My friend is an international student and is looking for scholarships for college. Any tips or suggestions on where they should start searching for good scholarship programs for international students?
Your friend is on the right track! Many international students worry about funding their college education, and scholarships can certainly help alleviate those concerns.
Many colleges offer scholarships specifically for international students. For example, Columbia University offers the Global Columbia Diversity Scholarship for first-year international students, and Chicago University provides a number of merit-based scholarships to international students.
When searching for scholarships, your friend should be sure to explore both merit-based scholarships and need-based financial aid. Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on academic, artistic or athletic abilities, and need-based financial aid is based largely on the economic situation of the student and their family.
Besides, there are numerous scholarship database websites like Appily and FastWeb that may be of assistance. They allow students to create personalized profiles and match them to scholarships they're qualified for, which can help your friend find funding opportunities that they might not have discovered on their own.
Organizations also offer scholarships specifically for international students. For example, Fulbright Foreign Student Program and Rotary International Peace Fellowship are known to provide a great deal of funding.
They should also check with the department of their intended major, as some departments offer scholarships specifically for their students. And remember, don't get discouraged by the competitiveness of some of these scholarships. Every year, scholarships go unclaimed because students don't apply.
Bottom line, your friend should start researching and applying as soon as possible. Finding scholarships takes time and effort, but the payoff can be well worth it!
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