6 May 2022
Scholarships refer to financial help given to students while studying without the obligation of repayment. While scholarships might not “sponsor” your entire education, opting for the right scholarships can save you a huge amount of money.
Before applying for a student loan, make sure to explore the scholarship opportunities. Here’s how to get started.
Opting for the Right Scholarships:
Many students prefer quantity over quality– they apply for tons of scholarships without assessing whether they are eligible.
Scholarships are granted for almost everything–from doing community work to being a “Star Trek” fan. While you can apply for every scholarship available, finding the right scholarship that matches your experience and interests will do the trick.
Get in Touch with Your School’s Financial Aid Office:
Institutional scholarships are often overlooked by many students. School-wide scholarships generally are not widely promoted, and they are likely to be competitive, but they are still worth considering. These awards are determined by your academic performance.
Contact your school’s financial assistance office or check its website to see what prizes are available. Check with your institution to see if there are any department-specific scholarships available. These often have a narrower candidate pool and are exclusively available to students pursuing specialized degrees.
Many institutions accept applications from both in-state and out-of-state students, so if you’re paying out-of-state tuition, these scholarships can help you save money.
Explore a Scholarship Search Engine:
Scholarship search engines fetch scholarships from plenty of sources and let you filter based on your preferences, experience, interests, course, and more.
This way, these search engines save you time and hassle when it comes to exploring scholarships that fit your needs.
Some of the top scholarship search engines are:
• Chegg.
• College Board.
• Scholly.
• Scholarships.com
Make Sure to Fill the Application Form Correctly:
Despite filling out the application form correctly seems the basic piece of advice, many students make errors. Many application needs multiple steps that have certain deadlines, and if you don’t meet even one deadline, you might not be considered for the award.
Before filling out the application, read through the details and make sure you have all of the relevant papers. Transcripts, a birth certificate, acceptance letters, or specific prizes you’ve received may be required. Also, carefully read the instructions for any essays you must write; as simple as it may seem, sticking to word counts, clearly answering the prompt, and avoiding grammatical errors will guarantee that you put your best foot forward.
Organize Your Scholarship List:
It is easy to keep the track of your scholarships. Thanks to a lot of common prerequisites such as essays, a resume, and test scores. The process seems challenging. Submitting applications for multiple awards at once can make it even hard to remember with scholarships you have opted for, which ones require improvement, and where you are in the process.
Therefore, it is important to keep your scholarship lists organized, whether you use a simple paper calendar or a Google Doc.
Whichever you use, make sure to follow the things given below:
- Sort scholarships by their status (watching, applying, and winning).
- Keep track of individual scholarship deadlines, prize amounts, and submission methods.
- Set financial goals and keep track of your success.
- Keep track of the essay themes you’ve already written for future reference.
Understanding the Types of Scholarships
- Scholarship money can be obtained in a variety of ways. Scholarships include the following:
- External Scholarships are funded by individuals, businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and other organizations.
- School-sponsored scholarships are funded by individual colleges and universities for the students who attend their institutions.
- Need-Based Scholarships are given to needy students facing financial issues.
- Merit-based scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate remarkable talent in a particular subject or academic sector, or who volunteer.
What are International Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Abroad?
- National Overseas Scholarship
- Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships
- Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship
- Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships
- The Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships
- GREAT Scholarships India
- Commonwealth Scholarships
- Erasmus Mundus Scholarships
- Cornell University Tata Scholarship
- University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) Future of Change India Scholarship
- India Global Leaders Scholarship
- Charpak Masters Scholarship
What are Other Types of Financial Help for Students than Scholarships
If scholarships are not enough to cover your entire education, you can opt for other options such as:
Grants:
They are like scholarships as they don’t come with an obligation of repayment. But they are provided by the government, colleges, and even corporations.
Work-study:
You can look for a part-time job to fund your study. Many foreign colleges and universities have this kind of provision for the students.
Loans:
Student loans are available from the government, banks, and private organizations. The borrower is responsible for repaying the overall loan amount plus interest, regardless of the kind, however, loans can cover the entire cost of attendance.
The Bottom Line:
So you must have understood about scholarships as well as how they can be used to fund your study. Make sure to choose the right scholarship programs. What do you think? Let us know by commenting below.
