Studying at colleges in the United States

HOW TO Studying at colleges in the United States

Studying at colleges in the United States with a scholarship is possible! That is why we have prepared this article: you will learn more about how American universities work and what are the types of scholarships.

It's just that there are merit scholarships for students with grade 10, scholarships for students who are successful sportsmen, scholarships for those with a leadership profile... For each scholarship model, the responsible university or organization seeks a certain student profile.

Therefore, it is essential to know the types of scholarships. So, when you are faced with a 'scholarship', for example, you will already know that this aid is exclusive to students!

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Best universities x cost

According to a survey released by the American magazine Princeton Review, the main concern among applicants to colleges in the United States is the debts they will assume to pay for the diploma after the end of the course.

In that same survey, in 2016, the result was quite different. This year, the biggest concern of the young people consulted was the possibility of not getting into the best college.

This difference illustrates a very important point: the cost of American college education has increased over the last decade, to the point where even high school students are worried about it.

And that's why there are so many types of scholarships in the USA and this is a super important question for anyone who wants to study there. This is because many of them are open to students from other countries, including Brazilians.

Tuition and university fees cost around $3500 for a 4-year course at a public university in the 2000s. That has jumped to an average of nearly $10,000 in 2017. That's a 275% increase!

That is, the average price of college in the US has increased a lot. And that's because we don't even mention the average values of private institutions, such as Ivy League universities, which are considerably higher.

For American students, higher college costs mean more debt. This is because many of them make use of student loans to pay for the course.

However, there are other ways to pay for college. And the most common examples are precisely the scholarships and subsidies offered by these institutions or by other bodies. Generally, scholarships and other resources for students are offered by the government, institutions or even the university itself.

In some cases, scholarships and grants are called a gift aid because they do not need to be repaid. That is, they are offered to students and they do not have to pay anything in return, except to show good results or fulfill other requirements of the scholarship, such as grades, sports competitions or academic events. These scholarship maintenance criteria can vary greatly according to each opportunity.

These scholarships are the most competitive and, therefore, are also the ones that most require candidates to meet certain prerequisites. In addition to the above requirements, maintaining excellent academic performance is almost mandatory in these cases!

You can be sure that you fit into one of these types of scholarships in the USA!

Those who are researching scholarships can fall into a very common mistake! In common sense, it's natural to think that scholarship opportunities and student aid are only for the smartest students with the highest grades . THIS IS NOT TRUE!

Opportunities exist for all types of students looking for a quality college education. In the United States, that number multiplies: no other country in the world has such a wide and diverse framework of opportunities.

We will now show you what are the most common types of scholarships in the USA and what you must do to win them. But first, understand the difference between scholarships and grants.

Scholarships in the United States vs Grants in the United States

Although the words 'scholarships' and 'grants' are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings.

Scholarships in the United States are generally based on academic or athletic merit, while grants are designed to address financial need.

Each year, an estimated $46 billion is awarded by the US government, universities and colleges in grants and scholarships.

In addition, approximately $3.3 billion in gift aid is provided by private sources, including single donors, foundations, corporations, churches, non-profit groups, civil societies, veterans groups, professional groups, service clubs, unions, chambers trade unions, associations and many other organizations.

As the price of college education in the United States has gone up, the ability to pay for it has gone down. In this way, scholarships and subsidies play an increasingly important role in maintaining the dream of thousands of university students.

And that goes for foreign students too! This is so true that several scholarships are exclusive to international students. Universities seek to attract the most qualified students who fit their educational mission through scholarships. So, don't be surprised if you find a full-ride scholarship for exchange students.

Types of US Scholarships (and Grants!)

There are many different types of scholarships and grants available in the United States. Students - and their parents - are advised to explore the full range of possibilities.

Scholarships and grants are generally awarded on the basis of merit or financial need and may be university or college, student, and/or course specific.

Scholarship based on academic, artistic or sporting merit

Merit support is based on a student's academic, artistic, or athletic achievement. It is also aimed at students who demonstrate leadership qualities or other skills, such as experience in extracurricular activities and/or community service.

This type of scholarship is most often awarded by private organizations or by a specific school or college within a university.

Furthermore, it is primarily based on high standardized test scores, a high grade point average (GPA) in school, or other forms of measurable academic performance.

However, some merit awards are grade-blind. This means that they are not linked to academic grades, but rather to a student's talent, ability, achievement or potential. Sports and artistic achievement scholarships are included in this type of grade-blind scholarship.

Institutional merit aid generally makes up a small portion of a college's financial assistance budget, and awards tend to be very competitive. Typically, there are more applicants than available funds, and some schools do not provide merit aid.

Private merit scholarships are often awarded based on selection processes based on applicants' submission of essays and/or other application criteria. This varies by granting organization.

In general, merit-based scholarships are any scholarship that has some level of competition and is often closely related to the academic performance of students in high school.

But these grades are not the only factors that evaluators take into account. Other issues such as extracurricular activities, volunteer work and a well-done application also count in the process. These are usually the bags with the highest values.

How to win a scholarship in the USA and what are the most common opportunities?

Now that you've seen an overview of how this world of scholarships works at American universities, it will be easier to understand the whole process.

From now on, you will discover the most common types of grants there, which of these opportunities best match your profile and what you need to do to apply.

1. Scholarship for middle-achieving students

Within this more general group, there are scholarships designed even for students who have not been the best in High School, as we have already mentioned.

Average scholarships also take academic performance into account.

However, the focus of the evaluation will be on other factors such as leadership capacity, participation in community services and the quality of the candidates' writing in the entrance exams and motivation letters.

So even if you don't have straight A's, you could be an excellent candidate for a scholarship. In the US, the university application process goes beyond grades: your goals, achievements so far and even your motivation for choosing that university are evaluated. You can count points having initiative and willingness to make a difference in your community.

2. Scholarship for creative students

For those who are artistically minded, there are creative scholarships available to help them pursue their passion.

Art, Music and Dance Scholarships usually involve an audition or submission of a portfolio and can help a candidate get a place in an Art school or in an Art program at any university.

A very famous institution that offers this type of aid is the Juilliard School, which offers scholarships based on both financial need and artistic merit. Click here to learn more about this university's scholarship policy.

3. Scholarship for sports students

For students with strong academic and physical abilities, athletic scholarships are the way to go. There's practically a bag for every sport: Football, Volleyball, Artistic Gymnastics, Swimming... there's even one for cheerleaders!

A big news is that scholarships for gamers are being offered recently. That is, even those who practice e-sports are an excellent candidate to be a fellow in the USA.

So, if you excel in any sport, you should definitely look into an athletic scholarship, which tends to be a pretty generous grant category.

Students who receive this type of scholarship gain, in addition to exemption from college, lodging, food and even travel expenses for games in other cities or countries. Find out more information about this scholarship category here .

4. Fellowships

This bag has a different concept. In addition to gaining all the benefits of studying at a college for free, it also provides a salary for the student to work with research within the college.

So it is possible to develop, learn, participate in research, contribute to the world of science and technology and still earn for it. Learn more about fellowships here .

A well-known program in this category is the Humphrey Fellowship, which is an initiative aimed at professionals interested in strengthening their leadership skills through a mutual exchange of knowledge on issues of common interest between the United States and their countries of origin. Click here to learn more about this program.

5. Scholarships e Grants

Many colleges now automatically consider students for scholarships at the time of application. Especially because, in the application, the candidate already fills out a form with financial information about his family.

In this case, it is one of the simplest and easiest grants to be won, because it ends up not having any other extra requirements. When applying, just choose the option to receive a scholarship and that's it.

It is important to point out that not all scholarships are full. One student can receive 100% of the course fee and another can receive 60%, for example. What will define the exact percentage of the aid is, among other factors, the financial need of the candidates and their families.

In other cases, it is necessary to make a separate application, using a separate form, to indicate interest in the scholarship. In these situations, it is already mandatory that the student has been accepted in the course or university of interest before applying for the scholarship. It may still be necessary to send additional documents.

The grant is a financial resource that will support the student's studies and projects. Generally, the student applying for a grant will present a project and may receive the financial resource if the project is approved, to cover their development expenses.

(cottonbro studio/Pexels)

6. Assistantships e Work on Campus

Even those who cannot get a 100% scholarship to study at American universities have the possibility of working directly or indirectly for the university and being paid for it.

Assistantships are grants distributed to students who work in a service focused on the educational part, such as being a teacher's assistant or working in one of the institution's libraries.

Work on Campus, on the other hand, are jobs within the campus but not necessarily linked to the educational part. Some examples: shoveling snow, mowing lawns, working at the college gym, working with events hosted on campus, room monitor in student accommodation , etc.

7. Aid for minority groups

Anyone who thinks that encouraging access to education for minorities is a Brazilian thing is wrong. In the US, this also exists, but instead of quotas, they work with an exclusive scholarship policy.

Some of them are general and directed towards all minorities as a whole. And there are also those aimed at individual ethnic groups. If you are part of an ethnic minority this is a great way to study, earn money for it and still represent your culture in another country.

Minority group assistance is awarded to students based on personal, social or demographic criteria such as race, religion, sexual orientation, family associations, place of origin, medical history, etc.

The different types of institutional and private student-specific help are extensive and comprehensive. There are specific scholarships, for example, for international students studying in the United States.

On the other hand, some schools offer exclusive scholarships to students with disabilities, while certain pharmaceutical companies offer scholarships to students with specific medical conditions.

There are also scholarships for students with twins or triplets and for those who have survived cancer... As you can see, the variety of opportunities and groups served is really huge!

In addition, there are scholarships for students who are part of certain ethnic or religious groups or for those with ancestry from specific countries. For example, some grants are only awarded to students whose parents or relatives belong to a union, or who have worked in a particular profession or in a specific company. Some scholarships are reserved for students whose families have some military affiliation or historical significance.

Students who are military service veterans, or are spouses or survivors, may qualify for college assistance and assistance programs administered by the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD).

Because of the wide variety of groups and organizations that award or are the focus of these scholarships, it is important that students explore all possibilities for assistance. The amounts vary greatly: from one hundred to several thousand dollars.

But it is important to remember that each scholarship has its own prerequisites and application deadlines. Even a considerable number of them are exclusive to students from the United States, so it's important to know how to filter opportunities to understand which ones are really possible for you as a foreign student.

8. Aid for women

As with minority scholarships, there are also specific scholarships for women. As colleges were dominated by men in the past, scholarships were created for women who needed assistance in paying their college expenses. And they have been maintained until the present day to bring opportunities to women fighting for gender equality.

If you are a woman, it is highly recommended that you look for these types of scholarships in the USA. And good information is that they are usually available in almost any area.

To cite just one example, women occupy less than 40% of engineering , science and mathematics undergraduate programs in the US, despite comprising more than 57% of the college population.

In an effort to increase interest in these fields, several groups offer scholarships to women pursuing degrees in these fields. One of the main examples is the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Another example is the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT), which offers grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 per year for the duration of the course.

Raise the Nation is an organization that provides scholarships and grants to single mothers. She also helps repay student loans to women who have children and have graduated from college.