Scholarship Programs in US, Canada & UK

Scholarship Programs

Top Scholarship Programs in US, Canada & UK

Are you looking for a premier scholarship programs in the USA, UK or Canada? We have compiled a list of top scholarship programs in these countries to assist both international and local students easier access to these information. A scholarship is an award of financial aid given to eligible students to further their educational goals in undergraduate, postgraduate, Ph.D. and postdoctoral discipline. It is mostly granted based on various criteria which mirrors the values and purposes of the donor of the award. Unlike loans, scholarships exist due to the benevolent nature of donors or departments and thus do not need to be paid back. Scholarships are customarily handed out to assist in defraying the huge costs associated with schooling, books, boarding and other overheads directly tied to a student’s educational cost throughout the university.

Types of Scholarship Programs in USA, Canada & UK

There are different kinds of scholarships available in the US, UK, and Canada; the most common are government-based, non-government-based, student specific and university specific. The donor or department funding the scholarship are the ones that set the standards for beneficiary selection and specifically outlines how the money is to be used. Scholarship programs are typically awarded using a variety of factors, including – but not limited to, academic accomplishment, departmental and community participation, employment experience, areas of study, and financial need.

Top Governmental-Based Scholarship Programs in USA, UK and Canada

Like other scholarship programs, government scholarships are granted based on various benchmarks, which can range from financial needs usually determined by completing the (F.A.F.S.A.) Free Application for Federal Student Aid on the web to a scholar’s chosen major. Some state scholarships are granted by the student’s academic institution, while others are awarded by a government agency or an organization working in partnership with some branch of the government such as the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Transportation, and the National Oceanographic. These awards vary in amount and can range up to the full amount of a student’s tuition and fees, nonetheless it may or may not be renewable, depending on the award.]

Numerous government scholarship programs are designated specifically for students in high-need fields or students doing coursework relevant to a particular government agency’s mission. Several major-specific government scholarships feature either a fellowship/internship or an employment agreement with the awarding agency.

Top scholarship programs in USA

Fulbright Foreign Student Program – It is conceivably the most famous state-funded US scholarships for international scholars, Fulbright gives out scholarships to alumni students, young professionals, and artists to study in the US for one year or more and is open to international students in all areas exclusive of all medical studies.

Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program – This scholarship program offers a package for qualified international specialists wishing to embark on a ten-month academic study in the US. Although the funding doesn’t support degree qualifications, students can study and develop their knowledge in universities across the nation.

Top scholarship programs in Canada

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program- This scholarship program offers taxable finance amount given of $ 70,000 for two years to the best postdoctoral contenders, both nationwide and worldwide, who will positively add to the country’s financial, communal and research-based growth.

Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program – These are scholarships worth $17,500 granted to Canadian students enrolled on a master’s degree or Ph.D. at a (CGS-M allocated) for 12 months, non-renewable.

Top scholarship programs in the United Kingdom

British Chevening Scholarships – These are international scholarship programs given to scholars with leadership potential from around the world to undertake postgraduate degree in any field or courses in UK universities. These scholarships are financially backed by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and partner organizations and mostly offer full or part finance for full-time graduate programs in any subject. Chevening offers two types of grants to recipients who are personally selected by British Embassies and High Commissions throughout the world; the Chevening Scholarships and Chevening Fellowships. To be eligible for these scholarships, the following must be considered.

• Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible nation
• Return to ones country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after the grant has ended.
• Have an undergraduate degree that will enable scholars to gain entry to a post-graduate programme at a UK university. This is typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 Honours degree in the UK.
• Have at least two years’ work experience

Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Commonwealth Countries – These are scholarships for international students from unindustrialized countries in the Commonwealth who intend to study at the masters and Ph.D. level. These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development targets and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme at UK Universities – These are UK scholarships for international students undertaking taught master’s programs in the UK. The programs studied must be evidently applicable to the growth of technology, economy or society from the student’s country of origin.

Top Non-governmental-based scholarship programs in USA, UK & Canada

Top Non-governmental-based scholarship programs in UK

Non-governmental UK scholarships are grants offered by benevolent private organizations and individuals with the aim of assisting individuals who are in need of assistance to further pursue their studies in the university levels. Examples of such scholarships available for international students are as follows;

Euraxess UK – Euraxess is the ingenuity of the European Commission which offers assistance for academic researchers all over Europe. The UK division of the organization is run by the British Council and provides numerous research scholarships for international students from around the globe.

CastleSmart Scholarship – CastleSmart scholarships are offered £6,000 yearly to undergraduate scholars of all nationalities in the UK. Applicants of the scholarship are mandated to make a convincing YouTube video outlining their study and occupation plans.

• For African scholars:

Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship Programme – These are need-based UK scholarships for international students from the African continent.

Tullow Group Scholarships Scheme – These are scholarships granted to students from chosen nations in Africa and South America. The scholarships include payment of; full tuition bills, monthly wage, transport costs and other fees.

• For Armenian students:

The Luys Scholarship Program – These are awards loans or scholarships given to Armenian students to enable them to study at the world’s best universities, comprising of UK universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

• For Chinese students:

England China Center Chinese Student Awards – These are awards of up to UK£3,000 accessible to Chinese residents (plus those from Hong Kong) studying for a Ph.D. in any subject at a UK university.

• For French scholars:

Entente Cordiale Scholarships – These are scholarships given to French students pursuing postgraduate studies in the UK.

• For Indian students:

Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships – These are UK scholarships granted to doctoral students, research students and visiting comrades from India.

Goa Education Trust Scholarships – These are UK scholarships given to Goan students who are embarking on postgraduate studies in the UK in any field.

Saltire Scholarships – Scholarships for students from Canada, the US, India, and China to study in Scotland at any degree level.

• For Pakistani students:

Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust Scholarships – These are UK charity offering scholarships given to Pakistani doctoral students, graduate researchers or visiting fellows to study in the UK.

Top non-governmental scholarship progams in Canada

Anne Vallee Ecological Fund– These are scholarships for international students undertaking animal research at the doctoral level at a credited Canadian university in Québec or British Columbia.

Trudeau Scholarships and Fellowships – The Trudeau Foundation offers some grants, partnerships, and mentorships to international scholars at doctoral level undertaking study in Canada at selected institutions.

Top non-governmental US scholarships programs for international students

Abbey Road Summer Scholarships – these are US scholarships worth US$1,000 for language and art scholars, as well as US$500 fellowships for ‘summer enrichment’ at establishments within the country.

The Next Gen Scholarship Fund –These are scholarships worth US$1,000 offered to non-residents and international students to study in the US. Applicants are however required to have at least a 3.0 GPA (grade point average) and have signed up for a program at an accredited campus within Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia.

Tortuga Backpacks Study Abroad Scholarship – These are grants worth US$1,000 awarded twice annually to zealous international students to study in the US.

David P. Shapiro Annual Leukemia Scholarships – These are scholarships given annually twice each worth US$1,000 which are open to current or potential students diagnosed with leukemia in the US.

• For Asian students:

East-West Center Scholarships and Fellowships – These are scholarships given to international students from the Asia-Pacific region to study in the US within particular universities.

Japan-United States Friendship Commission – This is an initiative run by Japan and the US which offers grant programs to Japanese scholars desiring to study in the US (and vice versa).

• For female students:

AAUW International Fellowships – These are fellowships provided by the American Association of University Women for female international students wishing to study in the US.

MIT-Zaragoza Women in Logistics and SCM Scholarship – These are US scholarships for female students of any age, ethnicity or nationality to enable them to study at the Zaragoza Logistics Center at MIT.

• For graduate students:

Rotary Peace Fellowships – These are scholarships to study in the US given to master’s degree students learning in one of Rotary’s ‘Peace Centers.’ Examples of such a center are Duke University or the North Carolina University.

•  For students from developing countries:

Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme – These are scholarships given to postgraduate international scholars coming from nations in the African continent.

Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders – These are scholarships for African granted to students between the ages of 25 and 35 who come from sub-Saharan African countries with the desire to study in the US and attain leadership and business expertise.

MasterCard Foundation Scholarships – These are scholarships for African students to study both in the US and Africa.

Student-specific Scholarships

These are scholarships whereby applicants must primarily be qualified by gender, race, religion, family, and health history or many other student-specific features. Minority scholarships such as these are considered the most common awards in this class. Examples of such scholarships include;

• The Gates Millennium Scholars program

This is a program sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates for exceptional African American, American Indian, Latino and Asian Pacific Islander American students who register in college. GMS scholars who choose to pursue graduate studies in the areas of education, engineering, library science, mathematics; public health and science are qualified to obtain continual funding. The program also offers leadership development opportunities, to ensure that scholar’s graduate equipped to become prominent leaders in their careers and in their society as a whole.

To be eligible for these scholarships, the following must be considered;

• Candidates for the GMS award must be citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States.
• Students must also meet the Government Pell Grant eligibility criteria, have at least a 3.3 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), and must have demonstrated leadership through community service or other extracurricular activities.

Individuals selected as Gates Scholars are entitled to receive funds in an amount to be determined by GMS based on financial need. The award is built on the total tuition fees, books and living expenditures for the educational year, as well as the accessibility of grants and other scholarships stated on the financial aid award letter

Top University-Specific Scholarship Programs

These are college-specific scholarships that are offered by individual colleges and universities to exceedingly qualified applicants. These scholarships are given to academic and personal achievers. Recipients may also be required to work for a particular employer for a specified period or to work in rural or remote areas; or else, they may be needed to reimburse the value of the funding they received from the scholarship.

In Canada, for example, Carleton University Awards for International Students is an excellent example of universities that offer all forms of scholarships such as national entrance scholarship that range for $2000 for new masters’ students and $3000 for new Ph.D. students. A one-year national entrance admission scholarship may be awarded to freshly admit domestic graduate students (Canadian inhabitants, permanent residents, landed immigrants).

For one to be considered for a scholarship, applicants are required an admission 10.5 GPA of or higher and must register full-time at Carleton for the period of the scholarship. This thereby means that candidates will be evaluated for suitability at the time of admission and thus do not need to apply. This offer of the scholarship will be made at the date of entry and will be billed over the first fall and winter terms of study.

In Conclusion, even though students can apply for scholarship programs every day of the year, it does not automatically imply that they will receive funding instantly. Commonly, most scholarship providers take anywhere from six to 12 weeks to appraisal applications, select recipients, and disburse grants which happen after the closing date has expired and not from the date one submitted their application.

The selection process can even be extended, particularly if scholars do not provide credentials on a timely basis. So, if one is in need of money to pay their college tuition fees, they will probably not find a scholarship that is going to help them out. This is because there is simply not enough time to be granted one. Nonetheless, one can look on the bright side as they’ll have scholarships lined up for next semester.

As a result, it is imperative for a student to not wait until the last minute to figure out how they’re are going to pay for their college tuition. Very few students earn enough scholarships to cover all their bills, so one should be smart and consider all options available. Looking into state grants and work-study programs, getting a part-time job, and not taking out more in student loans than is expected to be earned in the first year after college graduation are some of the tips one can utilize in the search. After all, a little work now can pay off big dividends later.

Scholarship Programs in US, Canada & UK