Finding scholarships

Home-Country Sources
Possibilities may include government ministries that provide support for study abroad in certain specific fields; non-governmental sources, such as private individuals, foundations and trust funds that give to charitable causes; business corporations, churches and religious groups; or schools and universities (especially those with U.S. affiliations), In some Latin American countries, educational credit organizations help students who wish to study abroad in certain fields and at certain levels which have been determined to be important to national economic development. The educational advising center often has information about local sources of support. Because contacts are easier to make and the number of applicants may be lower relative to the number of awards, you may be able to obtain financial aid more easily from home-country sources than from international organizations or from U.S. sources. U.S. government aid is seldom available at the undergraduate level.

Private U.S. Sources and International Organizations
A few private U.S. agencies, foundations, business corporations and professional associations award financial aid in the interest of furthering international exchange. International organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) may also offer financial awards. Competition for these awards, which apply almost exclusively to graduate students, is very intense. For information, consult references available at educational advising centers, especially for partial awards in your field of study. Do not write to these organizations unless you have found a listing of a particular award for which you might be eligible; these organizations cannot answer general requests for financial aid. There are numerous Private Scholarships offered such as the Bill Gates Foundation, etc. that you might fit the profile for. The Internet is by far the best source to find these offers. When you type in ‘scholarships and grants' (for a particular country or a field of study) any search engine will list at least a dozen addresses. Most scholarship websites enable you to customize your search and by leaving your email address, keep you updated.
www.fastweb.com,
www.theoldschool.org,
www.free-4u.com,
www.scholarships4college.com
http://iefa.org are only some you can look up.

The Youth Initiatives Program of the Open Society Institute (OSI) believes that actively engaging young people in media activities encourages them to be more socially conscious, to have a greater commitment to civic society, and to develop strong critical thinking and communication skills. OSI will consider grant requests up to $75,000. For information on grants offered by the Open Institutie/Soros Foundation visit : http://www.soros.org/youth/grants72000.htm and http://www.soros.org/youth/guidelines.htm

Fulbright Commission grants are awarded on the basis of academic merit and professional promise to US and international students, teachers and scholars to study, teach, lecture and conduct research. Today, over 140 countries participate in the Program and 51 bi-national Commissions have been established. For information on the Commission office and opportunities, contact the office in your home country. Addresses can be found at the following website: http://exchanges.state.gov/education/list.htm

U.S. Colleges and Universities

Most of the limited financial aid for undergraduates from U.S. sources comes from colleges and universities themselves. In some cases, students from abroad compete with American students for limited financial aid. Below are some questions with answers from the US Ministry of Education, that you can ask yourself in order to locate universities that might be able to give you at least partial financial support:

Are you an exceptionally good student?
If you have an excellent grade average and class ranking in your secondary work, if you have high scores on the SAT and TOEFL, you may be able to qualify for admission to a school with very high admissions standards that will offer funding to students who meet their Admission requirementss but are unable to pay the total cost of their education. If you think you can qualify for admission to one of these universities, read about applying for admission to highly competitive colleges in books at the advising center.

Are you an exceptionally good athlete, or do you excel at another skill?
To take advantage of this strategy, you first need to know which universities or colleges have varsity teams in your sports, and you need to consult references to see which universities actually give athletic scholarships. This may also apply to other special skills you may have, such as dancing or art. Opinions differ about how you should demonstrate your skill; a visit from a scout is best, but not always possible. If you send a video, be sure it is professionally made and of high quality.

Do you know of a college or university that hopes to internationalize its campus but has low representation from your part of the world?
Usually colleges and universities that offer any financial aid to international students do so because they want superior students who will provide international breadth to the campus. Find such universities by consulting with students and professionals who have studied recently in the U.S. and by discussing this with your educational adviser. (These are usually small liberal arts colleges or colleges with religious affiliations.) Apply to the college or university that might be a good prospect and request financial aid with the application. Your academic record, however, must be excellent for this to be successful. No financial aid is available for English as a second language study; so you must have excellent English skills (TOEFL 280 and above) to be considered.

Are you willing to study at a community college for the first two years in order to establish your aptitude and reduce your costs, or are you willing to study at a less expensive university or college?
Choosing an institution whose total costs are less than $12,000 rather than one that costs $24,000 represents an effective $12,000 scholarship. In general, you can stretch available funds much farther if you plan to spend at least the first two years at a less expensive institution (but be sure your credit will transfer).

Can you reduce the number of courses you need to take by taking advanced placement examinations or transferring courses from home-country institutions?
If previous education enables you to get U.S. college credit for advanced placement examinations, you can reduce the time you need to spend in the United States.

Important: Application for aid will not prejudice your chances of admission to a chosen program of study. On the other hand, since almost all scholarships cover only a part of the tuition, state the amount you have available for study rather than asking for a full scholarship. It will greatly increase your chances of support. Do not understate the amount of funds needed in the expectation of later obtaining additional aid, however. opportunities for financial aid (including employment) are severely limited once you are already in the United States.
Many colleges and universities have unadvertised possibilities for at least partial funding of students who qualify for academic admission but need financial support; go ahead and apply for financial aid unless the institution lists itself in reference books as not offering financial aid. Make your request for financial assistance on the basis of merit, stating your need as a secondary factor. Universities get many, many letters stating the adverse circumstances and good character of applicants; this may move the admissions officer personally, but only a superior application with documented financial need will actually be effective.