Scholarships for International Students.

The academic year is approaching, and with it the challenge for international students to find a place where they can obtain a scholarship to study. Often, the decision comes down to a few countries. What are the chances of obtaining scholarships and how do they vary from country to country?

Scholarships and Costs

International students wishing to study abroad have a wide variety of destinations to choose from. According to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking, the most popular countries for international students are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. Although all of these countries offer scholarships to international students, the cost of studying in each of them is very different.

Although each country has its own educational system and offers different opportunities to study abroad, they all share one characteristic: the high cost of higher education. For example, in the United States, the cost of study can vary greatly depending on the university and the program of study. According to data from the College Board, the average cost of a year's tuition and college expenses, excluding room, board and recreation, at a public university is $9,410 for residents and $22,223 for non-residents. However, at private universities, the average cost is much higher: $32,405 for residents and $43,589 for non-residents. What are the scholarship opportunities in each of these countries?

United States

Scholarships to study in the United States are available in a variety of sectors, including academics and athletics. Students have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship through academic or athletic tracks. It is essential to note that scholarships are offered directly by the American educational institutions themselves.

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Scholarships awarded by universities to students based on their academic performance are known as academic scholarships. These help students meet the financial demands of attending an educational institution in the United States. It is important to note that scholarships are usually only partial scholarships, meaning that they only pay a portion of the total cost of attending the institution. A young person's previous academic performance will determine the percentage of the scholarship he or she will receive. Because of this, a student's potential scholarship award is directly proportional to the student's grade point average.

On the other hand, athletic scholarships provide students with the opportunity to balance their academic pursuits with competitive athletics at the highest level. U.S. college coaches travel internationally in search of talented young athletes in order to offer athletic scholarships. The higher the level of the athlete, the greater the athlete's chances of receiving a scholarship and the higher the scholarship amount. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the governing body that handles these types of scholarships. Its website is in charge of handling the application process and providing more detailed information.

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It should be noted that for either of these two options it is necessary to take the SAT test, a test of written and mathematical comprehension in English, and get a high score, since if you do not comply with this there is no possibility of being considered, likewise you must take a test of English language proficiency such as the TOEFL. Regardless of whether you come from an international school or not, for the scholarship process these two requirements are inescapable.

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Canada

Although universities in Canada provide information about scholarship programs abroad on their official websites, this data is often obscured by the enormous amount of content that these institutions must make public.

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It should be noted that universities upload scholarship information, but do not promote the educational offerings. This means that universities publish the information as part of the protocol, but without visible advertising. This serves as a first filter of acceptance, since only those who truly wish to obtain a scholarship will assume the responsibility of investigating and following up on the process.

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The process is done individually with each university, depending on the university there are scholarships for academic and athletic merit, however, it must be considered that the offer is much smaller than in the United States, so the competition is much greater.

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Similarly, an English language proficiency test, either TOEFL or IELTS, is required.

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United Kingdom

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The scholarship process in the UK is done directly with each university or via private institutions. Some of the universities can be a good option since they give full scholarships or with very high percentages. However, there are some universities that only offer a minimal amount of scholarships.

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Studying with a scholarship in the United Kingdom requires a commitment on the part of the student to constantly check the scholarship possibilities of the desired career, both in the universities of their interest and in some of the following links:

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• Study in UK –? Official site of the British Council focused on international students.

• Gov.uk – Official government site, where you can find the scholarships granted by the country. It should be noted that these scholarships are very few.

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European Union

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Scholarships in the European Union vary from country to country, however, the process is done directly with each university. The offer is very limited and very competitive. Most of the scholarships offered are for students with very high academic merit.

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Although all these countries offer scholarships to international students, the processes vary greatly and require the commitment of each student to research and contact each university to make a real analysis of their options.

Both Canada and the United Kingdom can be a good option if the university of choice has a good scholarship program, likewise the United States is the country with the most academic offer in relation to scholarships and can be a great opportunity, knowing beforehand that it is almost impossible to get a full scholarship. The decision to apply for a scholarship will depend a lot on the student's profile and academic expectations.

About the author

Alexandra holds a BA in Literature and an MA in Philosophy, specialized in Aesthetics & Rhetoric. She has taught several Humanities classes at high school and undergraduate level.