𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 (𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚) 𝗜𝗡 𝗨𝗦 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦. One of the prevailing concerns for prospective students worldwide is funding. With many countries still seeing rising tuition fees, alongside cuts to government-funded financial aid, obtaining sufficient funding and managing debt are often the biggest obstacles facing students who wish to pursue further education.
To start with, the cost of graduate study can be overwhelming simply to work out. Depending on the location and your circumstances, you may need to account for some or all of the following: tuition fees, semester fees, student services fees, course material expenses, food, travel, accommodation, visa and health insurance costs, childcare and personal expenses. 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚
For some, there’s also the “opportunity cost” to calculate, meaning the cost of time spent taking a career break. 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚
Table of Contents
Sources of graduate funding
It’s advisable to start looking for graduate funding opportunities while or even before applying to universities, as the two processes often require very similar applications. In general, applications for funding need to be submitted by spring if you’re starting study in the fall of the same year. Clarendon Scholarship 2023 in UK (Fully Funded)
There are many types of funding available for graduate students: merit-based, need-based, need-blind, university-specific, course-specific, subject-specific, career-specific, demographic-specific, country-specific, ability-specific and non-specific… The following is a breakdown of the most common types of graduate funding available around the world. 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚
Home- and host-country governments
For funding opportunities, the first places to check are the Ministry/Department of Education in your home and host countries. International students may not be eligible for all government funding schemes in the host country, so it’s important to thoroughly check opportunities in your home country first. Clarendon Scholarship 2023 in UK (Fully Funded)
Typical government-funded aid includes sponsorships, loans, grants, scholarships (also known as studentships in the UK when referring to PhD students) and bursaries, each with distinct rules regarding eligibility, deadlines, application procedures and amount of funding awarded. 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚
Universities and higher education institutions (HEIs)
Many universities and other HEIs offer some sort of financial aid for international students, be it fellowships, scholarships, grants, awards or bursaries. These are distributed on the basis of need, academic merit, or both. Funding information is usually available online – check the scholarship or international section of the university website. Clarendon Scholarship 2023 in UK (Fully Funded)
Apply to as many schemes as possible but remember to check the criteria carefully to ensure you fit the requirements. Make sure to highlight your strengths and any exceptional achievements. 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚
Those applying for graduate study should also draw attention to any research projects, academic events, papers or conferences to which they have contributed, as well as discussing future research plans. Clarendon Scholarship 2023 in UK (Fully Funded)
Scholarships
Scholarships are prestigious, highly coveted and usually the hardest form of financial aid to secure. They don’t need to be repaid and cover the full or partial costs of tuition, sometimes along with a portion of living costs. 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚
Scholarships are usually based solely on academic merit, although there are also many specialized scholarships which are targeted at students with certain backgrounds, interests, skills or ambitions. For example, sporting scholarships for the athletically gifted are particularly common in the US, and you don’t have to be on a sports-related course to apply. 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚
Here are some of the things you should check up before applying;
𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
– Academic CV
– Research Interest
– Statement of Purpose (SOP)
– Certificates
– Academic Transcript
– Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
– Entrance Exam Scorecards – GRE/ GMAT (For schools that don’t waive them)
– English Language Proficiency Test Scores. (A letter can suffice in some cases)
– Research Statements (for some courses) 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗦/𝗣𝗵𝗗
– WES Evaluation (if you have a 2.2/3rd class/HND)
Note: If you have a 2.1 or first class, you can find the equivalent of your CGPA in the US scale with the formula;
Your CGPA – 3.8/5.0 = 0.76
conversion factor – 0.76*4.0= 3.04.
You are good to go
Your CGPA is 3.04 on 4.0 scale
𝟮. 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
– Have a Research Interest
– Search for Professors in your research area. It is advisable to look out for Assistant and Associate Professors. They are often the ones with funding
– Send out cold mails. (Learn how to do this)
– Receive confirmation of the availability of sponsorship via GRA/GTA
– Attend open days and get application fee waiver.
𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲
– Ability with Statistical and Data Tools (E.g. Python, MATLAB, R)
– Research ability with evidence of a published work
– Research Experience ( Even as little as a review is sufficient)
– Teaching Experience
– Leadership Skills
– Volunteering and Community Service
– Strong Letters of Reference
The good news is, you can have all of this and more, if you have the right guide. Seek mentorship if you can.
For more scholarships