Finding scholarships for international students may seem next to impossible, but they exist. As prospective undergraduate students research their options for studying in the U.S., they should be aware of what might land them a coveted scholarship award.
“A strong applicant will have demonstrated leadership and teamwork, strong letters of recommendation from teachers who know them and a consistently strong academic record which includes writing but also demonstrates follow-through and discipline,” says Meredith Twombly, associate vice president of enrollment management at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island.
Here are some things to know about scholarships for international students.
Schools Can Be Scholarship Gold Mines
Schools tend to be one of the best resources to find scholarships for international undergraduate students. Experts recommend contacting a school’s financial aid office and using scholarship search tools like InternationalStudent.com to find out about scholarships awarded by colleges and universities in the U.S.
Applicants should look for scholarships open to all students rather than just U.S. citizens and permanent residents, as well as carefully review requirements, such as test scores, essays and additional materials like videos or letters of recommendation.
[Read: How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for College.]
Numerous university-based scholarships are open to international undergraduate applicants. The Wien International Scholarship Program, for example, was established in 1958 at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and has brought more than 890 scholars from 115 countries to the school, says Julie Jette, a Brandeis spokeswoman. She says Wien Scholars “are committed leaders with a proven record of academic excellence and desire to effect positive change in their communities.”
Evelyn Levinson, director of international admissions at American University in Washington, D.C., says the school has two endowed partial scholarships — one for an international student from Turkey and one for an international student from anywhere in Cyprus — that are available every few years rather than annually.
The school also offers partial merit scholarships based on academic excellence and rigor to first-year applicants, including international students, that range from $8,000 to $20,000 a year, she says.
The Presidential Scholarship offered by Clark University in Massachusetts is offered to domestic and international students and covers full tuition and on-campus room and board for all four years, regardless of financial need.
“Not all scholarships are listed on Common Application as many require a separate application, so do your research,” says Presidential Scholarship recipient Maha Akbar, a Pakistani national who graduated in May 2020 from Clark with a B.A. in political science and minors in economics and business management.
Lynn A. Mosesso, retired former director of graduate and international recruitment and admissions at the University of Arkansas, says the school offers several scholarships to undergraduate international students. These include the New Arkansan Non-Resident Tuition Award Scholarship, which provides an annual award of $9,500 to $17,000 per year based on 30 hours of enrollment.
The school also offers several college and departmental scholarships, as well as scholarships to currently enrolled students who have excelled in their academic program or demonstrate financial need, Mosesso says.
Skills Can Boost Scholarship Chances
Strong leadership skills can make international students more competitive scholarship applicants, experts say.
“Being the head boy or captain of your school, leading the school paper or even setting up your own entrepreneurship club shows your leadership potential. In the end universities want to look at students who are going to be future leaders of the world and they want to see evidence of that from an early age,” Karan Gupta, CEO of Karan Gupta Consulting in India, wrote in an email.
[Read: How Colleges Weigh High School Extracurriculars]
Passionate leaders with strong academic records on a scholarship application stand out, says Emily Roper-Doten, vice president of admissions and financial assistance at Clark. “And while we certainly value their intellectual curiosity, we also appreciate their desire and commitment to serve their community,” she says.
Strong writing skills also help. Pakistani national Fareha Abid was the 2019 recipient of the Emerging Global Leader Scholarship offered by American University. Abid graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in international studies with a concentration in justice, ethics and human rights with a focus on Europe and MENA regions, and a minor in international business with a focus on sustainable development and marketing. She says she sharpened her skills through writing-intensive, advanced-level courses as well as launching and running her high school’s magazine.
The most critical part of a scholarship application, she says, is the personal statement, which allows admissions officers and scholarship committees to really get to know a student.
“That is where a certain degree of self-awareness and the skill of knowing how to tell your story comes in handy. My identity as a Pakistani girl, life experiences and being true to myself were a few of the things I highlighted,” Abid says.
Scholarship essays level the playing field, experts say, giving students from various backgrounds and with different accomplishments an opportunity to win an award.
“If you have good writing skills you will be able to communicate strengths about your profile with ease,” Gupta says. “This in turn will enhance your chances for scholarship.”
Mistakes Can Work Against You
Not writing your own essay and waiting until the last minute to apply for scholarships are mistakes international students should avoid, experts say.
“Students should avoid the temptation of plagiarizing essays or even full sentences from the Internet or from past submitted essays,” Gupta says.
That includes not using ChatGPT to write your scholarship essay, experts say. Gupta advises that international students be honest in what they write, especially about their achievements and extracurricular activities, and adds that scholarship committees “can very easily tell if an essay actually depicts a student’s potential.”
Levinson says students should carefully review, reread and edit scholarship essays and use spellcheck before submitting their essays to a university. International students should ask their school counselor, English teacher or EducationUSA adviser to read and review their essays before submission, she says. (EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State-supported network of advising centers that assist students interested in studying in the U.S.)
Ceasing to apply for additional scholarships after being awarded one or two is not a good idea, experts add, as students should maximize opportunities to get more money for college.
Mosesso says scholarships are highly competitive and students should give themselves plenty of time to prepare a strong application and communicate their goals for university study, career aspirations and why they decided to apply to a specific university.
Finally, Mosesso says, “Do not wait until the last minute to ask school counselors for a letter of recommendation.”
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A Guide to Scholarships for International Students originally appeared on usnews.com
