How international students in the U.S. can find scholarships
College scholarships can help international students cover the high costs of attending school in the United States, but the process of finding scholarships can be overwhelming.
There’s good news, in that, according to the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA), scholarship awards have risen by 45% over the last decade. However, with scattered sources and varying requirements, finding financial aid scholarships for international students can feel overwhelming.
To help your search go smoothly, here are some tips on how international students in the U.S. can find scholarships.
Find scholarships at your school
One of the first places to start your financial aid scholarship search is through your university. Some offer schoolwide scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students. You might also discover some departments host scholarships for students studying under its college or discipline.
For example, Oregon State University offers various regional scholarships to first-year international students from certain countries of residence. Annual award amounts range from US$2,000 to US$12,000 and are renewable for up to four years.
Similarly, Michigan State University also sponsors its #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship. International student recipients can receive a US$25,000 scholarship award toward tuition that is renewable for up to eight semesters.
Ask your school’s financial aid office for more information about scholarship options for international students.
Check out MPOWER scholarships for international and DACA students
MPOWER Financing designed scholarships specifically for international and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) students.
MPOWER currently sponsors seven different financial aid scholarship programs. Some scholarships have broad eligibility requirements. For example, its US$1,000 Monthly Scholarship awards three recipients every month. You simply need to be a full-time international or DACA student accepted or enrolled in an MPOWER-eligible school in the U.S. or Canada.
Other MPOWER scholarships are available to applicants from specific countries or pursuing areas of study, like an MBA program or STEM field. Learn more about the various MPOWER scholarships.
Look for international organizations that offer scholarships
International students in the U.S. can find scholarships through larger international organizations, too.
The Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship Program, for example, is a financial aid scholarship available to eligible international students. You must be enrolled in a graduate program in academic areas such as tax policy and infrastructure management, among others.
Another popular undergraduate- and graduate-level scholarship is through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. Every year, their awards support approximately 4,000 students who are studying and performing research in the U.S.
Additional organizations to find fellowships, grants and scholarships for international students include:
Search online databases
An efficient way to search for scholarships is through online scholarship sites that aggregate scholarship awards from around the world. These platforms let you filter your results based on your major or area of study, special skills or unique talents, demographic information and more.
A useful place to start your search is through the InternationalStudent.com’s scholarship tool. Currently, the database covers more than 1,600 scholarships. Searching for a scholarship that’s right for you is easy – just select your area of study, school location and country of residence to narrow your scholarship options.
Other sites to uncover financial aid scholarships include Fastweb and the College Board.
Scholarship application tips
Here are extra tips to help you find scholarships while studying in the U.S.
-
- Stay open to partial scholarships. Although a full scholarship can offer instant financial aid to pay for your education, applying for partial scholarships goes a long way. Even a scholarship of just a few hundred dollars can cover textbook expenses or lab fees for the school year.
- Consider your skills and interests. Think about your special skills and unique interests and talents. There might be a scholarship through local organizations, associations and clubs that provide financial aid assistance to international students who excel in these areas.
- Entertain less-popular scholarships. It’s always worth applying to popular scholarship programs, but be aware that those options also attract more applicants. Include less popular scholarship programs in the mix. Less competition might mean a greater chance at receiving an award.
- Make each written essay unique. Crafting a strong personal essay foundation and repurposing it for multiple scholarships is a smart and time-efficient strategy. However, always make sure you tweak each essay so it directly answers the scholarship prompt or question and stays unique.
- Seek out renewable scholarships. Getting a renewable scholarship improves your odds for future awards as you continue your U.S. education.
- Apply for scholarships year-round. Students commonly apply for scholarships in the months leading up to a new academic session. To maximize your scholarship opportunities, continue looking for scholarships throughout the school year, such as MPOWER’s monthly scholarship.
- Stay open to partial scholarships. Although a full scholarship can offer instant financial aid to pay for your education, applying for partial scholarships goes a long way. Even a scholarship of just a few hundred dollars can cover textbook expenses or lab fees for the school year.
Summary: How to find scholarships as an international student
There’s no denying that studying in the U.S. as an international student can be financially challenging. Although finding international student funding while in the U.S. can be difficult, it’s not impossible.
Learning how to get a scholarship and leveraging this aid opportunity is an effective way to cover your education costs. Explore the options mentioned above to get started.
