Scholarships to Study in USA: Types, List of Financial Aid, Student Loans

According to reports, there are around 1.1 million international students in USA hailing from almost all the countries across the world. Out of them, most of the students are awarded with some sort of financial assistance to study in the U.S.A. Keeping funding an important factor in the study in the US, there are certain strategies that can be used for choosing universities:

Choosing public universities can minimize the cost.
Selecting universities that offer scholarships to international students.
Attending a community college first and then transferring to a 4-year institution can also cost less.

Besides all the above strategies, there are 3 other funding options that can lower study in US cost.

Scholarships for International Students in the USA

To apply to different programs and universities in USA, there are several types of scholarship options.

Undergraduate Scholarships for International Students in USA

Following are some of the popular scholarships offered to the international undergraduate students in USA:

Scholarship	Application deadline	Awarded to	Amount/Benefit
American University Emerging global leader Scholarship	January 15, 2022	International students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in an American University	$6000-$25000
ICSP Scholarship at University of Oregon	February 18, 2022	International students demonstrating financial need and academic merit	Tuition fee waiver worth $7500- $30,000
Clark Global Scholarship Program	February 1, 2022	International students pursuing a bachelor’s degree and demonstrating financial need.	$15000-$25000 of scholarship per year
United world colleges international youth scholarships.	Varies, around February- April	International students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the USA	Full or partial fee waiver depending on the funds available.

Study in the U.S.A: Graduate Scholarships

The popular scholarships offered to the graduate program applicants in USA are taulated below:

Scholarships	Application Deadline	Awarded to	Amount/Benefit
PEO International Peace Scholarship For Women	December 15, March 1, 2022	International women students pursuing graduate programs in the USA.	$12,500
Obama Foundation Scholars’ Program	December 22, 2021	Individuals making a difference in civil society, in the private sector and public sector.	Full tuition fee, monthly living stipend, funding for books and course material.
Civil Society Leadership Award	May 15	Students pursuing masters’ degree in the USA demonstrating academic excellence.	Tuition and travel expenses, living expenses and a monthly stipend.
Fully Funded Rotary Peace Fellowships	February 2022, District endorsement: July 1, 2022	International students pursuing a Professional Development Certificate Program or Masters’ Degree Program related to peace and conflict resolution.	Tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses

International Student Loan to Study in the U.S.A

International students can apply for a student loan in USA year around depending on whether they have qualified in all the exams to study in USA.
These loans can cover all tuition costs minus any other financial aid available.
Most lenders in the U.S require an international student to have a Cosigner.
The cosigner should be a U.S citizen with good credit history and has lived in the USA for the past 2 years.
Some select loans will not require a cosigner if you meet specific criteria
Attending an eligible school, demonstrate high career potential, and plan on graduating within the next two years are the few eligibility criteria.

Fellowships in the USA

Neukom Postdoctoral Fellowship for International Students at Dartmouth College

Applications Deadline: December 17

Eligibility: International students pursuing Ph.D. in the USA

Benefit: 2-year appointment in 2 departments of Dartmouth College. Other than the Annual stipend of $60,000, expense for travel, stay, equipment and research material also covered.

IRH Biruté Cipijauskaité Postdoctoral International Fellowship in Spanish Poetry

Applications Deadline: December 3

Eligibility: International students who have completed their doctorate degree and doing research work in Spanish poetry.

Benefits: Annual stipend of $57,000, office space, support services, and access to all university facilities.

Postdoctoral Fellowship for International Students at Princeton University

Applications Deadline: August 4

Eligibility: International students pursuing a Postdoctoral programme in the Liberal Arts, an interdisciplinary group of scholars in the humanities, social sciences, and selected natural sciences.

Benefit: Annual salary of approx. $88,800, a $5,000 research account, access to university grants, a shared office, a personal computer, and other resources.

Thomas F. Deutsch Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for International Students

Application Deadline: May 31

Eligibility: International students pursuing postdoctoral research programme in 4 areas of Optical Coherence Tomography, In Vivo Microscope, Micro-Optical and Point-of-Care Devices, and Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

Benefit: Up to $2000

Study in the U.S.A: Documents Required for US Aid

A completed scholarship application form
Copy of passport/ID
Copies of transcripts/Diploma
IELTS/ TOEFL score
Statement of purpose/Letter of motivation
LOR for USA (1 or 2)
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
SAT/ACT/ GRE/ GPA and other test scores
Parents' financial information, including tax returns

How to Apply for Financial Aid?

Students can apply for scholarships at the official website of the institutions providing the aid
They also assists in finding and funding student housing in USA.
Students need to register first at the common application portal to be able to apply for scholarships.
Application for loans requires a cosigner who can sign on the legal documents.
One can apply for a loan at any US bank after submitting the required documents.
Most of the loans and scholarships are offered to the students with good tests scores.