Financial Aid to Study in USA

Financial Aid to Study in USA for International Students: Step by Step Guide of Financial Aid, Sources, Universities, Application Procedure

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Financial Aid to Study in USA for International Students

Why do you need financial aid to study in USA

Higher education in the United States is expensive. The costs depend on a number of variables, of which the institution you select is probably the most significant one. Differences in costs among institutions can be staggering.

Costs for married students would be higher and summer vacation expenses are additional. Also, candidates for master’s and doctor’s degree may incur extra expenses depending on the nature of their programs. There are other factors that incur heavy financial load for the students to study in USA. So they need financial aid to study in USA.

Tuition at Public Institutions:

Public colleges and universities receive hefty operating subsidies from state and local tax revenues and generally have the lowest costs, but the rate for non-residents of the state are higher than that for residents. International students, being non-residents, pay the higher rate. Still, they are generally cheaper than private institutions.

On the other hand, a great majority of these public institutions cannot spend as much money per student as some private schools. The classes may be large or the student body may not consist of a broad mix of students from throughout the country and around the world. They may not have the prestige of some of the top private colleges like Harvard or MIT.

Generally state universities offer a good quality low-cost education. Few of these have also gained as prestigious a reputation as leading private institutions.

Tuition at Private Institutions:

Private colleges and universities charge all students the same rate of tuition. Although the rates are subsidized through income from endowments, contributions, and government or foundation grants, they are in general higher than those at public institutions. But it is quite possible that you may do much better financially at a private institution, as they may have more money to give you in financial aid to study in USA.

Private colleges generally have a reputation for higher quality with higher expenditures per student and a broad mix of students both USA and international. Costs among private institutions also vary significantly. For example, tuition at Brigham Young University in Hawaii is around $2000 compared to around $12000 at Stanford University, California.

Other Costs:

After tuition, room and board is the other major cost component with lower costs in smaller cities or rural parts of the country and higher costs in metropolitan areas like New York City.

College catalogues generally give good information on the costs of attending their institutions. In addition, published information can be found in appropriate guide books listed in the bibliography. Catalogues can be obtained directly from the institutions.

The point to remember is that you should not write off any college as too expensive, until you have found out what kind of financial award you may be eligible for. Colleges that have low cost may also have lesser money for awards. What counts is the net cost.

Sources of Financial Aid to Study in USA:

Financial awards to international students for higher education and scholarly research in the United States come in an assortment of forms from a variety of sources. These can be grouped into five categories:

  • USA Colleges and Universities
  • USA foundations and private sources
  • USA government and binational agencies
  • International organizations
  • Governments and private organizations in candidate’s home country.

Financial Aid from Colleges and Universities of USA:

Colleges and universities of United States may offer financial aid to study in USA in the form of grants, scholarships, partial or full tuition waivers, loans, part-time campus work, or any combination of these. In the case of graduate students, teaching or research assistantship awards are popular means of support. To be eligible for an award from an academic institution, you must be accepted or enrolled at the institution offering them. Criteria for the awards vary.

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Grants are usually awarded on the basis of financial need. Scholarships may be based on academic achievement, talent, field of study, or any other specified criteria. Tuition waivers are generally based on need but, in addition, academic achievement may be a consideration. Loans are usually not available to foreign students excepting in very small amounts in emergency situations.

Limited on-campus employment opportunities requiring students to work a maximum of about 15 hours a week are possible at some institutions. It must be pointed out that the USA Immigration and Naturalization Service imposes severe restrictions with regard to international students engaging in work other than on campus employment.

Teaching assistantships offer graduate students a stipend with or without tuition waiver and are based on candidates’ academic qualifications and potential in the chosen field of study. They may require up to about 20 hours of work in such activities as lectures, correcting class work and grading papers. Research assistantships as similar to teaching assistantships but generally require the student to assist in research projects.

Universities Offer Financial Aid to Study in USA:

There are some institutions in the United States that offer partial or even full financial aid and support the financial aid to study in USA for the international students. This aid may vary depending on the courses, need of help, amount of funds needed by the students. Some of the top 10 universities in the United States that offer financial aid to study in USA are mentioned below:

Foundations and Private Sources of United States:

A number of USA foundations, professional associations, and other private organizations offer grants and scholarships open to international students. Criteria for eligibility may include need, academic achievement, specific talents, career plans, field and level of study, ethnic heritage or a combination of these. Majority of the awards are for graduate study and post-doctoral work but some are available for undergraduate study and for miscellaneous non-degree programs, training or research. The number of awards granted in a given year, the value and the duration vary among institutions.

USA Government and Binational Sources of Financial Aid to Study in USA:

The USA government offers a variety of scholarships awards usually through exchange programs in association with foreign governments or binational commissions. These may cover up to full expenses for candidate’s study or research program in the United States and may carry some additional allowances. There are two popular programs offering awards to national of most countries.

  • Fulbright Awards: Academic exchange awards for graduate studies, post-doctoral work, lecturing or teaching, and educational travel. Other awards for observation, consultation and professional experience.
  • Agency for International Development: Awards for study and training usually associated with development projects in the host country.

In addition, the Institute of International Education, New York administers several programs sponsored by governments and private organizations. These awards are generally made through open-competition advertised in your home country or on nominations coordinated by binational commissions., appropriate government ministries or the American Embassy.

International Organizations Offer Financial Aid to Study in USA:

There are several international organizations, such as Fulbright Commission, who grant financial aid to study in USA for the students all over the world. Other such organization that offer aid are:

Many of these organizations require you to be in your home country when you apply, so plan ahead, as they can be very competitive.

Awards from international organizations fall into two categories:

  • Organizations accepting direct applications. These organizations offer awards for which you can apply directly or through a designated local body in your home country. International professional organizations, organizations for the promotion of international understanding or societies for the promotion of certain branches of knowledge and similar institutions fall into this category.
  • Organizations recurring nominations. There are a number of international organizations like agencies of the United Nations system and some inter-governmental organizations, that offer awards, many of which require candidates to be nominated by the government or a governmental agencies of candidates’ home country.
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Governments and Private Organizations in Candidate’s Home Country:

Government ministries, departments, and agencies as well as private business, associations, charitable foundations and universities in your home country may have schemes of scholarships assistance which could be utilized for study or research in the United States. These are one of the first sources that you must explore. Generally, the selections are made in open-competition within the country or through nominations.

Applying to Colleges and Universities for Financial Aid to Study in USA :

Planning and applying for financial aid to study in USA require serious thought, time, effort, and careful organization. It is important that you begin this process with a self-assessment of your needs, likes and dislikes, strengths and weakness, and educational objectives. Then you can proceed to evaluate available educational opportunities for developing a short list of colleges and universities that are likely to offer you the best opportunities, academically as well as financially.

When making this evaluation you will take into consideration such factors as an institution’s location, size, prestige, student life, facilities, programs of study, cost and of course its ability to offer financial assistance.

Application Procedure for Financial Aid to Study in USA:

Colleges and universities of United States require candidates to submit separate financial aid application forms in addition to the regular application for admission. To be eligible for an award, you must meet the criteria set by the institution for aid as well as for admission. For need based awards, candidates are required to give details of the funds they are able to provide. Applicants who can contribute some money of their own usually have a better chance of winning an award.

In general all financial aid applicants who seek financial aid to study in USA are automatically considered for all awards for which the applicant is eligible. If you want to apply for a teaching or research assistantship, you may be required to fill in an application for Graduate Appointment along with the application for admission.

It is advisable for you to write direct to the head of the department (or faculty member) in your field of interest with regard to graduate assistantships, briefly describing your training, experience and specialized research interest. However, don’t ask a faculty member for an application, as this may cause unnecessary delays for you to receive application material, which normally comes from the graduate admissions offices.

If the college has asked you to complete a declaration and certification of finances form, you will be required to give information on sources and amounts of funds available to you for your study program in the United States. Candidates who are depending on awards for whole or part of their expenses must give the anticipated sources of awards and values. If you are anticipating an award from the institution itself, to meet any shortfall in expenditure, say so.

Applying to Non-Collegiate Sources for Financial Aid:

Application procedure for grants or scholarships from non-collegiates sources vary significantly among organizations. Generally most of them have specific guidelines or formal applications but some institutions may give plenty of freedom to the candidates to design their own grant application or proposal.

Among the institutions from which you can select the ones that offer awards to candidates with your background and intended program of studies or research, pay particular attention to conditions or restrictions indicated against the awards, as award granting institutions, in general, do not entertain applicants not meeting basic criteria set for the award.

As most awards are competitive, your chances for winning one will depend on how well your application outshines both in content and in presentation, to those of many who will apply. Don’t apply indiscriminately. Be selective, as applications made without regard to an organization’s guidelines will only waste your time.

Conclusion:

If you are realistic about obtaining financial aid to study in United States, then pursuing higher education in the United States is a significant achievement to you. Getting financial aid to study in USA along with your selective colleges or universities is a strategic step that you must take very consciously as early as possible because getting scholarship to study in US is very competitive. With proper planning and effort, going through the proper information, financial obstacles can overcome, allowing you to focus on achieving your academic and career goals in the U.S.A.

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