The Education Blog: by Upasana Gupta
Insights on education news and trends worldwide
Upasana Gupta - October 15, 2014 < /p>
Funding Options for International Students
Sources Foreign Students Can Tap for Education in the U.S.
1. Home Country: The government or other organizations in a
student's home country usually have financial aid options available. I
encourage student's to contact
The Ministry of Education or relevant government agency in their country to inquire about international study scholarships or financial aid;
The U.S. embassy in their home country;
The nearest EducationUSA advising center for assistance in finding sources of financial support within their own country. EducationUSA is a network of hundreds of advising centers in 170 countries, where millions of international students each year find information about how to apply to accredited U.S. colleges and universities;
Suggested Read:(Rise in International Student Enrollment;Extensive FAQ
section on financial aid;
Roadmap for financial aid;
5 Do's for Filing the FAFSA Application;
Financial Aid: 5 Common Myths)
2. Scholarship Sites: Students should look for scholarship information and opportunities in resourceful sites like -
|
Education USA |
A global network of more than 400
advising centers on education in the US supported by the Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of
State. |
|
eduPASS |
Information for international students
who are thinking about pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or
professional education in the United States or who already are
in the United States. |
|
Funding for US
Study |
Extensive database of scholarships,
fellowships and grants organized and maintained by the Institute
of International Education (IIE). |
|
Institute of
International Education (IIE) |
A private nonprofit organization which
creates programs of study and training for students, educators
and professionals from all sectors. |
|
International Education
Financial Aid (IEFA) |
A premier resource for financial aid,
college scholarship and grant information for U.S. and
international students wishing to study abroad. |
|
InternationalStudent.com |
A leading resource with information on
international student loans, student health insurance,
international calling cards, scholarship tools, travel, etc. |
|
InternationalScholarships.com |
An online financial aid resource and directory for international students wishing to study in a foreign country.
|
|
NAFSA Association of International Educators |
An organization promoting international
education and providing professional development opportunities
to the field. |
|
Grant Space FAQ |
An online resource devoted to foundations that fund individuals.
|
(Look up our List of International
Graduate
and
Undergraduate Colleges.)
3. Aid from International Organizations: Some international organizations offer funding for graduate students to study in the U.S. These include the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), AMIDEAST, the International Maritime Organization, the International Telecommunications Union, the League of Red Cross Societies, the Soros Foundation, the World Health Organization, and the World Council of Churches. These awards are extremely competitive.
4.
Businesses, foundations, and religious organizations in their home country that might have funds available to help pay for university in America. For example, the King Faisal Foundation has an international student scholarship program for Muslim students to undertake postgraduate studies at any U.S. university. Again, many organizations especially multinational companies offer scholarship opportunities to students willing to work for them for a stipulated
time period.
Few foundations providing awards and fellowships for foreign students
include:
|
Asian Cultural Council |
Offers individual
fellowship grants to artists, scholars, students, and
specialists from Asia for study, research, travel, and creative
work in the United States. Deadlines variable. |
|
American Australian Association |
Awards individual
fellowships for advanced study in the United States of up to
30,000 USD each year. Open to Australian citizens pursuing a
graduate degree or above. |
|
The China
Scholarship Council (CSC) |
Provides financial
assistance to the Chinese citizens wishing to study abroad. The
website provides contact information and resources for financing
your overseas studies. |
|
Eurasian Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD) |
Offers fellowships
to first-, second-, and third-year undergraduate students from
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
and Uzbekistan. |
|
The National Arab-American Medical Association (NAAMA)
Foundation |
Offers two annual
scholarship grants of 1,000 USD each to qualified students of
Arabic extraction enrolled in a U.S. or Canadian medical,
osteopathic or dental school. This includes students of Arab
descent who are not U.S. Citizens. |
|
The Croucher
Foundation |
Awards to
permanent residents of Hong Kong who are pursuing full-time
study or research in natural science, medicine or technology in
approved academic institutions outside Hong Kong. |
|
ExxonMobil Middle East and North Africa Scholars Program |
The program
will fund the full tuition for those who wish to pursue a
Master’s degree in the United States in Geosciences,
Engineering, or Business. |
|
J.N. Tata Endowment |
Fellowships for
young people pursuing studies at some of the best universities
in the world. The scholarship is open to all Indian Nationals
who are graduates of a recognized Indian University. |
|
Edmund S. Muskie Ph.D. Fellowship |
Offers three
hundred fellowships for doctoral-level programs in business
administration, economics, public administration, and public
policy. |
|
JA Study Abroad Center |
Provides
information about available scholarships for Japanese students
who wish to study abroad. |
5. U.S. Universities: Generally, there is more aid for graduate study in the United States than undergraduate work, but some schools do offer financial aid for undergraduate international students. InternationalStudent.com has compiled a list of colleges and universities that do. There are now six U.S. schools (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Dartmouth College and Amherst College) that basically admit students regardless of their ability to pay college tuition.
In addition, international students are eligible for private international student loans to study in the United States—as long as they attend an approved school and have a U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosign for them.
6. Private Loans: Unlike Federal Student Loans, private
student loans are specialized student loans based on the student's credit
history and should be considered after all federal loans, grants and
scholarship options have been exhausted. Most lenders allow a cosigner to be
added to the application, which in some cases may provide a better interest
rate. Due to the nature of an international loan, a cosigner will likely be
necessary to offset the risk of lending to foreign students. Here is a list
of popular sources for private loans-
|
Global Student Loan
Corporation |
Provides loans to
international students and does not require a cosigner. Global
SLC is affiliated with HSBC. |
Banks like Citizens Bank, PNC,
Charter One, SunTrust |
Are few popular
banks within the United States which offer private loans to
international students. |
|
International Student Loan |
Offers access to a
range of international student loans and study abroad loans to
international students and Canadian students in the U.S.A and
for U.S. students studying abroad around the world. |
|
International Students Study in U.S.A Portal |
An online
community of international students studying in the U.S.A.
offering a list of possible alternatives for student loans in
the United States. |
|
Sallie Mae International |
Offers student
loans to international students who have a U.S. cosigner. |
The Paras
Education Foundation
|
Offers
international loans to all students regardless of country of
origin or nationality. Generally you will be required to have a
U.S. cosigner. |
