6Steps to get a free scholarship to study abroad
Are you planning to study abroad? Then you know that tuition fees and living costs need a big budget to cover. Fortunately, scholarships provide the basic financial support many students need. Unfortunately, there are not many such dream grants. Full scholarships are rare, and those that are available are very competitive. However, this does not mean that you should not apply for a scholarship - read on to discover how to increase your chances of getting one of these prestigious scholarships.
What is a Scholarship?
Before we talk about how to get a scholarship, let's learn about scholarships. According to the Cambridge Dictionary , a scholarship is “a sum of money offered by a school, college, university, or other organization to pay for the study of a person of great ability but of little money.” But I will add that some scholarships are more flexible, allowing all students to apply regardless of their academic ability or financial resources.
Types of Scholarships Available
Here are the most common types of scholarships you can apply for in order to study abroad:
Scholarships for excellent academic results (also called merit scholarships).
Scholarships for research, artistic, or athletic achievements.
Scholarships for low-income students.
Scholarships for underrepresented groups (eg women, nationals from developing countries).
Scholarships for all international students (eg Studyportals Scholarship : International Excellence Awards).
? How do you find scholarships to study abroad
The official websites of the university you wish to study at is the best place to start your scholarship search. If you don't find anything relevant, you can reach out to them via email or chat available on the site and see if they can help.
The next step is to look for financial help elsewhere on the Internet. But it is not always easy to find reliable information and not all websites have up-to-date content.
Here are some resources that can help you find the right scholarship program:
Scholarshipportal.com : A database of over 5,000 scholarship opportunities.
Development Scholarships : A site offering financial aid programs specifically focused on students from developing countries.
Official EU Scholarship Page : List of Scholarships Available for Studies in Europe.
Scholarships.com : A database of over 3.5 million scholarships.
The official study abroad pages for individual countries also provide information about scholarships:
Official information about scholarships in Austria
https://studyinaustria.at/en/study/scholarships/
Official information about scholarships in Denmark
https://studyindenmark.dk/study-options/scholarships
Official information about scholarships in France
https://www.campusfrance.org/en/bursaries-foreign-students
Official information about scholarships in Germany
https://www.study-in-germany.de/en/plan-your-studies/preparation/funding/
Official information about scholarships in Sweden
https://studyinsweden.se/scholarships
Official information about scholarships in the Netherlands
https://www.studyinholland.nl/finances
Official information on scholarships in the UK
https://www.studying-in-uk.org/
?Who can apply for scholarships
Anyone who meets the requirements for the scholarship can apply. But each type of scholarship targets different students. Always check if you can apply, whether the scholarship application deadlines are up-to-date, and whether the scholarship is open to national students, international students or both.
In general, these are some of the most common scholarship application requirements:
Registration or Application Form
Letter of Motivation or Personal Essay
Letter of Recommendation
Letter of acceptance from an academic institution
Proof of Low Income, official financial statements
Proof of Extraordinary Academic or Athletic Achievement
? How can you apply for a scholarship
Once you have found a study abroad scholarship to apply for, start preparing your documents. A typical application process looks like this:
Register for the scholarship, usually by completing the online application form.
Check your inbox to make sure you've received the confirmation email.
Write a personal statement or letter. There are enough forms on the Internet, but remember that these are just for you to know the method and structure of writing a personal statement. The letter should express you and be impressive with your unique experiences and ideas.
Get official proof of your academic, athletic or artistic accomplishments. Translate documents if necessary.
Obtain official proof of your low income or citizenship (for region-based scholarships). Again, translation may be necessary.
Check all documents for errors and send them to the scholarship provider.
Submit the acceptance letter from the university (or an official document from the university that proves your acceptance).
Wait for the results.
6tips on how to get a scholarship
Prepare your scholarship application in advance
Just as applying to your college or graduate program begins long before you submit your personal statement and certificates, your chances of being awarded scholarships will be greater if you start thinking about what might make you a desirable applicant as soon as possible – whether you're still in Final year of high school or university study.
Priority for scholarships you are seeking
Once you have determined which scholarships you are eligible to apply for, prepare a priority list based on factors such as the scholarship amount and the amount of effort your application will require. In many cases, you may be able to repurpose the written portion of your application into one grant for use in an application for another grant. Kevin Ladd, Director of Operations at Scholarships.com urges scholarship applicants to “work hard and be smart… If you can reuse any letters while still following all scholarship guidelines and rules, do so.”
In addition to the amount of effort required to apply, compare potential scholarships based on the scholarship amount. Although it might not be worth writing a five-page letter to get a $500 scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship might be worth some of the extra effort.
Be different from other applicants
With so much competition for a full scholarship, it is vital that you stand out from the pool of applicants by showing a real commitment to improving yourself as an individual. This means having a few extracurricular activities to show off your scholarship providers, show your passion and interests outside of the classroom, as well as examples of times you've been involved with the local community, perhaps by getting involved in volunteer work for a good cause.
Leadership skills are also highly valued by scholarship providers, and you can demonstrate this by volunteering to lead projects in extracurricular activities or community work. Another thing that can really make you stand out when it comes to scholarship applications is a glowing report on your academic and personal qualities through your letters of recommendation, so it is important to build strong relationships with teachers and professors, where they will be able to give you an accurate and personal reflection on their letter.
Read application instructions carefully
This may seem very obvious, but you don't want to give up your chances by mistakenly losing a document or piece of information set forth in the grant application instructions. Make sure you read the application instructions carefully and frequently, so you don't miss anything, and email the donor if you need clarification on anything.
Send an exceptional motivation letter
The letter of motivation should be in the best quality it can ever be. This means making sure that it is clear and concise, that it is formatted correctly, that attracts the reader with a strong introduction, focused on its main topic, and written without misspellings and impeccable grammar. Don't just rely on proofreading hundreds of times to make sure it's perfect – ask a friend to check for misspellings and any sentences that don't read properly.
be realistic
Finally, as mentioned earlier, the unfortunate fact is that there are not many full scholarships to apply for, and they are highly competitive, which means that many candidates who meet and exceed the requirements for a full scholarship may end up being disqualified. Don't let this deter you from applying, but be realistic about your expectations. And remember that there is no limit to the number of scholarship applications you can submit.
If you receive a rejection, try not to let it discourage you – carry yourself up, dust yourself off, and don't stop trying in life until you get what you want.
https://www.arageek.com/edu/how-to-get-a-full-scholarship?fbclid=IwAR3Q84wYLyxORhVmOQrdkya2Kc5y9VlBMRJZqUAyu-kfYzWJBuISjU4wDOw