How to Study Abroad for Free

Asako Maruoka's picture

Do you want to study abroad, but aren't sure how to pay for it? There is a plethora of ways to do so, and a world of reasons WHY to study abroad

Here are two ways to obtain financial assistance for study abroad:

Universities, states, private foundations, and large companies abroad willingly provide financial support to foreign students. “Why?” you may ask. 

It’s simple. 

The task is to educate and attract talented personnel from all over the world to work in the territory of their country. For the sake of this, educational institutions and other organizations are ready to allocate generous funding for various categories of students.

How to Study Abroad for Free

Financial support is usually presented in the form of grants and scholarships.

Method One: Grants

An international grant is a form of reward for young students (usually up to 30 years), which can cover the cost of education to the last cent – from the study course itself to travelling and living in the country. Incomplete grants also exist that cover study fees only. 

Other costs of transfer, air tickets, and accommodation with meals in this case remain for the student.

A grant can not be obtained so easily, but you can win it. For this, you need to do the following:

Contact the university you are interested in and find out if it is currently offering grants. If yes, then you have a chance to get financial support from the university. The school will require you to fill out some documents. The main thing is to write a good personal statement, which you can order on a cheap assignment writing service.

Apply through the embassy of the country where you want to study. Government grants are provided in most countries under the jurisdiction of the ministries of education and culture. The procedure for participation in a grant competition is similar to a university one – you need documents and an explanation of why you should get it.

Participate in the program of partnership and exchange for students between your country and foreign universities. This option is relevant if you are already a student of a domestic institution and are dreaming of moving abroad.

Contact a private fund interested in the development and support of the field of science or art you are planning to study in. It is not difficult to find such funds on the internet. On their own sites, there are also requirements for candidates for a grant.

Method Two: Scholarships

Scholarship programs are quite flexible in nature. Almost everyone will be able to choose a suitable option. Like grants, scholarships are full and partial, covering, respectively, the educational costs of the student. In order to receive scholarships, you also need to apply to the desired university or embassy. 

The scholarship options are vast, and they can be received by:
Students who showed high academic results in the first months of study at a university. In this case, the university or state reimburses the funds spent by the student and pays the rest of the expenses in the framework of its program, after which the studies will continue free of charge.

In contrast to grants, which are designed primarily for applicants 20-30 years old, even schoolchildren can receive scholarships. If the school where the child is studying is a partner of some higher education institution, then it can offer the student free tuition after graduation from the school. Such “gifts” can also be obtained for diligent study and high scores in all school disciplines. 

Scholarship services, like fast web, have enormous databases of scholarship opportunities. As well, ask your university's study abroad office for potential scholarship opportunities. 

 

Studying abroad for free is absolutely possible. One has to decide which country and institution to choose and start looking for information on funding and conditions of admission in advance (for example, start learning a language as early as possible). Keep in mind that it may take you about a year to get prepared. However, the result is worth it, right?