For most students studying abroad , the most challenging aspect is the financial aspect – both tuition fees and the cost of living can seem quite high, especially for students from developing countries.
This is where scholarships and funding opportunities to study abroad come in, and once you get the right opportunity, your dream of studying abroad can become a reality.
Obtaining a scholarship or funding opportunity usually requires you to meet certain conditions, so it is important that you understand all of your options. If the conditions do not apply to you in a grant application form, this does not mean that you are not eligible for the rest of the grants as well!
As is usually the case, research helps you learn about the financial value of different scholarships, which improves your chances of making the best option for you. Let's get to know the best search methods:
Talk to the officials
First you should start by discussing your study options with university officials or accredited education agents (if that applies to you), which of course means that you will have a short and tidy list of the universities or programs you want, or at least a tentative idea of where you want to go . study in it.
University officials will be able to direct you to scholarships and programs relevant to their universities, or at least they can advise you on how to get more information about scholarships that are right for you and which university you want to study at.
In general, universities in the United Kingdom , New Zealand and Australia , for example, are eligible for various Commonwealth Scholarship programmes.
While these programs do not cover every type of study, they do accommodate a wide range of fields and industries, so there is a good chance that your degree will fall within those fields.
And the best thing you should know is that these scholarships can help you whether you are looking to study at the undergraduate or postgraduate level!
Some countries may require that the application process or any contact be made through their registered education agents , who are generally located in your home country, where you can discuss and explore all your scholarship options with them rather than being limited to just one university or one program of study. .
I know that there are people who prefer to conduct their own research, and this is a good thing, but I prefer to communicate with agents and university officials, as the requirements for scholarships can be very difficult, and often you may not know how important one of the papers required to complete and support the application for the scholarship. This is where the help you get from university agents and officials is so important to avoid such problems!
Make use of your network of alumni abroad
In my experience, making the most of your professional network and the university's alumni community can help a lot.
Social media is an excellent starting point for you to get to know alumni of the same university and other universities abroad, especially if they are from your country and have gone through the same experience as you.
They understand the stage of planning to study abroad, the financial issues that you should take into consideration, and what you will face during the study period, and therefore they will be able to provide all the information you need to benefit from their previous experiences.
This information can range from advice on scholarships and funding opportunities to practical guidance on finding work that can afford the cost of living . One thing many people overlook, but it is very important, is the support you can get from university graduates. These are people who are at very advanced stages in their careers and can support students from their home countries to pursue their academic and professional dreams.
Unfortunately, graduate programs do not receive the spotlight they deserve, but I personally know a number of people who received support during their postgraduate and doctoral studies through their network of relationships with their university's alumni.
Even if you can't find such programs of funding, graduates have a lot of life experiences about studying abroad, especially when it comes to living and working as a study abroad student. This advice helped me make the best choices while studying abroad.
Research funding opportunities in your country
This may sound strange, but you might be surprised to learn that many countries have funding programs for students who want to study abroad. This type of funding program is often classified as loans rather than scholarships.
As a result, such programs may favor study in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, medicine, and policy-making, often excluding the arts and humanities.
The idea of a loan may not appeal to everyone, but I would recommend that you contact the relevant government agency in your country for details first before ruling out this option.
Some of these programs may not require you to repay the loan in regular down payments, but may instead require you to return to your home country and do some work and activities for a certain period of time after completing your studies abroad. The Fulbright Scholarship Program for the United States is known to apply a similar rule as well.
Even if this were not the case, these programs are thoughtfully designed and the loan repayment is easily manageable due to the increased employment opportunities that you will get as a result of your study abroad.
This type of financing option is very beneficial for students who cannot fully cover their studies abroad from their personal expenses, so relying on loans may allow you to start studying immediately without relying entirely on personal savings.
As an international student studying abroad, the financial aspects are often the most difficult aspect, so you should take advantage of your network of acquaintances and learn about all possible financing opportunities so that you can ease the financial burdens during the study and achieve stability quickly during and after the study.
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