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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
Here are extra tips to help you find scholarships while studying in the U.S.
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.
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