MS Abroad:

How to get Funding?

Introduction:

“I want to get scholarships for my

Masters!”

How many of you have wondered the same?

100 % scholarships or full ride scholarships are no longer a

myth.

The holy grail of every college applicants scholarship search is

no longer unachievable. But it’s not going to be a cakewalk
either.

Limited seats and lot of competition make it a very difficult

spot to be in. Standing out from the crowd is crucial to getting
a full ride scholarship.

Education system in the US might be a lot more expensive

compared to education systems elsewhere in the world. There
are a lot of options whereby you yourself can fund your
education without having to depend on your parents or family
members.

This ebook outlines the various options available for you!

Breakup of Finances

Firstly, analyse what your finances are.

For an MS abroad, your finances will comprise of 2 things:

Expenses = Tuition fee + Living Cost

1. Tuition Fee:
Tuition fee purely depends on the course, and the university you’re
applying to. Public universities are often more affordable than
private universities. You may avoid some well-ranked universities
due to the high tuition, but there are several options available to
counter the cost. Thus, research very well before shortlisting only
on the basis of cost.

Eg: Arizona State University has a fee of $46,846 for their graduate
programs, inclusive of everything.

2. Living Cost:
Depending on the location and the lifestyle of the student, this
varies. It’s entirely based on personal preference and the spending
pattern of the student. Location wise, certain states have lower
cost of living than others.

E.g: Texas standard cost of living will be $500 per month, whereas
in New York, it’ll be $800 per month.
Biggest Factor Influencing 100% Scholarships!

1. Start early, finish strong

The scholarship deadlines precede the admission deadlines by a
couple of months. Cash in before the competition commences. In
order to remain ahead of the competition you need to start early and
fill up the applications.

The adage early bird catches the worm is very true for this case. You
need to keep yourself updated with the university deadlines.
Visiting websites of universities you wish to shortlist is the right
thing to do.

Websites to help you in university shortlisting:

● Scholarships.com

● CollegeBoard

● FastWeb

● CollegeNet

● ScholarshipMonkey

● scholars4dev
Types of Funding

1. Scholarships

2. Tuition fee waivers

3. Fellowships

4. Research Assistantships

5. Teaching Assistantships

6. On-Campus Jobs

7. Internships
Types of Funding
Scholarship
● Stipend given to students either by the college or any external
sources.
● Scholarships are given to very a few international students.
● On an average students get around $2000 per month.
● Students can look for scholarships from international and
humanitarian organizations.

Name: Vinaya Sai

College: VIT

Employer: 2 years at Bank of

America

Branch: ECE

Intended major: MS IT

GRE Score: 319 (Q - 166, V – 153)

Admit:
Carnegie Mellon, Australia with TOEFL: 105
40% scholarship
GPA: 9.58
Types of Funding

Fellowships:
● Grant given by the university or donor associated with
university.
● There is no obligation to return the money.
● Student is free to focus on studies.

Tuition fee waiver

● It is the deduction in tuition fees.
● It depends upon academic profile, GRE and TOEFL score,
research work and projects etc.
● The percentage varies from 10% to 100% .
● Example:
○ The tuition fees for NCSU/ year = $ 19,093 = Rs. 12 Lakhs
○ Waiver = 40% = Rs. 4.8 Lakhs
○ Total fee the student has to pay for 1 year = Rs. 7.2 Lakhs
Types of Funding

Research Assistantships

● Students are assigned to work in a faculty member's lab.

● The supervising faculty member may or may not be the
student's main advisor.
● Assistantship can include data collection, entry and analysis,
reviewing the literature and other library work, organizing
and/or cleaning the lab or office.
● Paid out of research grants or funds of a professor. (~ $2000-
$2500 per month)
● Scientific publishing ability is an asset to get RA.
● Very often computer maintenance skills, software and system
admin skills, statistical skills are helpful in assisting with
research
Types of Funding

Teaching Assistantships

● It offers an opportunity to learn how to teach.

● Develop an excellent understanding of the course material in
exchange for tuition remission and often a stipend.
● Students make approximately $1500-2000 per month.
● Assisting a professor in grading assignments, supervising,
proctoring exams etc.
● Usually it’s not given at the time of admission.
● Usually only for 9 months in a year.
Types of Funding

On-Campus Jobs

● Part time jobs inside the campus.

● International students are allowed to work for 20 hours in a
week with F1 Visa.
● In summer vacation it will be extended to 40 hours/ week.
● Students are paid around $7 / hour.

● Examples:
o Work in Library, Computer labs, Cafeterias
o Reception, Administration department.
Types of Funding

Internships:
Curricular Practical Training [CPT]
● Permission is needed to work or do an internship.
● Especially for a non-US citizen on F1 VISA.
● CPT permission is issued by University.

Optional Practical Training [OPT]

● A practical work experience complementary to the academic
program.
● It is not a part of the curriculum.
● Up to 1 year after you complete course requirements.
● Sometimes Pre-completion OPT is allowed.
● You have to get permission from US govt. (INS) not just
university.
Criteria For scholarships

● GRE Score

● Academics performance

● TOEFL / IELTS Score

● Leadership and volunteering

● Achievements, paper-publications and recognitions

● Letters of recommendations

● Statement of purpose or Scholarship essay

Want to understand this criteria better, and which you should focus on?

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When to Apply for Scholarships?

● Scholarship deadlines and Admission deadlines are not the same

every time.

● Both are different and you need to apply ahead of time for
Scholarships.

● Scholarship dates are displayed on websites of respective

colleges.

● Student needs to check before hand and apply.

● Applications open from September through January.

Scholarship Programs: The Ultimate List
a) Foreign Fulbright Student Program:
This program helps graduate students from abroad to continue
research and studies. It encourages students from all fields. The
Scholarship is awarded to approximately 4000 students each year.
The program receives invites from 155 nations.

Website link: https://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/

b) Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarships

The Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program
(JJ/WBGSP) sponsors students from developing countries to pursue
graduate studies leading to a Master’s degree from preferred and
partner universities around the world. Scholars are expected to
return home to contribute to the development of their country. The
scholarship includes

1. Travel costs between your home country and the host university

2. Tuition for your graduate program

3. The cost of basic medical insurance

4. A monthly subsistence allowance to cover living expenses,

including books.

5. To know more about the program and eligibility criteria please

visit: http://go.worldbank.org/VV63X70UQ0
Scholarship Programs: The Ultimate List

c) AAUW International Fellowships

AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University
Women) awards International Fellowships for full-time study or
research in the United States to women who are not United States
citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate
study at accredited institutions are supported.Fields of study include
Business, government, academia, community activism, the arts, and
sciences.Since it started, International Fellowships have been
awarded to over 3,000 women representing 135 countries.
International Fellowships funds are only available for: educational
expenses, living expenses, dependent child care, and travel to
professional meetings, conferences or seminars, as long as it does
not exceed 10% of the fellowship.

Master’s/Professional Fellowship: $18,000

Doctorate Fellowship: $20,000

Postdoctoral Fellowship: $30,000

Scholarship Programs: The Ultimate List

d) Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship

Programme
The Aga Khan Foundation provides a limited number of scholarships
each year for postgraduate studies to outstanding students from
developing countries who have no other means of financing their
studies. Scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant: 50% loan basis
through a competitive application process once a year in June or
July. The Foundation assists students with tuition fees and living
expenses only. The cost of travel is not included in AKF
scholarships. Half of the scholarship amount is considered as a loan,
which must be reimbursed with an annual service charge of 5%. A
guarantor is required to co-sign the loan agreement. The payback
period is five years, starting six months after the study period funded
by the Aga Khan Foundation.

For more information please visit:

http://www.akdn.org/akf_scholarships.asp
Scholarship Programs: The Ultimate List

e) Rotary Foundation Global Study Grants

The Rotary Foundation offers scholarship funding through the
Rotary Foundation Global Grant scholarships. The scholarship funds
graduate-level coursework or research for one to four academic
years. Rotary Foundation Global Grants can be used to fund
scholarships with sustainable, high-impact outcomes in one of
Rotary’s six areas of focus: Peace and conflict prevention/resolution,
Disease prevention and treatment, Water and sanitation, Maternal
and child health, Basic education and literacy, and Economic and
community development. The minimum budget for a Global Grant
scholarship is $30,000 which can fund the following: Passport/visa,
Vaccinations, Travel expenses (as specified in the grant terms and
conditions), School supplies, Tuition, Room and board, Household
supplies, Language training courses (but not if university admission
is contingent on improvement of language skills). Most personal
and miscellaneous expenses are not covered by the scholarship
funding.

For more information please visit the official website:

https://www.rotary.org/en/take-action/apply-grants/global-grants
Scholarship Programs: The Ultimate List

f) USIEF Scholarships
The United States India Educational Foundation was established to
promote academic partnerships between Indian and American
universities and provide Indian students the opportunity to study in
top American universities. The Tata Scholarship at Cornell
University, Brandeis University Scholarship and The University of
California Berkeley Scholarships are some of the popular
scholarships offered by USIEF and its partners.

Students are also advised to visit the website of the Ministry of

Human Development for details of other scholarships that Indian
students are eligible to apply and offered in partnership with other
governments.
Scholarship Programs: The Ultimate List

g) Tata Scholarship (Cornell University for Indian

students)
The Tata Scholarship Fund will support approximately 20 scholars at
any given time and will ensure that the very best Indian students
have access to Cornell, regardless of their financial circumstances.
The scholarship will be awarded annually; recipients will receive the
scholarship for the duration of their undergraduate studies at
Cornell. A $25 million endowment courtesy of Tata Education and
Development Trust, has been established that will allow Cornell to
provide financial aid to undergraduate students from India.

To know more about the program and selection criteria please visit:
http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/international-students/tata-
scholarship