Funding Opportunities, Assistantships, and Scholarships Hat

Although studying overseas can be costly, there are several options for paying for your education besides using your own or your family's savings. Through assistantships, campus jobs, and scholarships, many international students are able to successfully reduce their expenses.

Scholarships

University Scholarships: For international students, a number of universities provide merit-based or need-based scholarships.
One of my classmates was granted a partial tuition waiver simply for continuing to participate in campus leadership activities and maintaining a 3.7 GPA.

Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships (GAs): Offer stipends and tuition waivers in return for research, teaching, or grading.
A friend who was working as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for an introductory programming course while pursuing a Master's degree in computer science. It provided her with invaluable teaching experience and paid half of her tuition.

Research Assistantships (RAs): Assist professors with laboratory or academic research. Students with technical or research experience are frequently welcome.

Note: Since assistantships are extremely competitive, establishing rapport with professors early on—for example, by emailing them or expressing interest in their work—increases your chances.

Fellowships & Jobs on Campus

Jobs on campus include those in tutoring centers, dining services, libraries, and IT help desks. They assist with living expenses but do not directly lower tuition.
For instance, in addition to earning money, working part-time at the campus career center allowed me to network.

Fellowships: A few programs provide competitive fellowships with stipends and tuition reimbursement. These could be determined by merit or connected to particular initiatives or academic disciplines.

Handy Advice

Get Started Early: Essays, recommendations, and evidence of financial need are required for many scholarships.
Keep organized by keeping track of due dates in a spreadsheet that has columns for requirements, due dates, and outcomes.
Seek Assistance: International offices and career centers frequently offer application guidance to students.
Leverage Networks: Alumni frequently have access to obscure funding sources.

Getting money for your studies overseas requires planning; a combination of part-time employment, assistantships, and scholarships can greatly ease financial strain and free up more time for learning and development.