Scholarships for Indian Students in USA

The USA is currently the world’s most sought-after university location, especially for Indian students. As a result, numerous candidates apply for scholarships for Indian students in the USA despite expanding other English course choices in other countries.

You must know that the best colleges in the US continue to hold prominent positions among the top educational institutions in the world. The excellent reputation is partially due to the strict requirements and high academic standards the universities place on their students, and the strong funding and support colleges get.

Moreover, diversity is one of the distinguishing cornerstones of almost every university in the US. You will frequently notice students from different countries, ethnicities, and religions in the classrooms and residence halls. This diversity helps to enrich the learning environment.

Reasons For Scholarships in the US

It is a well-known fact that the USA is one of the most costly countries for higher education. However, several scholarships for Indian students in the USA will provide you with various ways to get the required funding. In addition, you will receive numerous scholarship options from colleges, NGOs, and other organizations.

The cost of living in the USA for Indian students has increased by 14%. As an international student, you are not qualified for financing exclusively for US citizens. But, the number of overseas scholarships to study in the USA has increased in the past few years, and several US colleges prioritize international students.

The scholarships are financial subsidies that may partially or fully cover your entire educational ride. You will receive scholarships from several corporate and governmental organizations, including the US government. Remember to submit all your essential documents to apply for the scholarships within the deadlines.

Scholarship Criteria for Indian Students

When you apply for scholarships for Indian students in the US, you will notice various criteria you must fulfill for the college to approve your request. Of course, the essential requirement is a strong academic record. However, the admission officers also consider other criteria, including subject, university, location, and program.

Sometimes, your extracurricular activities are also important for a scholarship. For example, your hobbies and volunteer work are also advantageous when applying for some scholarships. In some universities, you must submit an application requesting a scholarship, but several universities require fulfilling several requirements.

These requirements include the completion of written assignments or research-oriented essays. The funding options include scholarships, fellowships, and loans. USA awards fellowships to only PG students, while you can apply for scholarships and loans as a UG student. There are four categories of scholarships:

• Program-specific scholarships.
• NGO scholarships.
• Government Scholarships.
• Subject-specific scholarships.

What Do the Scholarships Cover?

Every US college or university has a different tuition fee structure. Therefore, the scholarships they provide also have unique structures and amounts of money. Sometimes, you may find scholarships for Indian students in the USA that cover only a portion of your living expenses. In contrast, some may cover 100% of tuition fees and living expenses.

It would help if you kept in mind that Government-funded scholarships or loans are more competitive. So, the foreign study experts suggest you apply for university scholarships, which are easier to achieve. However, university scholarships may require you to fulfill various criteria and may be less than government ones.

You should begin to apply for scholarships around 8-12 months before the acceptance period. It will give you enough time to avoid the competition and receive your preferred scholarships.

Types of US Scholarships

As mentioned earlier, you can choose from 4 types of scholarships for Indian students in the US. The NGO scholarships are mostly fully-funded scholarships for Indian undergraduate and graduate students. You may need to write a few essays or create a video introduction for these scholarships.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program is the most popular Government-funded scholarship for an Indian undergraduate student that covers your entire living and tuition cost in the US for one year. Most Government funding excludes the medical program. The University-oriented scholarships mainly require you to show leadership skills, merit, and a portfolio. You can renew some of these University-based scholarships.

The scholarships mainly reserved for Indian students include:

• Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program (part of the Fulbright program) for PG or doctoral students.
• Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship for MBA students at Stanford University.
• International Education Financial Aid– a summer scholarship program, and you may get up to $20,000 per year.
• Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships for Ph.D. students and covers J-1 VISA holders.
• AAUW Fellowships for PG female students or those who are interested in research.
• Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships for undergraduate students earn up to $30,000 annually.

How to Apply for Scholarships?

Before you apply for a scholarship for Indian students in the USA, you must first determine if you qualify for the required criteria or not. You must first try to achieve an excellent academic record. The US universities have different GPA requirements, and you must score the minimum.

Many universities may also require you to submit SAT scores, Letters of Recommendation, and Statements of Purpose with your financial statements, and you must submit them all within the deadlines. Also, I scored good marks on the English Language Proficiency tests.

When applying for scholarships for Indian students in the US, you must remember that involvement in extracurricular activities and volunteer work has excellent advantages. In addition, most US universities prefer students who will add to the university’s improvement with their leadership skills. With these skills in your portfolio, you can stand out from the competition and receive your desired scholarship.

Conclusion

The USA has the best educational institutions, but it is costly to study. Therefore, you must apply for scholarships for Indian students in the US, which will help you cover your expenses fully or partially. There are several categories of scholarships with different competition and capital structures. You must fulfill the required criteria for them. It is challenging to keep track of so many scholarships and determine the right one for you. So, you can go to international study counseling organizations that will solve your confusion and provide you with the correct strategy to apply for a scholarship.