Scholarships - Introduction

The most important part of a scholarship is the DEADLINE!!!

Before you are accepted at a school, it would be a wise idea to at least strive to apply for the scholarship(s) and point out in your application that you are awaiting admission. The truth is

1. Scholarships are usually limited and demand is always higher than supply.

2. Schools and bodies that give scholarships need to close the process early, sort out and review applications and sort out the financial issues attached to a scholarship.

3. It’s best to conduct research early enough, note the scholarships you qualify for and prepare your application before the deadline(s).

4. Always remember that you are getting free money, most scholarship bodies see it this way and as such, they expect you to at least do your part.

Scholarships are divided into different parts

a. Scholarships from schools

b. Academic Fellowships

c. Government Scholarships

d. NGOs and Independent organizations.

A. Scholarship from Schools

Most schools have scholarship programmes specifically designed to assist candidates that need or deserve it. Usually, the scholarships are

1. Merit based – Good GPA, GMAT or GRE scores etc

2. Need based – Individuals that can demonstrate their inabilities to meet up with the financial obligations to the school.

B. Academic Fellowships

Academic Fellowships are financial assistance given to students in exchange for research or other activities related to working with the school. In this case, the student undertakes a project with the school that might involve graduate assistantships, specific projects etc.

C. Government related scholarships

Most governments usually have one or more scholarships designed for citizens of their state or from other nations/states that they have, had or intend to have some form of partnerships with.

The UN and its member organisations also provide scholarships for different segments of people from around the world.

Most government scholarships involve tuition, accommodation, flight tickets etc.

D. NGOs and Independent Organisations

A lot of companies give scholarships as part of their corporate social responsibility programmes, for research into specific issues they are interested in or for a number of other reasons. It’s good to research these companies and prepare their requirements. Usually, they are companies that have operations or some form of operations in your country or state.

It is very possible to get scholarships for almost any educational programme in the world. You just need to start early and conduct a lot of research.

The list of various international scholarships covered in the next post is not exhaustive.