A scholarship is not always awarded on the basis of the financial situation of the applicant. A student can only secure financial aid by meeting all the various criteria set by scholarship providers.
So many students dream of studying abroad today, but not all of them have a financial opportunity to do that. Yes, it's clear that such an education can't be cheap because it requires so much expenses from a student and his parents... Anyway, there are some ways to study abroad for free, and all of them are related to this or that form of financial help from universities themselves, a country, and private or public funds.
Let's check what forms of such a financial help you can get if you dream of studying abroad, but you do not know what to start with.
1. Grants
This is a general term that often refers to any free financial help on specific purposes. It does not require a cash return.
Grants may be awarded in the form of social help to applicants who are not able to cover all costs of studying abroad. In this case, an applicant should provide documentary evidences of his financial situation.
There is also another form of grants, which are given to cover all costs of some scientific projects for example. In this case, a grant serves as a way to attract or encourage the best applicant, and that is why it is given regardless of their financial situation.
Grants are given without any possibility to renew them. It means that if you want to get one more grant, you will have to take part in a competition again.
2. Scholarships
This is another form of financial help that allows you to study abroad for free. The award of scholarships is less dependent on the financial situation of a candidate, but it requires some other criteria that reflect the goals or values of the source of funding. As a rule, you will be required to write a motivational letter where you should justify why you are worthy of this scholarship. Depending on the criteria, the following types of scholarships can be called:
For your talents and achievements
These scholarships are awarded for an applicant's achievements in academic, artistic, athletic, or volunteer field. For example, if academic achievements of a candidate are very important for a fund, the criterion to evaluate him will be his average score in the certificate or diploma.
Demographic ones
This category includes all the scholarships which are awarded among a specific group of applicants who have some common characteristics, such as a nationality, ethnic group, religion, age, or health condition. For example, there are some scholarships for women only, or for the citizens of a particular country. But it does not mean that every woman or every citizen of a particular country gets a scholarship at once. The point is that these are the only criteria to participate in a competition, but not to get it.
For the fields of priority
This category includes conditional scholarships which are given to encourage those students who choose a profession of priority. Most often, this is a specialty where the lack of professionals is felt, or if your chosen field is a priority for research on the chosen foreign university.
Institutional
These are scholarships that are awarded by a particular university only. Foreign colleges use them to attract the best candidates. The number of annual scholarships depends on the budget and the number of applicants. Sometimes such scholarships are awarded under certain conditions: an applicant should participate in some activities on campus for example, or take part in some student volunteer project.
3. Fellowships
This form of financial help lets you get a free education in Master's or Doctor's degrees abroad. Depending in the program of study, funds for living expenses can be also provided.
In this case, the source of funding may be your country, or some private and public funds. The criteria may be different: your academic achievements, research potential, or your financial status. Sometimes you can apply for a fellowship through a college itself, and sometimes an application is submitted separately through a fund or any other organization that administers this fellowship program.
4. Assistantships
As well as fellowships, this form of financial help is available for the holders of Master's or Doctor's degrees. It assumes, that a student gets a discount on study, or a salary working as a professor's assistant in his free time. For example, an assistant can read some introductory courses of his specialty to freshmen or sophomores (it is called a teaching assistantship), or participate in some research projects conducted by a faculty (a research assistantship).
So, we've mentioned the most common ways to study abroad for free. The method you choose depends on your education, achievements, or a level of chosen education.
