What students need to know about scholarships in the USA

 

Let's talk about scholarships. In real life, I try to avoid conversations on this issue, primarily because there is a huge amount of information on the Internet that, on the one hand, helps students, but on the other hand, it is very confusing. To be honest, after another request for a 100% scholarship to study and live in the United States, I decided to study this topic thoroughly to dispel some of the MYTHS of international students about studying in America. 

 Scholarship, grant, financial assistance – this does not mean that you will receive education in the United States for free, it means that the organization that provides you with a certain type of assistance pays part of the tuition for you. Besides, education in the USA is quite comprehensive, that’s why as a student I preferred to write my paper with help of qualified academic writers.

 And now let's figure it out. 

First, you need to understand what a scholarship, a discount, funding (financial assistance), and a grant are. Students often turn to consultants in search of scholarships, and by a scholarship, they mean full funding of education and accommodation. That is, the goal is to get higher education in the United States for free. 

A scholarship is the financing of a certain part of the cost of studying or living or research work in the United States. The scholarship does not imply free higher education in the United States. It means that a certain organization or university that offers a certain amount of scholarships is ready to finance part of your studies on certain conditions: achievements, writing an essay, etc. 

Discount – a discount on tuition, which can be provided by the university to reduce the cost of education based on the academic success of the student. In most cases, the discount is provided at the request of the university and is not for everyone. 

Financial assistance is provided by independent organizations that provide financial support to international students. Financial assistance can cover only part of the training or living expenses during the training. 

Grant-financing of education in the United States. The funding can be full or partial. Grants are provided by independent organizations whose goal is to help finance education in the United States.

I draw the students ' attention to the fact that if your goal is immigration to the United States, grant programs do not allow you to work and get a work permit after graduation. After finishing the program, you must return to your home country. 

Secondly, you need to know that all universities and colleges, except for 5, which I will talk about later, require international students to show proof that they can finance tuition and accommodation at the university. The proof can be a confirmation that your family can pay for the studying, or that you have received financial assistance (in this case, the organization that provided you with funding will pay for the education). 

At universities and colleges in the United States, there are two ways to select students, depending on the student's ability to pay: Need Aware Admission and Need Blind Admission. 

Need Aware Admission means that to receive a letter of admission to the university, the admission committee will necessarily request confirmation that you can pay for tuition, accommodation, or related expenses. If you receive a scholarship, you will need to provide information about who will pay for parts of the education for you.

You can also submit the information that you cannot pay for your studies or can cover part of the costs, then the university decides on your enrollment on an individual basis. The university is looking at whether it can give you a discount, how much, for what, and so on. 

Need-blind admission – enrollment of students by the university, regardless of their financial capabilities. This system of selection of foreign students and enrollment is available only for 5 private universities:

1. MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2. Harvard University in Massachusetts

3. Princeton University in New Jersey

4. Yale University in Connecticut

5. Amherst College in Massachusetts

These universities decide who they can provide training to, at what cost, and whether they can provide free tuition and accommodation. 

Where can I find sources of funding for international students?

I advise students to use two main websites that provide the most complete information about the financing of education, financial assistance, and discounts for international students:

IEFA.org

International Education Financial Aid (IEFA) offers financial aid, college scholarship, and grant information for international students wishing to study abroad. Here users can find scholarships around the world.

InternationalScholarships.com

International Scholarships provide a comprehensive listing of grants, scholarships, loan programs, and other information to assist college and university students in their pursuit to study abroad.

You can apply for discounts and scholarships and receive additional sources of funding for your studies.

Does the US government finance the education of foreign students?

The question is unambiguous - no, it does not finance. You can read this on any US government website that reveals Education issues. Financial assistance is provided exclusively to Americans.

What about the grants? – you may ask. Grants are provided not by the state, but by independent non-profit organizations whose purpose is to conduct cultural exchanges and promote education in the United States. 

Why can't graduates of secondary schools in foreign countries get a discount on tuition based on academic success?

We often mention that students who have entered the first year of university are not always (only in extreme individual cases) able to get a discount on tuition, which is based on academic success.

Why?

• To receive a discount, students must show high grades on the SAT, ACT exam;

• Priority in receiving discounts in the 1st year is given to students who have a certificate of secondary education in the United States, but not another;

Personally, in my practice, there were many cases when capable students received up to 75% discounts on tuition, but only based on a certificate of secondary education in the USA – they study in high school in America.