If you are pondering studying abroad, there are several things you must do before becoming an international student. First is finding a school to study at and figuring out how you will pay for your studies. Studying abroad opens up different opportunities to learn under world-renowned educators, but this education doesn’t come cheap. From travel to tuition, room and board, etc., there are a lot of expenses you have to cater to when studying abroad. This is where scholarships come in. with one your dream of studying abroad gets closer. However, applying for these international scholarships can be tricky. Here are four practical tips and tricks you can use when applying for international scholarships.
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Find Useful Scholarship Sources
The first step is finding useful scholarship resources. You have to know where to find these international schools in Dubai. For instance, if you are looking to study in India, you can first check the websites of Indian universities you want to apply to. You could find listings of various scholarship opportunities you can apply for. Similarly, you can look for private and government scholarships that offer a fully paid ride to university as long as you study in a specified field. Organizations such as banks, foundations, local governments, and loan businesses also offer scholarships to students looking to study at international institutions.
Do Your Research
Each scholarship has its eligibility criteria. Before applying for one, ensure that you read through the fine print and thoroughly understand what the scholarship award entails. For instance, is the scholarship full or partial? Government or privately funded? Merit scholarship or a talent-based? Is the award open to international students? The answers to these queries will help narrow down your search and allow you to apply to opportunities you are eligible for.
Given the number of students looking for scholarships, unscrupulous individuals are looking to make quick cash from unwitting applicants. There are many scholarship scams out there; to prevent getting scammed keep away from offers that claim to offer guaranteed scholarships. Also, avoid scholarships that ask you to pay a registration application fee; lastly, if the deal sounds too good, think twice because it probably is. No one is going to offer you money so easily with no strings attached, so keep a watchful eye out for scammers.
Apply to as Many Awards Opportunities as you Can
Given the sheer number of students looking for sponsorship, you have to do everything you can to get a scholarship. Creating a quality application along with ensuring that you submit all the required documents is the first step towards increasing your chances at winning. Applying to multiple scholarships increases your chances of winning too. While some scholarship awards take a lot of time to fill out, others only take a few minutes, instead of focusing all your efforts on a few specific scholarships, improve your winning chances by applying to as many offers as possible.
While applying for broad scholarship opportunities is smart, the competition is too high. After all, you are fighting it out with all the hopeful applicants looking to get the award. You can boost the odds of getting a scholarship by applying to niche opportunities. There are scholarship opportunities only open to students with particular interests, educational pursuits, experience and so on. For instance, some organizations offer scholarships to single mothers to help them better themselves. Others offer scholarships to students looking to study in a particular field such as community health and so on.
Factor in Additional Costs
There are numerous expenses that come with studying abroad, such as travel costs, food, transportation and housing. While you might think that tuition makes up a big chunk of your school expenses, your personal expenses such as housing, or food can become your biggest expenses. Find out where you will be staying before travelling. Does the institution you applied to offer accommodation, or do you have to live off-campus? Living off-campus does have its perks, but you have to figure out how to pay rent. As you apply, try and find out other additional costs you might incur while pursuing your education; if you can apply for work-study or find a part-time job to supplement your scholarship stipend.
Lastly make a spreadsheet to track all the awards you have applied for, those you have won and those you haven’t. This scholarship spreadsheet will help you keep track of things such as application deadlines, documents requested, the scholarship name, selection criteria such as GPS, and it can also prevent you from applying to the same award twice. Alternatively, you can use the spreadsheet to keep track of your spending. With these tips and tricks, you can easily find the scholarship opportunities to apply for and avoid getting scammed. Once everything is ready, you can look forward to pursuing your studies abroad worry-free.