The United States provides a wide range of high-quality academic options. There are more than four thousand accredited institutions which include universities, colleges, research universities, state universities, private colleges, specialized institutions, and community colleges. If you browse through the internet, you will be able to get the right institution for you.
Before leaving your country, it is necessary to finalize all your U.S. education plans. Some institutions will like the students to provide proof of scholarships, or certification of funding which will guide them all through their academic studies.
Government Scholarships
Scholarships are gifts; you are not required to pay back the money, grants, bursaries, or awards given to you by the government. By giving scholarships, the government is fulfilling one of its social responsibilities. There are so many available scholarship options, so look around and apply for the one you think will satisfy your skills.
Top University Scholarships
These top universities offer scholarship options to their foreign students mainly in the areas of Liberal Arts, Medicine, Engineering, Law, Business, and Leadership. The universities include:
- Brown University
- Columbia University
- Dartmouth College
- Cornell University
- Princeton University
- Duke University
- Harvard University, etc.
Other Awards and Loans Available to Students
International students in the course of their studies may sometimes need financial help to cover their living costs, travels, and tuition. Student loans help them borrow a certain amount of money to offset some bills. To qualify for this loan, the applicant must bring either a permanent U.S. resident or someone that has stayed up to two years in the United States to co-sign the loan.
If the loan is approved, U.S. banks will disburse the money to the affected schools, who will in turn distribute the funds to the applicants. These types of loans are available to students in the following disciplines:
- Arts and Humanities
- Accounting
- Computer science
- International Affairs
- Media/communications
- Library science
- Non-profit Administration
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Engineering
- Business Studies
- Nursing
- Social Sciences, etc.
Procedure to apply for a scholarship
It is necessary to apply only to the one you are eligible for. Surely, you may not be awarded any scholarship for you are not eligible. This is necessary before you start the application process. If you submit an application for a scholarship you are ineligible, chances are that you will not get them.
Also, keep the following information ready: date of birth, gender, nationality, status, and other relevant personal details. The new academic year normally starts in August, October, or December, so, you need to apply for a scholarship at least six months before the resumption of the school’s academic activities.
Ensure that the information you are submitting is correct. If possible, let someone either your parents, teachers, or friends evaluate your application. This might save you some costly mistakes. Any mistake made cannot be retrieved, so make sure what you are submitting is real.