Top Colleges Offering Financial Aid to International Students

February 27th, 2012 by Jennifer Frankel

Are you planning to study in the US? If so, you’ll find the latest study by the U.S. News & World Report to be of particular interest. This report evaluated the financial assistance packages that US colleges provided their international undergraduate students. After reviewing the 776 US colleges that provide financial aid to international students, the top 10 colleges were narrowed down and ranked.

Interestingly, the top 10 colleges offering financial aid to international students averaged $47,469. While it is important to note that this is not the norm, as many of the 776 schools offered a few hundred dollars to its students coming from overseas, this information can be helpful for students budgeting and planning to study in the US.

For many international students, the financial aid packages may just be the final determination of whether the student will go abroad for their undergraduate degree. Especially as tuition continually increases and the economic downfall has widespread consequences, students are more than ever depending on help from their college or university.

Below is the final report of the top colleges offering financial aid to international students along with the average award package given in 2010-2011:

1. Yale University, Connecticut – $51,044

2. Wesleyan University, Connecticut  – $50,743

3. Skidmore College, New York – $50,000

4. Amherst College, Massachusetts – $49,010

5. Trinity College, Connecticut – $48,999

6. Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania – $48,908

7. University of Chicago, Illinois – $48,436

8. Williams College, Massachusetts – $47,713

9. Vassar College, New York – $47,623


International Student Scholarships for Georgia College & State University

February 23rd, 2012 by Jonathan Frankel

Georgia College & State University International Student Scholarship
Scholarship Deadline: April 1 and September 1

If you are interested in becoming an international student in Georgia and are in need of a scholarship, you have found the right place. Each year the International Education Center at Georgia College & University awards almost 40 scholarships to international students.

International Student Scholarship (ISS) is given to select students who have been accepted to Georgia College and is based upon extracurricular involvement, academic excellence and financial need. This award grants either a half waiver or full waiver for out-of-state tuition fees and ranges in the amount of amount $20,000 to $40,000 over the course of four years. Full time undergraduate students who will pursue their degree at Georgia College & State University are eligible to apply for this scholarship. All applications must be submitted by April 1 for the Fall semester or September 1 for the Spring semester.

Once the ISS is awarded it is renewable for up to eight semesters as long as the student maintains their eligibility as stated in the application guidelines.
For more information on this scholarship and how to apply, visit our International Scholarship database.

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Public Universities Attract Indian Students

February 20th, 2012 by Jennifer Frankel

If anyone ever thought that tuition fees do not effect enrollment, a new study recently released showed otherwise. www.YourNextLeap.com conducted a survey that showed that Indian students are choosing more affordable schools – many of which are public universities.

Tuition costs are on the rise in the United States, especially as the US government continues to reduce federal funding. As tuition increases, and the Indian Rupee depreciates against the US dollar, more Indian students are balancing cost and their preference for top universities. As students balance these two important decisions, many students are applying to schools that offer a good balance of both.

According to this survey of 1,000 students, the findings indicated that 43% of Indian students preferred public universities in 2011-2012 which increased to 62% for the upcoming semester. This same study found that cost is a major consideration for international students where students applied to universities with the following cost structure:

 Tuition Fee Annually Percent of Indian Student Applicants
Below $15,000 17%
$15,000 – $20,000 40%
$20,000 – $25,000 16%
$25,000 – $30,000 27%

To compare costs, according to College Board a public four-year college charges on average $12,526 for tuition and fees for out-of-state students annually whereas a private nonprofit four-year college charges $28,500 each year.

This comes as an important indicator for schools looking to attract and grow their international student body. In 2011, India was the second largest sending country of international students after China, sending 103,895 students to the United States (14% of the total international student body).


International Students Choose Tech Schools

February 16th, 2012 by Jennifer Frankel

In the past, many international students came to the United States looking to study at a handful of well-known, prestigious universities and colleges throughout the nation. As the number of international students continues to grow and the price tag among these elite schools is also increasing, many international students are considering other alternatives.

Tech schools, also known as vocational schools, are designed to train students on specific skills such as computer technology or health care. Instead of a traditional University, the emphasis of a tech school is to prepare students for jobs by giving students skills directly related to their employment. Many international students are turning to technical schools to get their US education – and at a greatly reduced price!

Why, you might ask? First of all, many of these tech schools offer more affordable tuition and most degree programs can be completed quicker than a traditional college. With a growing demand for international students, tech schools are combining these offerings with scholarships to further reduce the price for students. Let’s look at Tennessee Tech who in one year grew from 53 (in Spring 2011) to 188 (in Spring 2012) international students. According to Amy Miller, Tennessee Tech study abroad coordinator, one reason for this increase is that students are getting different types of scholarships, including funding from their home country’s government.

And financing isn’t just the end of it; tech schools aren’t stopping there either. In addition to their degree program, tech schools are now introducing English language centers to help students improve English fluency before beginning their coursework. Texas Tech, for example, plans to open an ELS Language Center this June to help expand their reach globally. While there are no scholarships for ELS students at Texas Tech, they are looking into the possibility of extending scholarships to the English learning process as well.


Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

February 6th, 2012 by IEFA

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
Scholarship Deadline: March 1, 2012

Are you a US citizen interested in studying abroad? If you are currently enrolled in a two-year or four-year undergraduate degree then this may just be your opportunity to study abroad. Two undergraduate students are awarded this scholarships based on need twice a year to attend a non-traditional study abroad experience. If you have knocked off Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, this scholarship may just be for you!

“The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities.”

Those awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships will have program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance and international airfare covered by the scholarship. Scholarships will depend on the expense, need, and length of program however many awards are around $4,000.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is supported through the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000 and is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Applications will be available early January here.

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