_edited.png)
The United States is the preferred higher education destination for students all over the world. According to the Open Doors Report 2022, almost 200,000 Indian students chose the United States to pursue higher studies in the 2021 to 2022 academic year. The US universities offer high-quality education and research opportunities, along with multicultural campuses. The US higher education can also be expensive. Fortunately, there are a range of financial aid options that international students at US universities and colleges can access.
Identifying resources
Websites of institutions list specific tuition and additional costs. When budgeting, it also makes sense to take into account that tuition costs might increase during the course of their studies. EducationUSA advising centers are great places to get information on how to look for financial aid information. Advisers can guide students to stand out in a highly competitive applicant pool to increase their chances of receiving financial assistance. In addition, they can also share up-to-date information.
Types of financial aid
Financial aid can be merit or need-based. Merit-based scholarships are offered to students for academic excellence. Need-based scholarships are primarily based on the student’s needs and can be in the form of grants, scholarships, work-study positions or loans. These scholarships can include the entire package (tuition and living expenses), or only tuition or part of the tuition cost.
The University of Southern California (USC), for instance, provides financial aid to international students in the form of merit-based scholarships and on-campus work. International students at the university are not eligible for need-based financial aid. “Trustee (full tuition) and Presidential (half tuition) are the top scholarships,” says Glenn K Osaki, senior adviser to the president, international communications and marketing, at USC. “International students are eligible to be considered for these scholarships and the others if they meet the criteria indicated.”
Based in Los Angeles, USC has one of the largest populations of Indian students in the United States. Among many international students from India who received financial assistance from USC are Aanya Agarwal and Rudra Saigal.
Agarwal, a sophomore from New Delhi, is double-majoring in Cognitive Science and Narrative Studies. She is a Leadership Scholarship recipient and works the front desk at the Psychology department.
Saigal, a sophomore from Indore, is a Presidential Scholarship recipient and is majoring in Political Science. Saigal has recently been elected to the Senate on Undergraduate Student Government and receives a stipend for that role.
At USC, and any other US universities, international students can work up to 20 hours on campus to supplement their scholarship and help cover costs of their studies.
“All on-campus jobs are available to international students, including jobs in the USC Bookstore, libraries, tech support, on-campus housing, fitness center, even tutoring for the Athletic Department and other student groups, etc,” says Osaki.
Amherst College, a Liberal Arts institution in Massachusetts, offers need-based financial aid for international students. Admitted international students receive a full financial aid package. “Once admitted, Amherst College provides financial aid to meet 100% of admitted students’ calculated financial need without loans,” says Xiaofeng Wan, associate dean of admission and coordinator of international recruitment at Amherst College. “In the 2022-23 academic year, 79% of international students received need-based aid, with an average aid offer of $76,739.”
Graduate scholarships
The US universities also offer financial assistance to international graduate students. For instance, all applicants to Peen State Law's Juris Doctor program are automatically considered for scholarships, which can reach up to full tuition. If students maintain a good academic standing, scholarships are renewed in the second and third years.
Revanth Ashok, who earned an LLM degree with a specialisation in corporate law and practice from Penn State Law, advises prospective students to reach out to universities to learn about the availability of scholarships.
Other scholarships
Students can also get funding from other sources to study in the United States. The Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarships, for instance, provides a limited number of scholarships each year for postgraduate studies to outstanding students from certain countries, including India, who have no other means of financing their studies. Priority is given to master’s level courses but PhD programs, when doctoral degrees are necessary for a candidate’s career, are also considered. Half of the scholarship is given as a grant and half as a loan, to support tuition and living expenses.
With these viable financial aid options, there is a plethora of opportunities to pursue undergraduate and graduate education in the US as an international student. The main thing to keep in mind, along with planning one’s studies, is to understand and prepare for the financial challenges—and opportunities — that accompany international studies in the United States.
Comentários