Technology session: Financial Aid on Internet for International Students
Report made by Sergei Papook, Dnipropetrovsk EIC (Ukraine),
during 7th OSEAS-Europe Regional Conference for
Overseas Advisers in Europe and the New Independent States
"Technology as the Virtual Adviser:
Challenging the Nature of Advising", July 18-23, 2001, Nicosia, Cyprus
I am very pleased to be with you at this 7th Annual OSEAS Conference. As this technical session should acquaint advisers with online resources for researching financial aid we will focus largely on demonstrating useful websites and search techniques for securing the funding international students need to pay for their education
The structure of our session will be following:
Specialized websites devoted to collecting information about awards to foreign nationals (Iefa.org, Finaid.org, Fastweb.com etc)
Websites devoted to collecting information about awards in some specific field of study, for selected/special group of applicants (women, disabilities etc.);
Links to foundations and private sources as well as international organizations offering financial assistance to foreign students (Soros, Eurasia, World Bank, Rotary etc.);
Websites of selected European independent advising centers containing pages with announcements about new programs and grants
Also all visitors of this session will be provided with printed materials containing addresses of websites which will be discussed as well as additional information with general overview of financial aid.
1. http://www.collegeboard.com/
About collegeboard.com, Inc.
Collegeboard.com is affiliated with the College Board, a 100-year-old, not-for-profit membership association. The mission of the College Board is to prepare, inspire, and connect students to college and opportunity. Its members include more than 3,800 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational associations.
Collegeboard.com brings together all the information and tools that students and parents need to plan for the transition from high school to college. It is the only place where students can register for the SAT online and practice online with actual SAT test questions. Students and parents also use collegeboard.com to identify and search for suitable colleges, apply to college online, explore career options, learn about college costs, and navigate the confusing world of financial aid.
From the front page of the site you need to push on pop out menu, find and select the link with words "Scholarship search". After that you will get to "Scholarship search" page where you will be able (as says small introduction on the very top): "Locate scholarships, loans, internships, and other financial aid programs from non-college sources that match your education level, talents, and background"
You will need to complete the questionnaire below and Scholarship Search will find potential opportunities from a database of more than 2,000 (two thousand) undergraduate scholarships, internships, and loan programs.
There are a lot of questions most of which apply to U.S. citizens. The most important fields to be filled out by international students are: citizenship (select -international student), educational status and, of course, major that student going to pursue in future. Please note that this page is devoted only to undergraduate scholarships.
2. http://www.iefa.org/
"IEFA is the premier Internet resource for financial aid information for international students wishing to study in a foreign country. At this site, you will find the most comprehensive listing of grants, scholarships, loan programs, and other information to assist students in their pursuit to study abroad. IEFA's mission is to promote international education worldwide through the development and publication of the most comprehensive database of International Education Financial Aid information available on the Internet."
Indeed, this is the most popular and comprehensive site about different kinds of funding opportunities for international students. Owners of site tell that about 900.000 (nine hundred thousand) international students visit their site annually.
In order to begin the search you need to click on the "Find a scholarship" link. After that you will get to the main search page where you need to choose Field of Study line below and then click on the search button to search scholarship database.
Alternatively, you may enter the name of country to see all possible awards for the people of that country.
There is also mailing list. You need to enter your e-mail address in order to receive regularly the latest information and news from IEFA.
Also, I would like to mention as part of this site, special section "Hi/Tech Scholarships/Graduate Internships".
3. www.iefa.org/HTIR.htm
HTIR's mission is to generate the funds needed to offer full financial aid to international IT graduate students participating in cooperative and internship master degree programs in the United States. In order to be considered in competition, student need to complete special electronic application form below.
4. http://www.edupass.org/
This site provides information for international students who are thinking about pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or professional education in the United States. It also contains material of interest to international students who are already in the United States. There is also some information for international students who are interested in studying in countries other than the US, but the main focus is on higher education in the US.
This guide contains up-to-date information about everything an international student needs to know about studying and living in the United States. It covers every topic, from college admissions and financial aid to culture shock and clothing sizes.
eduPASS began as the international student section of FinAid! The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid. The response by international students and educators to that section was overwhelmingly positive. In the fall of 1998, FinAid decided to expand the international students section into a complete site, covering every topic of interest to international students, not just financial aid. The resulting site is larger and more detailed than any book or other site on the topic.
eduPASS was created by Mark Kantrowitz, a noted financial aid and college planning author. Professionally, he is a Research Scientist at Just Research, the US software laboratory for Justsystem Corporation of Japan.
In order to get to the part of site that contains information about scholarships, we need to click "Financing college" link. From here we can review the following information:
Some of the most interesting sections:
"Sources of Financial Aid" contain advice on from what sources funding may be available (aid from your home country, from international organizations, US government, etc.
There is very interesting section "Schools with Financial Aid for International Undergraduate Students" Here you can find the listing US schools that are more likely than others to offer financial aid for international undergraduate students. To be included in the following lists, the schools must have an average award that is greater than 1/5 of the cost of attendance. The financial aid may include grants, loans, and jobs, and often includes both merit and need-based awards. Within each group, schools are listed in alphabetical order. (Schools with Awards to More than 150 Students, Schools with Awards to 100-149 Students, etc).
"Scholarships for International Students" section contains information about databases with listing scholarships for international students in specific countries. You should also consider searching the free databases of scholarships on the FinAid site, since some of them include scholarships for international students. The FastWeb database, in particular, has good coverage of the awards available for international students.
If we return on front page and click on "FastWeb's free scholarships search" link we will get on "FastWeb" search page. In order to begin search among 600,000 (six hundred thousand) scholarships in the FastWeb database we need to register and complete student information page, academic background and plans and other pages. It asks for contact email address, general personal information, etc.
After you subscribe, every time you log in your personal folder, you will find announcements of all scholarships available for you.
5. NAFSA.ORG
Of course we need to mention the our favorite NAFSA web page. Here is the address devoted to Grants and Scholarships: http://www.nafsa.org/content/ProfessionalandEducationalResources/GrantsandScholarship/GrantsAndScholarships.htm. This page is specially interesting by posting not only information about student and professional grant opportunities but also by posting information about available "Sponsored Training Program Professional Development Opportunities" that are of great interest for us (educational advisers).
For example: here you can see announcement about "ETS Excellence Awards for Overseas Advising Centers" or "U.S.-Based Training Program (USBT)" and other professional development opportunities.
Also, I would recommend visiting old NAFSA site that contains very useful section named "Financial Aid for Foreign Nationals Studying in the United States". It contains in-depth article about "planning " your study in the U.S., "Funding sources" - sources of financial aid available for study in the U.S., and "Sources of Information" with list of books and web sites describing application process and funding opportunities for foreign nationals.
The address: www.oldsite.nafsa.org/students/funding.html#fund
6. IEFC.COM
While thousands of students cross their countries' border to pursue international study opportunities, there have been few financial resources available. The International Education Finance Corporation (IEFC) was established to fill a major void in education financing programs for international students, whose education loans provide low interest financing options for students around the world. IEFC partners with the premier international loan guarantee agencies and lenders, including First Union Bank, the TERI Corporation, Fleet bank and USAGroup, in making these innovative programs available.
If we click on "Our programs" link we will see links to three available sections, one of which is of interest for international students (International Students: This section outlines loan programs and resources for international (non-US/non-Canadian) students enrolled in approved colleges or universities throughout the world.)
The program offers financing up to the total cost of education in US dollars, flexible repayment options and up to 20 years to repay the loan. Students are required to have a US citizen or permanent resident as a co-signer to guarantee the loan. Unfortunately, in many cases, this is one of the major problems as not all international students have such co-signers. But in case they have some relatives, friends, etc. - we consider this premier program to ask money from. In this case the first step will be to complete and submit the online "Request for Application".
7. http://www.isoa.org/
The next site worth to check is "The international student organization in America".
It contains very nice logo on the front page that sounds specially encouraging for international students "Committed to Serve International Students".
The International Student Organization in America (ISO) is a membership organization of international students who are currently studying in the USA. ISO is the only service provider organization founded and administered by current and former international students. The international academic experiences of its members allow to focus on the specific needs of the foreign academic community. Organization provides comprehensive medical insurance programs and related services to the community of international students and scholars. ISO's International Spirit magazine is the main channel of communication among international students. This magazine contains relevant information to the student's experience of studying in America. It is distributed in universities across the USA free of charge.
The front page contains links to the following sections: calling cards, health insurance, dental plan and FINANCIAL AID section that interests us the most. This section contains General guidelines worth to follow while searching for funding, the list of publications specially devoted to funding for international students wishing to study in the US.
And one of the most interesting parts is the The List - Sources of Scholarships Available for International Students. This list contains numerous scholarships and grants and other financial aid sources sorted by availability to international students. It contains description of award (for example: grants for law studies, for students in the social, medical, management or health sciences, (and many other majors)) and contact information.
8. http://www.internationalstudent.com/
International Student Com
This Internet resource is devoted to providing comprehensive information to international students. At this site you will find advice, useful links, scholarships, grants and other information to assist students in their quest to study abroad.
It contains interesting articles specially for international students (here is some titles: "Finding a place to Stay", "SAVE 35% to 50% in an American University", "High Tech Scholarships", and many other), as well as huge amount of useful links. Many sections devoted to prepare student to Academic studies at USA (like: Why U.S., The Right Program, Application, Financing, U.S. Culture, Social Life, Accommodations and others).
This is definitely great information resource for international students. Unfortunately, its section "scholarship search" uses the engine of IEFA.ORG site and thus repeats all information collected on this site.
9. cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/
Cornell University Graduate School Fellowship Notebook
This is an OUTSTANDING listing of funding opportunities for GRADUATE students who are NOT U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. This is a "must-read" for any non-U.S. graduate student wishing to study in the U.S., at any college.
The Cornell University Graduate School Fellowship Notebook is a database of fellowships, the majority of which are from non-Cornell sources. Those interested in consulting the notebook are welcome to do so. Please search under highlighted topics or type in your own keywords ("molecular biology", "January", etc.).
Further inquiries regarding fellowships listed in the Notebook should be directed to the sponsoring organization, rather than the Cornell Graduate Fellowships Office.
There is general/all fellowships list (General / All Fellowships) and sorted lists (Biological Sciences, Humanities, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Women Minorities, International Students, Summer Study Abroad, Postdoctoral).
In "International Students" section we may find huge amount of different academic scholarships for which international students may be eligible.
To continue with sites situated in some specific universities, I'd like to mention excellent source from Yale university , a comprehensive list of grant offering organizations. Fellowship / Grant / Award Information.
10. www.cs.yale.edu/homes/tap/fellowships.html
This page contains huge amount of links to different sponsoring organizations, pages with detailed descriptions of numerous fellowships, grants, graduate assistantship directories, and specific major scholarships.
Also, as third web site placed on university web page (this time Indiana University Office of International Services Financial Assistance for International Students) I would recommend to visit -
11. www.indiana.edu/~intlcent/fa/finaidweb.html
The name of section "Financial Assistance for International Students". It contains a bunch of very useful links specially sorted for international students.
It contains the following parts:
General Information and Useful Advice
Information on How to Apply for Grants
Scholarship Search
List of Fellowships - Mostly Graduate Students
Asia Crisis Programs
Commercial Cosigner Loans
Citibank Japan: loans for Japanese students
12. www.freschinfo.com/foreign.phtml
Information for the International Student
This is scholarship database. FreSch! has a database of over 2,000 (two thousand) organizations and foundations that offer scholarships, representing approximately 169,000 (one hundred and sixty nine thousand) awards. There is special section with Information for foreign students. It contains useful articles concerning visas, working in the U.S., other sources of financial aid, and well sorted links of interest for international students.
Second (and biggest) part of this section contains information and contacts of many organizations that might be of help in financing education in USA. These are different scholarship programs, foundations and other organizations. Most of them have Internet site, links to which can be found here.
Also, I am very happy to mention great resource, OSEAS-Europe web-page. Many of us use it in our day to day activities. All information about Nicosia conference was posted here. But for those of you who do not know about "Financial Aid for U.S. Study for International Students" section - here is the link:
13. www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/oseas/aid.html
This is PARTIAL LIST OF AWARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERGRADUATES. Awards for specific colleges, universities and institutions. It was last updated in 1999 but I think most universities mentioned here still offer financial aid for int'l students. Of course, everybody interested in some specific award, need to check all information directly from officials of that university. There are 121 colleges and 158 grants listed here. All awards are sorted by the name of school.
14. http://www.iie.org/
IIE (Institute of International Education) - the world's most experienced educational exchange and training organization.
By enabling outstanding men and women to study, conduct research, and receive practical training outside their own countries, IIE:
-fosters mutual understanding; -builds global problem-solving capabilities; -creates the human resources needed to build democratic, pluralistic societies and market economies; and -strengthens the international competence of U.S. citizens.
IIE administers 240 programs through which almost 18,000 (eighteen thousand) men and women from 170 nations benefit annually. IIE forges partnerships between the public and private sectors to design and implement international programs and to provide technical assistance in all countries and all fields, including:
Education; Business and Management; Science, Energy, Engineering; Environment; Arts and Humanities; Journalism; Human Rights.
IIE's programs and services are funded by:
U.S. and foreign government agencies; foundations; corporations; international organizations; international development agencies and banks; universities; nongovernmental organizations; religious institutions and organizations; endowments; and individual donors. IIE is also supported by membership fees, fundraising events, registration fees, and revenue from publications.
If we click from the front page of IIE site on "Fulbright. Fellowships for US and international students and scholars" link, we'll get to section giving information about all Fulbright programs. The United States Department of State is the principal administrator of the Fulbright Program worldwide. The Institute of International Education assists the Department of State in the conduct of the program at both predoctoral and postdoctoral levels. Here we can find information about "Fulbright student programs", "Fulbright Scholar programs" and "Fulbright related programs and sites (for example Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowships).
Next part of the site (we need to return to front page) is "Programs. Sponsored programs that assist 18.000 people each year".
IIE administers over 250 programs on behalf of sponsors that include the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, foundations, corporations, government agencies, international organizations and development assistance agencies in the United States and abroad.
All of them are listed on this page with direct links to separate websites devoted to some specific program or detailed description of this program.
Also, I would like to mention the following page on IIE's website:
15. www.iie.org/latinamerica/cyberben/grants.htm
This page gives many links to Study in USA websites. It sorted by "Links to University Financial Aid Offices", "Scholarships and Financial", "Scholarships for Research", "Links to Philanthropic Institutions" and may be of use while searching for funding opportunities.
In the next part of presentation I'd like to discuss more specific sources: links for international students with disabilities, scholarships for women, scholarships for journalists, several foundations web pages, mailing lists.
16. www.miusa.org/participant/finaid.html
Mobility International USA offers a top-notch Financial Aid Resource Sheet for people with disabilities. The organization empowers disabled people around the world through international exchange, information, technical assistance and training.
As a US-based national non-profit organization, the mission of Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is: to empower people with disabilities around the world through international exchange, information, technical assistance and training; to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in international exchange and development programs.
"Financial Aid Tips for International Exchange and Disability" section of this site (the address: www.miusa.org/participant/finaid.html) contains a comprehensive list of funding sources including scholarships, grants, university sources, disability-specific opportunities, and tips to make international exchange a reality.
This information sheet has been created to give basic suggestions to begin the search. It will also provide information on scholarship opportunities that you may wish to look into.
Information and links on this page contain scholarships for which students of any nationality are eligible.
To continue with sources of information for disabled students I want to mention several other web sites:
17. gri.gallaudet.edu/ccg/
The College & Career Programs for Deaf Students, 10th Edition, contains listings of 149 programs in the U.S. available to interested, qualified deaf students.
There are many colleges listed in this directory; however, not all the programs are open to international students so potential applicant will need to check that with individual schools.
18. www.cec.sped.org/fd/scholapp.html
This is Scholarship for entering freshmen who have a disability. Foundation for Exceptional Children Scholarship Award 2002-2003. The Foundation for Exceptional children will be accepting applications, beginning August 1, 2001, for the Stanley E. Jackson Scholarship Awards (Awards 1 through 4, below) and Infinitec Scholarship Awards (Award 5, below) to be applied toward full-time, post-secondary education or training during 2002-2003. Post-secondary education or training includes two and four year undergraduate college programs or vocational, technical or fine arts training programs.
19. http://www.aauw.org/
The AAUW Educational Foundation, the largest source of funding exclusively for graduate women in the world, supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented. Eligibility criteria and applications for fellowships and grants may be downloaded from this site. The Foundation also makes several prestigious national awards to recognize excellence in achievement.
In all, the Foundation has helped more than 7,800 (seven thousand eight hundred) women in more than 120 nations pursue their personal and professional goals through fellowships, grants, and awards. In 2001-2002 (two thousand one - two thousand two), 287 outstanding women received Foundation funding.
From the front page of the site you need to click on "Fellowships, grants, awards" link. On this page you can find information about "AAUW foundation", Eligibility criteria and applications for "fellowships and grants" and other information. All information about grants is posted in "fellowships and grants" section. Here we can find list of all available scholarships. For some of them international students are eligible (for example: International Fellowships which are awarded for full-time graduate or postgraduate study or research to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Supplemental grants support community-based projects in the fellow's home country.)
20. www.tulane.edu/~finaid/peo.html
To continue with possibility of funding for women, I'd like to mention here also the following program (offers up to $5,000 in scholarship funds to women from other countries for graduate study in the United States or Canada):
"P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Fund". The International Peace Scholarship Fund is a program which provides grants-in-aid for selected women from other countries for graduate study in the United States and Canada.
An international scholarship program was initiated by P.E.O. in 1949. The P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Fund was established in 1959. Believing that education is fundamental to world peace and understanding, members of P.E.O. support this program through voluntary contributions. P.E.O. International Peace Scholarships are given as grants-in-aid. They are not intended to cover all academic or personal expenses. At the time of application, the applicant is required to confirm additional financial resources adequate to meet her estimated expenses.
This program is specially established for women outside of US and Canada.
(http://www.peointernational.org/ - this is home page of organization that administers this program)
21. http://www.ijnet.org/
The International Journalists' Network (IJNet) is an online service for journalists, media managers, media assistance professionals, journalism trainers and educators and anyone else with an interest in the state of the media around the world. The IJNet is produced by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in Washington, D.C. With its help you may locate fellowship and training opportunities through IJNet's calendar of events
In order to get on this part of the site we need to click on the link "Fellowships and awards".
Here you can find huge amount of alphabetically sorted fellowships. International applicants are eligible for very many of them.
22. ROTARY.ORG
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 29,000 Rotary clubs.
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to support the efforts of Rotary International in the fulfillment of the Object of Rotary, Rotary's mission, and the achievement of world understanding and peace through local, national, and international humanitarian, educational, and cultural programs.
www.rotary.org/foundation/index.html
There is link on educational programs. Some of them are eligible for international students.
(for example: Ambassadorial Scholarships)
www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/index.html
Currently, three types of scholarships are offered:
Academic-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships provide funding for one academic year of study in another country. This award is intended to help cover round-trip transportation, tuition, fees, room and board expenses, and some educational supplies up to US$25,000 or its equivalent. Academic-Year Scholarships are the most common type of scholarship offered; nearly 1,000 were awarded for study in 2000-01.
Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships are for either two or three years of degree-oriented study in another country. A flat grant of US$12,000 or its equivalent is provided per year to be applied toward the costs of a degree program. Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships are offered mainly by Rotary districts in Japan and Korea; 150 were awarded for study in 2000-01.
Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarships are for either three or six months of intensive language study and cultural immersion in another country and provide funds to cover round-trip transportation, language training expenses, and home stay living arrangements, up to US$12,000 and US$19,000 respectively. Applications are considered for candidates interested in studying Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, and Swedish.
23. http://www.worldbank.org/
Founded in 1944, the World Bank Group consists of five closely associated institutions. Their mission is to fight poverty for lasting results and to help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity, and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.
The World Bank Group is owned by 183 member countries who are represented by a Board of Governors and a Washington-based Board of Directors. Member countries are shareholders who carry ultimate decision-making power in the World Bank.
To get to scholarships page of site we need to click on "Jobs and Scholarships" link. The world bank administers a number of programs, information about which may be found here (Junior Professional Associates Program, The World Bank's Internship Program, Young Professionals Program, so called Knowledge Internships). To be eligible for these programs applicants must meet minimum specific criteria - Be a national of a World Bank member-country, as well as to qualify to specific requirements of the program.
Also, from this page we may find out about two more scholarship programs (Find out more about World Bank Scholarships link). From here we can find information about Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) and the Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program.
One more site I want to discuss (from foundations sites) is our favorite Soros foundation web page
24. http://www.soros.org/
There is no need to tell how many different educational programs are supported and sponsored by Soros foundation. There are several for study in USA. For example: UEP for undergraduate students.
The only advice regarding this site containing huge amount of information - click on "Grants" link, find information about "National foundations" and find web site of the foundation of your country. There you will find all information on scholarships, grants and competitions available for students and scholars of your country.
25. http://www.eurasia.org/ (Eurasia foundation)
The following site will be especially interesting for colleagues from twelve NIS countries.
The Eurasia Foundation is a privately managed grantmaking organization dedicated to funding programs that build democratic and free market institutions in the twelve New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union.
From front page we need to click on "Grant Programs" link with description of how to apply for a grant and a searchable database of past Eurasia Foundation grants.
Here we can find information about The Grantmaking Programs (Private Enterprise Development, Public Administration and Policy, Civil Society)
Some of programs and grants provide partial or full funding for studies abroad. For example I found on this site information about several Ukrainian students who received such support -Orlova Veronika in amount of $22452 (about twenty two thousand USD) to support a year of graduate study at Stanford University; or Nizalova Olena, amount $2810 (about three thousand USA) as partial support for the first year of her Ph.D. studies at Michigan State University. These are not the only examples.
26. http://www.osvita.org/
Also, as representative of Ukraine, I want to mention two Ukrainian advising center's web sites. The first one is maintained by adviser from Lviv, Andriy Hatalyak. It contains great information about different scholarship programs, guides for education in USA, useful links. On front page of this site, you'll find constantly updated announcements of competitions, grants and fellowships.
27. www.center-osvita.dp.ua
Second site is maintained by Dnipropetrovsk advising center. All new scholarship opportunities which are regularly posted on front page of this site may be of great interest for students and scholars searching for different financial aid programs. There is also archive of all previously posted programs and many other useful information for those who want to study abroad.
