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Scholarships in USA for International Students

The United States of America, or shortly the US, is home to some of the top-ranking universities in the world. Due to this factor, a tough competition prevails to get admission in those top-ranking universities. Apart from the admission and tuition fees being high in the urban cities of the US, the cost of living also sky-rockets depending on the cities’ economy. These costs become a significant hindrance to international students who want to pursue their higher education in the US. They not only create a financial burden for them but to the max, also pushes them to drop their study-abroad goals. Remarkably, the US universities have student-friendly campuses and facilities that international students love to explore. So to get admissions in these campuses comes with a cost that is not affordable by many. Hence the US awards monetary funds in the name of scholarships, fellowships and bursaries to international students to help them study in its country.

Each year, the US awards 1.7 million private scholarships for international students in USA to fund their bachelor’s, masters or doctoral study programs. These scholarships’ value amount to $7.1 billion. There are many types of scholarships to study in USA which can be utilised according to the needs. Particularly through scholarships for foreign students in USA, many students have benefitted and established their profession successfully.

Types of Scholarships in USA

USA, not restricting the scholarships to meritorious students alone, provides monetary funds to all kinds of students. There is no dearth of scholarships in the US and it is easy to get them given your application (both the SOP and LOR) is unique and motivating. These scholarships cater to all the needs of the students encouraging them to take up their desired courses to study in eminent American Universities or Colleges.

1. Merit Scholarships

As the name suggests, Merit scholarships are for students who consistently performed exceptionally well in their academics, sports and extracurricular activities. The consistency is important because it shows their dedication and passion for a subject, sport or an activity. Merit scholarships are classified into three sub types such as Academic scholarships, Average Academic Performance Scholarships and Sports scholarships.

a. Academic Scholarships - They are given purely based on a student’s academic performance in their latest grade or class. They are carefully picked after considering their consistent performance in their academics. These scholarships are sponsored by the government, private universities, or private bodies like NGOs.

b. Average Academic Performance Scholarships - Average Academic Performance scholarships are given to students who maintain their overall academic profile impressive. The overall academic profile means not only the scores and GPAs are considered, but their performance in extracurricular activities and community service involvement is taken into account. So when the complete profile of a student seems creative and impressive, Average Academic Performance scholarships are awarded.

c. Sports Scholarships - Sports scholarships are fiercely competitive as merit scholarships. Both have tough competitions as many talented scholars and sportspersons apply for the scholarships. Sports scholarships are given to outstanding sportspersons who consistently perform well in their respective fields.

2. Need-based Scholarships

Need-based scholarships are given to students who need financial assistance to fund their studies. Contrary to the merit scholarships, these scholarships are purely given based on the financial status of the international students. Hence academic scores are not considered. Financially-weak students are considered for these scholarships. For a long time, international students were not considered for this scholarship, but as time passed, many universities started to provide these scholarships for them.

3. School-Specific Scholarships

School-specific scholarships are sponsored by a particular US university or College to international students. These scholarships may be fully-funded, covering the tuition fees, living expenses, travel expenses and establishment expenses or partially funded, covering alone the tuition fees.

4. Scholarship for Minorities

Apart from the native Americans, a major smaller group of minorities reside in America. So this scholarship is created for them. These scholarships are not available to international students.

5. Scholarships for Women

Like the scholarship mentioned above, scholarships for women are also aimed at only women who need financial assistance to fund their studies. Since women were treated as a minority in the before-age, separate scholarships for women alone are awarded now.

6. Creative Scholarships

Art is one form of life for modern Americans. It has become a part of life for them as each art has made ordinary people in America as celebrities and famous personalities. So much importance is given to liberal arts like acting, writing and performing music. So if you are creative and excel in any form of art or music instrument, there is probably a scholarship for you in the US.

USA Government Scholarships

US government scholarships are purely funded by the US government and may also be sponsored by the central or state government of the US. Government scholarships have a tough competition as they usually fully pay for the students’ three-years or four-year bachelor's programs. Let us see some of the most popular US government scholarships for international students.
  • Fulbright Foreign Student Program in USA 2022
  • Thomas Jefferson Prize in United States History 2020
  • Professional Fellows Program
  • Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship
  • Fulbright Student Scholarship Program
  • DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
  • Dr Abdul Kalam Postgraduate Fellowship
  • TLP-SP Master’s Degree Scholarship Program

US Universities Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students

There are many universities in the US that provide fully-funded scholarships to international students. Students can apply to many scholarships according to their scores (eligibility). It is best to research the fully-funded scholarships they can apply for before settling or concentrating on one or a couple of them. Below are some of the best scholarships in USA from the US universities.

S.No

University Name

Scholarship Name

Description

1.

Stanford University

Stanford University Scholarships

Fully Funded scholarship offered for Master's and PhD studies.

2.

Yale University

Yale University Scholarships

Fully Funded scholarship given for pursuing Undergraduate, Master’s and PhD.

3.

University of New Haven

University of New Haven Scholarships

Fully Funded Scholarship offered for doing Masters program. 

4.

University of Memphis

University of Memphis scholarship

Fully Funded scholarship offered for doing Undergraduate and Master’s program.

5.

University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota Fellowship

It is also a fully funded scholarship for international students to complete their Master’s program.

6.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW)

AAUW Fellowship Program for Women

A Fully funded scholarship for women to do their Master’s, PhD and Postdoctoral.

7.

Boise State University

Treasure Scholarship

Fully funded scholarship for doing Undergraduation program.

8.

Boston University

Boston University Presidential Scholarship

Fully-funded scholarship for doing Undergraduate degree program.

9.

Berea College

Berea College Scholarship

Covers full tuition fees and is given to do undergraduation program.

10.

Cornell University

Cornell University Financial Aid

Fully Funded scholarship given to need-based international students to pursue their Undergraduation program.

Undergraduate Scholarships in USA for Sri Lankan Students

The US offers many scholarships for international students, particularly for Sri Lankan students who are given fully funded undergraduate scholarships for international students in the USA. These scholarships in USA for undergraduate international students can be used for studying any UG specialisations. Let’s look at some of the notable US scholarships for Sri Lankan students.

  • Alumni Association International Scholarship At University System of Maryland, USA
  • Fermi Scholarships Northwestern University the USA
  • Hiram College Scholarships
  • Global Excellence Scholarships
  • University of Arizona International Tuition Award
  • Amherst College International Scholarship
  • International Dean’s Scholarship University of Maine
  • Gus Archie Scholarship Program
  • International Undergraduate Scholarship Montana State University
  • University of Buffalo International Admission Scholarship
  • LSA Manoogian Postdoctorate and Visiting Scholar Fellowship
  • Hunt Postdoctoral fellowship
  • Mercatus PhD Fellowships George Mansion University
  • Wenner-Gren Postdoctoral fellowship
  • Kellogg Institute Visiting Fellowships

Scholarships for Master’s in USA

In the US, Masters are the second degree done after completing the Bachelor’s degree, which is officially called the Graduate degree. There are many fully-funded scholarships for Master’s, which cover the entire study and living expenses of the international students. Following are the scholarships for Postgraduate studies in USA, including the Master’s scholarships.
 
  • Fulbright Scholarships
  • Stanford University Scholarships
  • Yale University Scholarships
  • University of New Haven Scholarships
  • The University of Memphis Scholarships
  • The University of Minnesota Fellowships
  • AAUW International Fellowship Program
  • ACI Foundation Scholarship
  • ONSI Sawiris Scholarship
  • Rotary Peace Fellowship Program

How to Get Scholarships for MBA in the USA?

To get MBA scholarships in the US, students need

  • A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
  • Two to three years of work experience in the relevant field.
  • Excellent academic score.
  • Excellent GMAT/GRE score.
  • English proficiency score certificate if needed.
  • Certificates of any extracurricular activities or project completion, or any community involvement.

Scholarships for MBA in the US

If students fulfil the requirements for securing an MBA scholarship like the ones mentioned above, they can study MBA in the US with full-ride scholarships. Some of the notable MBA scholarships available in the US are given below.

  • Arizona State University W.P. Carey Forward Focus MBA Scholarship
  • National Academy of Human Resources Graduate Scholarship
  • National Black MBA Scholarships
  • Paul Hagelbarger Memorial Scholarship Fund
  • QS Leadership Scholarship
  • Reaching Out LGBT MBA Fellowship
  • Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business
  • Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program
  • Robert H Rumler MBA Scholarship
  • Selected Professions Fellowship

PhD Scholarships in USA

PhD scholarships are the most coveted scholarships in the US as they fulfill the life-long education goals of the ambitious students of being a doctorate. These are the tough ones to receive as many factors are considered before awarding a student the PhD scholarship. Their research title, the reason for the research being conducted, the ways it benefits the community and how the research is unique and different from others are all analysed before finalising the scholarship. Below are the most prominent PhD scholarships for international students given by the US.

  • AAUW International Fellowships
  • Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarships
  • American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellowships
  • Asian Cultural Council Fellowship Program
  • Campbell Fellowships for Transformative Research
  • East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship
  • Franklin Mosher Baldwin Memorial Fellowship
  • Fulbright Foreign Student Program
  • HHMI International Student Research Fellowships
  • IBM PhD Fellowship Awards Program

How to Apply for Scholarships in USA for Sri Lankan students?

To apply for US scholarships, students should prepare all the paperwork beforehand and apply six months before the university opening date. Applying for scholarships is a big process, so thorough research work should be done based on your scores and GPA before applying for them. Students can only start applying for one when their admission (application form) is approved by the university. Students also need to check the opening and deadline date of the scholarships so they can start the process priorly. To apply for US scholarships,

  • Visit the US’s education website educationusa.state.gov to find all information relating to the International education of USA.
  • Visit educationusa.state.gov to find all information related to US scholarships.
  • Vist the respective universities’ websites to apply for their scholarships.
  • Vist the particular scholarship website to apply or know about the scholarship. For example - For the Fulbright scholarship, visit its official website to find the complete information regarding it. For Sri Lankan students, you can go to your respective country by selecting the countries list.

Documents Necessary to Apply to US Scholarships

  • A properly filled scholarship application form.
  • A copy of Passport/ID
  • Copies of Academic Transcripts
  • A Statement of Purpose/ Motivation Letter
  • A Letter of Recommendation (1 or 2)
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume
  • Standardized Test Scores like SAT/ACT/GRE/GMAT etc.
  • English Language Proficiency Test Score Certificate.

Eligibility Criteria to Apply to US Scholarships

There is no general rule of thumb for applying for US scholarships. As US offers different kinds of scholarships, international students can always find one according to their eligibility which can be a great GPA in academics or excellent performance in sports or societal work for their communities. Also, there are need-based scholarships for students coming from financially-weak families. Also, since each scholarship demand different kinds of eligibility criteria, it is best advisable to research a scholarship thoroughly before applying for one.

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FAQs For Scholarship in USA

1. How to get Scholarships in USA?
To study in the US, students must show proof of enough funds to commence their study program there. This funding can come from
  • Personal or Family Funds
  • Private Scholarships
  • Governmental Funding
  • College Scholarships, or Assistantships
4
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