Are there scholarships specifically for Asian international students who want to study in the USA? I'm from Asia and looking for both university-specific and external scholarships. Any advice on where to start searching would be helpful!
Many universities offer scholarships specifically tailored towards international students, and a number of external scholarships are also available. However, keep in mind that scholarships specifically for international students, let alone Asian international students, may be limited in number and highly competitive.
In terms of institutional scholarships, you'd want to look at scholarships offered by individual universities. Some schools, like the University of Oregon, offers an International Cultural Service Program (ICSP) scholarship where students share their cultures through various activities on campus. At the University of Minnesota, the Global Excellence Scholarships cater to international freshmen and transfer students.
Externally, the East-West Center Scholarships and Fellowships provide funding for graduate students from the Asia-Pacific region to study in the United States. The US-Asia Institute also hosts a number of fellowship programs for students interested in US-Asia relations.
Private funds are another avenue. For instance, the Freeman-ASIA program provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduates with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia, though, given that you are an incoming international student, the focus here would be to find similar programs for Asian students wanting to study in the U.S.
Given the volume of scholarships available, start your search early. Use online resources like Appily (formerly Cappex) to help streamline the process. When researching scholarships, ensure you meet the requirements (i.e., nationality, field of study, GPA, etc.) and keep an eye on deadlines.
Bear in mind that scholarships alone may not fill the entirety of your financial need, so consider other types of financial aid like loans and work-study programs. Some schools will meet the full demonstrated need of international students, so comprehensively research the financial aid policies of each school you're considering.
Scholarship opportunities for Asian international students may be available, but you'll need cast a wide net and invest a good amount of time in the scholarship search process. Best of luck!
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