How to Study for Free at an American University: 4 Ways to Fund
'06.10.2020'
Source: "Linguatrip" on "Yandex.Zen"
Many do not even realize that you can study in the United States for free. The author of the channel writes about how admission to an American university differs from admission to Russia, when and what documents to submit, what are the tricks for admission, how to choose a university and a program and study for free in the USA “Linguatrip” on “Yandex.Zen”.
Why US universities allocate money to educate students
1. Some universities have a lot of money.
They have donations, a huge amount of funds. In doing so, they need to raise their rating, and they try to attract as many talented students as possible. For this, universities sponsor the training of the best students. If the student has a high level of language proficiency and excellent marks in the diploma, there is every chance to enter an American university and receive a study grant.
2. International students influence university rankings.
Unlike Russia, in America, universities compete among themselves in terms of rankings. International students bring a lot of points to the overall ranking, so universities want to see as many foreign students as possible in their ranks.
How many percent of people receive full funding
If you look at the Undergraduate programs, it is more difficult to get funding, only 11% of students receive scholarships.
Looking at the Graduate programs, 45% receive full university funding.
On a PhD program, the chances of getting full funding are 99%. However, it is more difficult to enroll in it. You will have to contact the professor with whom the student plans to study, and find out from him what research topics are interesting to him.
On the subject: Personal experience: I entered one of the best universities in the USA and studied for free
Funding methods
1. Scholarship (Grant)
Grant - receiving material assistance from the university for training at no cost.
It is quite difficult to get a grant. The student submits an application to the university, waits for a decision, whether they take him or not, and whether they give any grant. When applying for a program, it is important to look at what types of funding the university provides, whether there are grants and how much. Sometimes the grant is not even enough to cover basic costs.
2. Loans
This method of financing is not the most attractive one. Loans in America for training are given at 5-7%. They need to be given back nine months after graduation - and for ten years. A foreign student almost always needs a sponsor. They can be a US resident who has lived in the US for at least two years, has a good credit history, and pays taxes. If the student does not repay the loan, the guarantor will be liable to the credit institution. Therefore, it is quite difficult to find a person who will agree to such responsibility. This can be a close relative or a good friend. And, for example, MIT now offers loans without a surety to all foreign students.
3. Assistantship (Work for the university)
The third option for financial assistance is the most affordable - work for a university. There are two types of such work. The first option: the student works for the professor, conducts lectures and seminars with him, prepares some materials for him. The instructor may need help conducting research or preparing a presentation. The second option is administrative work at the university. Usually 10-20 hours a week. You cannot work more than 20 hours a week.
Assistantship covers the entire tuition, and there is still a scholarship that will help pay for accommodation and other expenses. This kind of funding is easier to obtain because commitments arise. If a student is performing poorly or his GPA drops, he may not be extended Assistantship.
4. Fellowship (Research work)
This is an option for PHD students. 99% of the time PHD students receive financial aid is Fellowship. On it, the student must conduct a certain research, and share his results with some US organization. The study should resonate with the problem that the funding agency is addressing.
Deadlines for submission of documents
If a student is applying for funding, documents must be submitted as early as possible. The university usually has three deadlines: November, January and March.
The student's task is to submit documents in November. The later he does it, the less chances.
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Application fee
When submitting documents, it is worth paying attention to the fact that many universities have a filing fee. Some have $ 30, others have $ 60 or even $ 150, and Harvard has $ 250. However, if a student has a good resume and is confident in his abilities, it is worth writing to the university with a request to be made an application fee waiver. For achievements, he can be exempt from collection.
Original column published on the blog. "Linguatrip" on "Yandex.Zen"
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