How to Get a Scholarship to Study Abroad 2024

There are plenty of scholarships for Indian students to study in abroad countries. Anyone can apply for these study abroad scholarships 2024 as there are different categories in it like merit-based, need-based, sports and alumni scholarships, etc. Many government authorities, universities, private companies, and non-profit organisations offer these abroad scholarships.

This Story also Contains

1. Types of Study Abroad Scholarships
2. How to Get a Scholarship Abroad?
3. What is the Selection Process for Abroad Scholarships?
4. How to Stand Out From the Competition in Scholarships for Studying Abroad?
5. When to Apply for Abroad Scholarships?
6. How to get a Scholarship to Study Abroad in USA?
7. Top Scholarships for Abroad Study

The top scholarships to study abroad, usually have a challenging number of competitors. While thinking of scholarships, the first question that strikes the students is, how to get a scholarship to study abroad? Well, to answer it is a process that requires a series of tasks to be followed.

However, you should know that the funding authorities for these scholarships are different, so each one has its own eligibility, application timelines and selection procedures. Few scholarships are to be applied before securing admission in a university while few are to be applied after enrollment in the course.

Types of Study Abroad Scholarships

Before knowing about how to get a scholarship to study abroad, you need to be acquainted with the types of scholarship. The abroad scholarships are offered by various government authorities, universities and private organisations. These are either partially funded or fully funded scholarships. These partially funded scholarships or grants cover a portion of the tuition fee whereas the fully funded abroad scholarships cover overall expenses like university fees, and living expenses like accommodation, transport etc.

Students who are figuring out how to get a full scholarship to study abroad can apply for these scholarships to manage their abroad expenses. For your information, here are the different types of scholarships given to Indian students for studying abroad.

Merit-based Scholarship: Considering the academic performance of the candidates in their previous degree or schooling and academic achievements, merit-based scholarships are given.

Need-Based Scholarships: Students from lower income backgrounds and who have the most necessity for funding their abroad study can apply for need-based scholarships.

Sports Scholarship: Considering the sports performance, and medals achieved in terms of national or international level, the universities offer sport-based scholarships to encourage students to study in their university and take part in their university sports activities.

Alumni Scholarship: Some universities offer scholarships to their alumni students to encourage them to take new courses in their collges.

How to Get a Scholarship Abroad?

Here are the easy steps to follow while applying for a scholarship for your abroad study. All the steps from the beginning of the search to end selection process are detailed. So go through it and learn how to apply for a scholarship to study abroad.

Scholarship Search

The first step in the scholarship process is the research part. You should start searching for the scholarships at least 1 year before the university admission deadlines. Starting the process early can help you find more scholarship meeting your requirements.

Where to find the Scholarships for Abroad Study?

Here are some of the helpful resources for Indian students that can save your time in finding abroad scholarships.

• The Ministry of Education is the official government website of India where you can find country-wise abroad scholarships. If you are struggling on how to get a full scholarship to study abroad, then this website is the good one to go. You can find many fully funded scholarships that cover both the study and living expenses for your abroad study.

• Check out the top scholarships to study abroad by our Careers360 website.

• Other best resources are: University websites, official study abroad pages of each country, scholarship databases on abroad education consultancy websites, and personal scholarship experiences shared in YouTube videos,

• You can even directly contact the university admission authority to know the available scholarships for your course.

• If you have relatives or friends who are studying abroad you can ask them for scholarship information.

Usually, there are many scholarships for international students to study STEM courses in abroad. If you choose other courses like music, arts, social, etc., the scholarships are quite low. However, you can check the Inlaks scholarship, which is one of the best scholarships that offers funding for low-demand courses.

Select and Shortlist Your Scholarships!

Make a list of all the scholarships that you have shortlisted and check for eligibility criteria. Eligibility is the most crucial part of the process of how to apply for a scholarship to study abroad.

Often most of the time, the candidate's academic background, financial income, and country of origin, age limit will be the scholarship eligibility parameters. You should also cross-check whether the chosen scholarship will be applicable to your preferred course and university.

Check-Out the Application Deadlines

Multiple scholarships have different submission deadlines running throughout the year. Few scholarships require you to submit in September while other scholarship authorities ask you to submit in February or April and so on. Students thinking of how to apply for a scholarship abroad, have to keep a mark of all the dates in a digital calendar and start preparing the required documentation.

Improve Your Profile for Study Abroad

Based on the scholarship you apply, you have to prepare your resume, showcasing your skills and strengths. For this purpose, go through the entire eligibility and selection criteria of the scholarship and understand their requirements. Make sure the candidate's profile or CV has everything that is listed in the scholarship requirements.

Improving your profile is the dominant step in the process of how to get a scholarship to study abroad. Giving information about your extracurricular activities like art, sports, etc and academic achievements like internships, projects, work experience, conferences, and workshops can also be very impactful.

Arrange Your Documents

Many scholarships require you to submit the abroad university acceptance letter along with documents in the application. So make sure you already received the university admission letter before applying for a scholarship.

Similarly, there are other examination scores that are frequently asked in scholarships like IELTS, TOEFL, and GMAT scores. So you have to advancedly check these requirements for the abroad scholarship and be prepared.

Considering the scholarship application deadline start your documentation. Here is the list of documents that are generally required for scholarship application. Check them below.

• CV or Resume: The CV should highlight all the academic, professional and personality requirements of the scholarship eligibility and selection criteria.

• Academic transcripts or mark sheets of previous education.

• Letter of Recommendation: These are reference letters obtained from professors or employers. Make sure to prepare a winning LOR.

• Statement of Purpose: One of the other most important documents is the SOP or Essay or Personal statement. The SOP has to be drafted in a certain manner that either answers the given prompt or highlights the reason and purpose for studying the course abroad.

• Entrance Exam Scores: Submit your scores in the university-accepted entrance exams like GRE, GMAT, ACT, SAT, etc.

• English language tests scores like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, etc

The document requirements will be different for each scholarship. So check them and apply accordingly.

Apply for Scholarships

Prepare yourself to apply for a huge number of scholarship applications. Yet it requires a lot of patience but just go on. The scholarship application process is mostly online and is done by applying on the scholarship website. For university-based scholarships, you will be shortlisted based on the information in the admission application.

What is the Selection Process for Abroad Scholarships?

The selection process will be different for each abroad scholarship. Few scholarships conduct 1 or 2 rounds of interviews or presentations, while others directly select the scholars based on their scholarship application. The selection stage is the final stage in the process of how to get a scholarship to study abroad. Try to maintain your calmness throughout the entire process. Even if you get rejected, go on applying for other abroad scholarships.

How to Stand Out From the Competition in Scholarships for Studying Abroad?

There are many students who are good in academics or poor in finances but what makes you secure the scholarship is the main question. Well, there are a few essential things that can make you stand ahead from the crowd and grab your scholarship. Even though every scholarship has its own selection criteria, considering these things in your resume can be more advantageous in achieving the abroad scholarship.

• Academic merit: A good academic profile with good grades and achievements is always preferred.

• Financial proofs: Furnish proper financial documents as requested by the scholarship authority. Make sure to not miss any.

• Work Experience: Having work experience in a study-related field shows the passion and commitment of the candidate towards their career plan.

• Volunteering activities: Especially when you are applying for a scholarship funded by a non-profit organisation, being involved in social service and volunteering activities is the best add-on.

• Leadership skills: For students applying for management or business courses, leadership is a required skill. Students can showcase their leadership skills through their previous activities, achievements in projects or work experience.

• Get a good referee for LOR: Scholarships that require LORs, will try to know more about the candidate's profile and achievements through the recommendation letters. So make sure to draft the LOR from a person who knows your personality and accomplishments very well.

• Organise your Portfolio: If you are from an arts background, you might be required to submit your work samples to the scholarship authority. Your portfolio speaks about your actions and capabilities. Organising these things in advance can make your job easy in the scholarship application process.

When to Apply for Abroad Scholarships?

The application process for a few abroad scholarships can start as early as 1 year before the start of the university admission. On the other side, university scholarships begin their application after the admission phase.

So students thinking about how to apply for scholarships to study abroad must be aware that there are multiple timelines to apply for them. You can start your scholarship search 2 years in advance to know all the available scholarships and apply for the ones that meet your requirements.

How to get a Scholarship to Study Abroad in USA?

USA is one of the top chosen study destinations for Indian students. There are many scholarships in USA for Indian students. So to apply for the USA scholarships, check the application process listed below.

• Search for the available USA scholarship applicable to your course and university.

• Check with the eligibility criteria and know their application deadlines.

• Gather the required documents for the scholarship.

• Fill out the scholarship application form and upload relevant documents.

Similarly follow the same process if you are thinking about how to apply for scholarships in Canada, UK, Korea, etc.

Top Scholarships for Abroad Study

Here are some of the top scholarships that are available for Indian students to study abroad. They are as follows.

• Commonwealth scholarships UK

• Commonwealth Scholarships New Zeland

• Chinese Government Scholarships

• MFA Scholarships - Israel

• GKS Scholarships - South Korea

• MEXT Scholarships - Japan

Also Read:

• Scholarships in Canada