The United States of America has numerous prestigious and globally competitive universities. Because of this fact, it is reasonable to say that many would choose to attend an American university if given a chance.
However, getting accepted at a university in the United States can be extremely difficult if not planned early and accordingly. It is crucial to know that applying for a university does not mean filling up paperwork and sending those. Preparation for college admission means studying hard and maintaining an impressive academic profile in your preceding educational levels.
A strong academic profile, as well as English language proficiency, can widen your options if you choose to study in an American university. As there are many schools for you to choose from, you can choose to apply to universities with affordable tuition costs. Better, scholarships can help you study in the United States for free. Since you look to study abroad for the duration of your degree study, keep in mind that beyond tuition costs, you should prepare for living expenses and other miscellaneous expenses such as healthcare insurance. Receiving a scholarship or fellowship can help you manage your finances.
With the possibility of studying for a degree in the United States for free, there are also endless options for experiencing American culture. Aside from improving your English language skills, the country is also a great place to do other things such as exploring its vast land area and visiting its numerous national parks and world-renowned tourist spots. Food, movies, music, theaters, and festivals also call for your attention if you wish to explore the country in a more colorful and lively yet meaningful way.
Can International Students Study in USA for Free?
International students can study in the USA for free through various methods. First, you can apply and receive a full-ride scholarship to study at an institution in the United States, and if that method doesn’t work for you, you can try to land a partial scholarship and try to cover up the rest through grants, work-study programs, and part-time jobs.
How to Study in USA for Free
1. Put Together an Awesome Application
The United States of America is truly an excellent place to achieve higher education. As expected for an aspiring student, your academic records should be competitive and exemplary to stand out among thousands of applicants. Study hard and start establishing your strong academic profile.
Your grades, GPA, test scores, English language proficiency, and other academic performance factors will help you to study in USA for free. Moreover, securing recommendations from reputable persons can help you land a university spot.
Along with your years-long preparation to have an outstanding academic profile, preparing your documents and application requirements is equally crucial. Knowing the application start dates and deadlines can help you plan for your application requirements.
Prepare your application for early submission. After all, the earliest you can prepare and submit your application, the better your chance to get noticed by the university admission team. You must also avoid submitting your application close to the deadline, as some unexpected inconveniences may cause you to miss the deadline.
2. Research Affordable Universities in USA
With more than 4,000 universities and colleges in the USA, you will have plenty of options for your higher education. Among these are affordable universities that nonetheless offer high-quality education.
Choosing universities with relatively cheaper tuition costs can help you manage your finances. Some of the universities worth considering are California State University, Alcorn State University in Mississippi, and the Minot State University in North Dakota.
Coupled with scholarships, you can study in USA for free. Since you’ll be paying less for your education, you can save up and avoid living the life of a broke college student. After all, living away from your family and solely trying to make things work from thousands of miles away can be very stressful.
Your finances should be the least of your concerns. As you study and live in the USA, your financial freedom can help you chase other endeavors besides your education.
3. Get Scholarships in USA
You might be thinking of living the American dream as soon as you decided to study in the USA. However, you might also feel some financial burden since you might need to pay significantly higher if you study abroad rather than stay in your home country.
While this idea can be bothersome and may derail your academic dream, keep in mind that the United States also has scholarships for international students.
With the help of scholarships from universities, government, and private institutions, getting your degree in the USA for free is highly possible. Scholarship providers can be very selective to their recipients. Top universities like Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton, and others give very generous scholarships to qualified applicants. There are also many government scholarships that you can apply for.
Thus, you should apply for as many scholarships as you can to increase your chances of getting accepted. Make sure to check if you meet the qualifications before sending your application to avoid any inconveniences and disappointments.
Study Undergraduate in USA for Free
There are several universities and educational institutions in the USA that offer scholarships to international students. Among those, New York University lists several scholarship options for international students. Its Nneka Fritz (WAG ’08) Scholarship program provides full-tuition coverage for students from underrepresented groups.
1. University of Oregon Scholarships
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full/Partial Tuition Coverage
Meanwhile, the University of Oregon offers several scholarships through the International Cultural Service Program Tuition Scholarships. It covers partial to full tuition costs, ranging from $9,000 to $30,000 per year. Besides, the university also offers supplement scholarships to assist students in their miscellaneous expenses.
2. Wesleyan University Scholarships
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full Tuition and Living Stipend
International students from selected Asian countries have a chance to study for free at Wesleyan University through their Freeman Asian Scholars Program. It grants successful applicants financial aid covering their full tuition and fees during their entire four-year bachelor’s study.
3. Brandeis University Full-Ride Scholarship
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full Tuition, Living Stipend, Travelling Expenses
Lastly, Brandeis University in Massachusetts offers a full scholarship that covers tuition fees, accommodation, and a round-trip air ticket yearly.
With these scholarships, you can study undergraduate degree in the United States for free. There are still more that you can apply for, so check out the best undergraduate scholarships for international students.
Study Master’s in the USA for Free
Besides a bachelor’s degree, you can also study for your master’s degree for free in the United States.
1. New York University Dean’s Scholarship
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full/Partial Tuition Coverage
New York University also covers graduate degrees through their scholarship programs, one of which is the Dean’s Scholarship. It offers full-tuition scholarships to successful applicants from all degrees and areas of study. Offered to many international applicants, this scholarship program can be renewed depending on your GPA.
2. Northcentral University Scholarship
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: $20,000 Award
The Northcentral University in San Diego, California, also provides the New Beginnings Scholarships for returning graduate students. The scholarship covers the full tuition costs of one successful applicant, which is selected based on his/her essay.
3. Harvard University Master’s Scholarship
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full Tuition, Living Stipend, and More
Students can also choose Harvard University for their Master’s degree. The prestigious school lists a number of scholarship providers students can choose from depending on their home country.
Fortunately for international students, these schools have scholarship programs that allow completing a master’s degree for free in the US. Besides these universities, international students can apply for scholarship programs from government and private institutions such as the Foreign Fulbright Program and the Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarships.
Study Ph.D. in the USA for Free
The United States is a favorite destination for aspiring Ph.D. students for several reasons, such as its yearly availability and funding that is almost always guaranteed so that international students can study for Ph.D. for free in the USA.
1. University of Miami Fellowships
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Prestigious Annual Stipend
The University of Miami lists several fellowships and scholarship programs for Ph.D. students. The most prestigious of their programs is the Dean’s Fellowships, which provides a stipend in the amount of $35,000 to selected applicants. In addition to the Dean’s Fellowships, there are many partial scholarships offered by the University of Miami that are open to international students.
2. Stanford University Ph.D. Scholarship
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full-Ride Benefits
Meanwhile, Stanford University guarantees funding to all their accepted doctoral candidates. The university covers the cost of attendance, which includes both tuition costs and other living expenses, and provides a fellowship stipend and assistantship salary for successful applicants.
3. MIT Ph.D. Scholarship
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full-Ride Benefits
Another prestigious university in the country that offers fellowship grants to international Ph.D. students is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As the institute receives donations from individual donors and private institutes, its Office of Graduate Education provides incoming Ph.D. students with sufficient information about the fellowships that can fund their entire postgraduate education. Fellowships cover the student’s tuition and living costs and their research costs for the whole duration of their study.
4. Johns Hopkins University Scholarship
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Tuition Coverage, Monthly Stipend
Lastly, Johns Hopkins University also offers international doctorate candidates funding for their education and research. Its scholarship program covers tuition costs and a stipend. These universities deliver world-class education and ensure that international students will not have to endure extreme financial burdens during their study abroad.
International students benefit from studying in the US in a lot of ways. From getting high-quality education to making deep connections with people in higher places, studies advance their careers in many ways.