Researching outside scholarships for international students in the USA

As an international student hoping to study in the USA, I'm trying to figure out the availability of outside scholarships. Are there reputable organizations or platforms that provide scholarships to international students, and how do I get started on applications?

There are plenty of reputable organizations that offer scholarships for international students planning to study in the U.S. Some examples include the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, which provides funds for students to undertake graduate study and/or research in the U.S.; the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program, a non-degree program for mid-career professionals; and scholarships provided by Universities themselves to attract international talent.

Do also research about other scholarships specific to your country of origin or the area of study you intend to pursue. As an example, the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation awards for Indian students, or the American Association for University Women (AAUW) offers fellowships for international women scholars in graduate programs.

Additionally, multi-national corporations, private foundations, and non-profit organizations often fund scholarships for international students. Examples are Google's Women Techmakers Scholars Program and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, both available to international students.

If you're taking the student loan route, consider options like MPOWER Financing, which provides loans to international students without requiring a cosigner or collateral.

Platforms like Appily (formerly known as Cappex) have vast databases of scholarships suited for different types of students, including international students. You can filter through these scholarships according to your eligibility criteria.

A word of caution: scholarships for international students tend to be very competitive, so it's crucial to start the application process early. This gives you enough time to put together a compelling application and, if needed, seek help in refining it. The scholarships often require an essay, recommendation letters, and sometimes even interviews. Make sure to double-check the deadlines, as they often differ across scholarships and can also sometimes depend on your nationality.

Lastly, remember to verify the legitimacy of the scholarship and the organization offering it before investing your time in the application. You can often do this by researching the organization and looking for experiences of past awardees.

I hope this helps and best of luck with your scholarship search!