Scholarships for International Students

Coming to America for a College Education

For many, the idea of going to college in America may be unattainable. Little do you they know that it isn’t as difficult as you might think. Many universities long for a more diverse student body. They offer all sorts of scholarships and grants to attract international students.

If you have already been accepted to a U.S. college or university, be sure to contact the international student adviser, admissions counselor or financial aid office directly to request information and applications for any available financial aid.

You need to be sure to have a plan before leaving your home country for America. Most importantly, you need to make certain that funding won’t be an issue. Many colleges require foreign students to prove that they can afford the expenses associated with getting a four-year degree. The best way to fund your college career is through scholarships. They are essentially free money! Here are a few scholarship opportunities you need to be on the lookout for.

National

The American Association of University Women has been dedicated to empowering women for over 100 years and counting. One unique program opportunity AAUW provides is their international fellowship. This allows women from foreign nations to come to the U.S. and conduct graduate or postgraduate study.

The Institute of International Education offers many Fulbright Scholarships to students looking to study internationally. Their mission is to advance international education and make education available worldwide. The Fulbright Foreign Student Program allows students from other countries to attain their Master’s degree or Ph.D. here in America.

The Rotary Foundation is dedicated to changing the world by serving in their communities and all over the world. With over 34,000 clubs worldwide, their members volunteer at home and abroad to support education at all levels, improved job training, and they work to provide clean water and combat hunger. They demonstrate their commitment to education by offering district and global grants. These can be used for a number of projects, and can also be used to fund undergraduate and graduate-level studies.

College Specific

Almost every college or university supports some form of international study. There are some universities that provide generous scholarship opportunities so that everyone can have an equal chance at studying in a foreign country

Wesleyan University in Connecticut offers a few scholarship programs for international students. The Freeman Asian Scholars Program covers the cost of tuition and fees for a four-year course of study. Students from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam are eligible, but only up to 11 highly-qualified individuals receive this award each year. This highly competitive award makes sure that the top students get the chance at a great education. It plays no favor to any particular background. As long as the student is smart and driven enough, they can receive the Freeman Scholarship.

There are some schools that offer scholarship programs to a wide range of people. These types of scholarships aren’t explicitly for internationally students; however, they have the same chance to get scholarships as students from the U.S. Drake University is an example of one of these schools. They offer the Fine Arts Scholarship to students who show exceptional skill in art and design, music, or theater and are working towards a fine arts degree. They also provide athletic scholarships to students. No matter where you are from, you are eligible for both of these awards.

Minot State University in North Dakota offers a scholarship called The Global Award. This goes to first time undergraduate students from countries other than Canada. This scholarship covers 50% of tuition charged by the school. They, too provide athletic scholarships to the hardest working student-athletes.

One of the most prestigious awards any student can achieve is the International Rhodes Scholarship. It is not awarded solely on academic achievement- even though that is a huge factor- but also on the applicant’s character, commitment to others, and their potential for leadership in their future careers. Those who are presented with this award get to pursue a degree, or multiple degrees, from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

If you are interested in attending school online, see our information on distance learning for international students.