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A-Z How to Apply and Secure Scholarships To Study Abroad



Practical Guides to Apply and Secure Scholarships to Study Abroad

This article provides you with full knowledge and guides on how to apply for and get scholarships to study abroad. Do you dream to study in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the likes of world-class countries? Kindly take your time and carefully read through every line of words in this article.

In this article, you will be guided on how to secure authentic scholarships to study in the United States, Uk, and other Nations Abroad. Read on as we take you through the A–Z on how to secure a scholarship to study abroad.


The compilation of this article is made up of rigorous research, sharing knowledge, and also an extract of MyscholarshipNG Scholarship Bootcamp 1.0.

It would never have been easier enough to secure admission with self-funding in premium institutions abroad, it would have been so tough for the middle class and tougher for the poor. But today, we find children of the poor studying in universities worth $70,000 in tuition fees abroad. This could only be made possible by scholarship opportunities.



Table of Content

What You Need to Know About Scholarship

Types of Scholarship

Scholarship Funding Bodies

How to Pass Scholarship Exams

How to Get Abroad Scholarships

How to Write a CV

Statement of Purpose (SOP)

What is a Letter of Recommendation (LOR)?

IELTS/Proficiency Test Results

Interview Tips

Important Links



What You Need to Know About Scholarship

A scholarship is a type of financial aid given to students to help them further their education. Scholarships are given out based on a variety of factors, including academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic ability, and financial need.

Scholarship criteria typically reflect the values and goals of the award’s donor or founder. While scholarship recipients are not required to repay their awards, they may be required to meet certain requirements during their period of support, such as maintaining a minimum grade point average or participating in a specific activity (e.g., playing on a school sports team for athletic scholarship holders, or serving as a teaching assistant for some graduate scholarships). Scholarships may provide monetary or in-kind awards.


Some scholarships can be life-changing achievements that can turn an individual’s whole world around for the better.

The kind of scholarship you receive determines the benefits it comes along with.

 

Types of Scholarship

Scholarships may come in different forms, as such we have different categories or types of scholarships. Below are the types of scholarship programs available:



  1. Tuition Fee Funding/Scholarship
  2. Financial Aid Scholarships
  3. Partial Funding Scholarships
  4. Fully Funded Scholarships or Full Ride Scholarships
  5. Graduate Research Assistant Position
  6. Graduate Teaching Assistant Position

 

We will explain all the above mention scholarships for your understanding below:


  1. Tuition Fee Funding/Scholarship

This is a type of scholarship that takes responsibility for the beneficiary’s tuition fee. Such a scholarship is exclusively for the tuition fee alone and with no extra benefit attached. If you should get such a scholarship to study abroad, it means you are going to take responsibility for your accommodation, feeding, transport, and other related academic expenses.

If you are applying for such a scholarship, do well to take into account the standard of living in the country of study, make necessary preparations for travel and check the opportunities available in the country of study.


  1. Financial Aid Scholarship

This type of scholarship provides students with financial funding up to USD 2,000 monthly or equivalent to USD 20,000 annually. Some may provide more than this amount. These scholarships are interested in providing students financial funding to help them meet their financial needs in academic pursuit so as to foster their academic excellence.



  1. Partial Funding Scholarship

This category of scholarship is like a partial tuition fee waiver. In such a scholarship, you are being given a discount on tuition fees. That’s to say, the sponsor(s) take charge of a certain percentage of the tuition fee and let you pay the other. This kind of scholarship is offered to students who have an interest to study in premium universities abroad but cannot fully afford their tuition fees.



  1. Fully Funded Scholarship or Full Ride Scholarship

Full ride and fully funded scholarships cover full tuition, room, and board for undergraduate students, and full tuition and a living stipend for Masters’s and Ph. D. students.

I call such scholarships golden scholarships. Such a scholarship provides all you need. Below are the full benefits of fully funded scholarships:

 

  • Travel Allowances
  • Monthly Stipends
  • Accommodation
  • Tuition Fees
  • Books Allowance
  • Medical Insurance
  • Laptop and many other benefits to be disclosed by funding bodies.



  1. Graduate Research Assistant Position

Under the direct supervision of a faculty member, Graduate Research Assistants provide professional level support related to research and creative activities that contribute to the unit’s mission.

Graduate research assistants are students who work in a group under the supervision of a professor or another researcher. They may work on a variety of projects, but their primary responsibility is to conduct research and experiments that advance knowledge in their field of study.

Students who gain this type of scholarship receive huge amount of salary. There are also provided with travel allowances.



  1. Graduate Teaching Assistant Position

A graduate teaching assistant is a graduate student who also teaches undergraduate students at the same university.

 

Graduate teaching assistants study and take courses as students in a specialized academic field. They also assist professors in the delivery of undergraduate courses.

 

In a single course, professors frequently deliver lectures to hundreds of undergraduates. Graduate teaching assistants deliver more personalized instruction to smaller groups of undergraduates in the course’s subsections.

 

As we go further in the guides on how to get abroad scholarships, I will like to expose us to funding bodies or scholarship funding organizations.



Scholarship Funding Bodies

Scholarship funding bodies are organizations or group that sponsors scholarship opportunity. These bodies are willing to aid students in getting quality education abroad. The scholarship funding bodies may be Government, NGOs, Universities, Phillantopists, and many others. Below is a list of top scholarship sponsors in the world.

 

  1. Mastercard Foundation
  2. DAAD Germany Academic Exchange Service
  3. British Chevening Scholarship
  4. Erasmus Foundation
  5. Commonwealth
  6. MEXT Japan
  7. Marie Curie Action
  8. OKP
  9. Full Bright
  10. NNPC
  11. MTN
  12. Shell and so many others



How to Pass Scholarship Exams

While some scholarships do not require examination in their selection process, some other scholarships do. Scholarship exams are aptitude tests that are been set to test the ability of students and are also used as a modality in screening scholarship applicants.

To pass scholarship exams with a very good score demands preparation, which involves reading and practice of scholarship past questions.



Format of Scholarship Exams

Quantitative/Logical Reasoning questions

Test of English

Current Affairs

 

How to Get Abroad Scholarships

The first step to getting a scholarship to study abroad is your determination to achieve it. Your determination to achieve scholarships to study abroad will motivate you to go in search of one.

Also, opportunities only come to those who are prepared for them. Your quest for a scholarship opportunity will determine your level of preparation for it. You may be asking; “how do I get myself prepared for a scholarship?”


The first step in preparation for a scholarship is search, and after searching you should make findings on the requirements. Fulfilling the requirements of a scholarship grants you a 70% chance of securing the scholarship. Below are the general and key requirements of Abroad Scholarships.

 

How to Search For Scholarships

  1. Search on google
  2. Join Scholarship Communities
  3. Search on LinkedIn

Join MyscholarshipNG Facebook Community Here



Key Requirements of Scholarships to Study Abroad

Area of Interest

International Passport

Result Transcript

Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

CV

Statement of Purpose (SOP)

IELTS or TOEFL or English proficiency tests

GRE (Optional)

Application Fees (Not applicable to all)

 

Area of Interest

It is important you take the following steps in consideration of your area of interest:

  1. You: What are you passionate about
  2. Others: Ask 10 of your friends for their personal insights
  3. Your Course: Find a niche within your course of study

 

How to Write a CV




A curriculum vitae, or CV, is a brief written summary of a person’s career, qualifications, and education. In both North American and British English, this is the most common usage. In North America, the term résumé is often used interchangeably with CV to refer to a brief career summary.

 

A CV tells who you are, your experiences, and what you want.

Key Items in CV

As learned from a knowledgeable Mastercard Alumna in the person of Engr Mrs. Ayobami Esther Olanrewaju, below are key items that shout reflect on your CV:

Contact details

Objectives

Interests

Education

Experiences

Skills

Publications if you have

Volunteering and awards if you have

 

Tips on How to Write a CV



  1. Avoid Cliché: Avoid writing things that are common with many CVs. Avoid things like, I can work under pressure, I have good communication skills and the like. Make out your own construct. Your CV should be unique and stand out when it comes to opportunities that involve competition.
  2. Be consistent: Be consistent and ensure your CV is up-to-date.
  3. Avoid errors: Ensure a high level of accuracy when making your CV
  4. Get it Reviewed: After writing your CV, ensure you review the CV. You can share it with friends and professionals to help you make reviews.
  5. Always use a concise approach by using bullets and proper spacing.
  6. Use active verbs when possible. For example, include words like ‘created’, ‘analyzed’, and ‘devised’ to present yourself as a person who shows initiative.
  7. Create the right CV for the right circumstance: This also reflects consistency. Ensure the content of your CV is in line with your goal or organization’s value.
  8. Finally, don’t exaggerate in your CV, be real with yourself.

 

Result Transcript

This is a document that shows your qualifications and grades. You can get this from your school.

 

Statement of Purpose (SOP)




Below tips are to be considered on how to write a good statement of purpose or SOP:

  • Write about how prepared you are to study. Relate ideas on your previous study and previous project and the need for advancement.
  • Write about what you want to study, why you choose that school (abroad school), its possible contribution to you and what you stand to gain, and the impact you can make.
  • Write about your future goals and how the School/scholarship can help you in achieving that goals.

 

What is a Letter of Recommendation (LOR)?




LOR, also known as a letter of recommendation, reference letter, or simply reference, is a document in which the writer evaluates the qualities, characteristics, and capabilities of the person being recommended in terms of that person’s ability to perform a specific task or function.

  • Guides in getting a letter of recommendation:
  • Get someone who knows you
  • The person should be from the industry or Academia (Academia preferable)
  • The person should be creative in writing, should not just attest to your good behavior but should be able to write about your leadership character and your ability.

 

In some cases, an organization may be specific about who they want to provide your letter of recommendation.



IELTS/Proficiency Test Results

English Tests

IELTS

TOEFL

 

Other

GRE

 

Sites to Practice for IELTS exams

  1. IELTS Buddy
  2. IELTS Online Test

 

See step-by-step guides on how to register for IELTS here.



Tips for Proficiency Test Preparation

You Can register and practice at home

Study with others if possible

Take as many preparatory tests as possible using the required time or lesser.

Aim to take the test in a reduced time

 

Interview Tips

Here are tips that will help you for a successful interview:

Be professional

Research the school and be knowledgeable about your field

Always go to the interview with your questions



Final Dose

Love letters are part of this journey. Learn from it and move forward.

If your YES comes at the first attempt, congratulations, and do well to help others.

Keep trying, know when to seek help, and do not give up.

 

There are countless scholarship opportunities available for abroad studies, never allow yourself to wallow in doubt! Be determined, be persistent, be courageous, and you will definitely achieve it.



Below are useful links to help you get access to other resources:

  1. Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Page
  2. Manchester University Postgraduate Studies
  3. IELTS Online Tests
  4. IELTS Buddy
  5. CV Help Link
  6. CV Cliches to avoid
  7. Important Resume Tips

 

Ongoing Scholarships

 

1. 2022 Fully Funded Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at USIU-Africa for Africans

2. 2022/2023 British Chevening Scholarships to Study in UK

3. 2022 University of British Columbia Scholarships for International Students

4. 2023 Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program at the University of Cape Town

 

If you find this content useful, kindly comment and share.

 

4 COMMENTS

  1. Wow wow wow, this is so full of values. I’m honoured getting to benefit from these values. I appreciate everyone who has put in this piece together. God bless you all richly. I’m super excited.

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