship category is for you. Athletic excellence scholarships are especially popular in the US, but you can find them in other countries as well. To receive financial aid, you need to showcase your skills. This might involve impressing scouts, showing research skills beyond your age, or creating a work of art that could easily impress critics.

Step 3: Get in Direct Contact with the Scholarship or Grant Funder

Contacting the funder directly is the best way to find out all the specifics of the scholarships you want to apply for and the most recent requirements for applications; after all, they are the ones who essentially wrote the book on how to get a scholarship to study abroad! You will be demonstrating to the scholarship or grant funder or provider that you are not afraid to take the initiative and actively pursue the scholarship you are applying for, in addition to ensuring that you have all the necessary information.

Step 4. The application process

Although it depends on the scholarship you are applying for, most applications will have a similar process: online application, document submission, and waiting for the results to be announced.

Once you’ve found a study abroad scholarship for which you can apply, start preparing your documents. In most cases, this is what your application must include:

• Motivation letter. This is the most important document that can get you that scholarship, so make sure you know how to write a scholarship motivation letter. Keep in mind that sometimes it may be called a scholarship essay or a personal statement.
• Proof of your academic, athletic, or artistic achievements.
• For some need-based scholarships, you may be asked to show official proof of your income.
• An acceptance letter from the university. Without a document confirming that you will begin your studies, you will not be granted a scholarship.
• If any of these documents are written in a different language, make sure to provide an officially translated copy.

All you have to do is impress the jury and win the scholarship once you’ve decided which one to apply for, right? Indeed, it is undoubtedly true that this is “easier said than done.”

Start with a motivation letter

The motivational letter is a section of most scholarship application processes where you can highlight your character, objectives in life, and aspirations. This is your chance to write on the blank page, telling the world about yourself and your dreams. Furthermore, the significance of allowing your ideas and creativity to guide you while you write this letter cannot be overstated. These are some tips that you can consider before starting to write a motivational letter for a scholarship:

• Take time. First, outline what you want to cover in the letter. List key topics and start writing.
• Be original and honest. Talk about why you are choosing this particular academic career and what your future goals are.
• Avoid using common phrases, and instead, describe them in your own words.
• Proofread your work or opt for a quick grammar check by using online tools such as Grammarly.
• If you have a chance, ask someone you trust to read your work and give their perspective on it.

The judges are frequently drawn to compelling personal narratives. Individuals who travel, volunteer, engage in a variety of organizations or activities, or pursue their hobbies all have distinctive stories to share. Which life events have had the biggest impact on you? You may have been engaging in a fun hobby.

Perhaps you were inspired by a trip to a new nation or a place close to home. Or perhaps you have participated in a local community volunteer program. You can use any personal experience to create a compelling and original narrative for your motivation letter.

Conclusion

In summary, scholarships are a type of gift aid—money you don’t have to pay back. They are usually merit-based and very similar to study grants (which are mostly need-based), but different from student loans, which you need to pay for, often with interest. Depending on their type, scholarships can be open to local students, international students, all students, students from certain minorities or regions, etc.

The application process for a scholarship involves registering, writing a personal essay or letter, translating and sending the official study documents and proof of enrolment, etc. You can use various resources to find study abroad scholarships: university websites, online scholarship databases, official study abroad pages for individual countries, and so on. The most common types of scholarships are academic or merit-based, need-based, athletic-based, region- or minority-based, etc.

FAQs

What are the eligibility criteria for scholarships to study abroad?

• Some scholarships are available only for students pursuing studies in specific fields, such as STEM, the arts, or the humanities.

How can I find scholarships to study abroad that suit my field of study?

• You can find many opportunities on the official countries’ websites for higher education, such as Edu Canada or Study Australia.

What documents are typically required when applying for scholarships abroad?

• Applicants often inquire about the necessary paperwork or documents needed to complete their scholarship applications for overseas study opportunities.