Your kitty is full of academic achievements in India.
And you are excited at the prospect of going abroad to pursue your higher studies. This has been your dream all this while.
It’s a financial challenge – but you are well aware of scholarships for studies abroad and how they can take care of this challenge.
There are a number of scholarships for meritorious Indian students to pursue higher education abroad in different countries.
- National Open Scholarship
- Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship
- Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship
- India Global Leaders Scholarship
- and many more
But there is one thing that is common across all.
You need to be the proverbial “early bird.” Catch the worm (read scholarship) and put your mind to rest regarding the financial pressure of pursuing your course.
You have reached this blog. So you have a fair idea that higher education from a foreign university is a time-consuming process. Time is of the essence here.
Plan ahead of time. Stay ahead of the pack. This would be a booster for getting hold of that coveted study abroad scholarship.
Most scholarships come with a single application deadline for all the study abroad programs for the coming year. Now, you need to decide whether you would like to take up these programs and that too within the deadlines. Otherwise, you lose the chance to apply for these scholarships.
- As of now, close to 800,000 Indian students study abroad.
- In the next 3 years, this number is set to grow up to 2.5 times.
- Almost everyone would be eyeing the scholarship pie.
- And the competition for that college seat would also be heating up.
First, select a college that you want to join from among the thousands available. Our SelectRight search tool can help you with this. But for now, let’s focus on the scholarship part.
Are You Spoilt for Choice with Regards to Scholarships?
There are a lot of international scholarships for Indian students available out there.
On one hand, there are the widely-known Chevening, Rhodes, and Fulbright scholarships.
And on the other, there are lesser-known ones like the
- Orange Tulip Scholarship
- Royal Thai Government Scholarship
- C. Mahindra Scholarships for Post-Graduate Studies Abroad
- Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship
But remember – you are not the only prospective candidate out there. There are lakhs like you who are searching how to get scholarships for studying abroad. And that too without delay.
The trick is to plan much ahead of admission season. You stand a much higher chance of receiving the scholarship.
But you are keeping busy with getting in touch with all those colleges abroad. You are spending sleepless nights planning for that perfect essay. So, let’s make the scholarship planning easier for you.
1. Ask for Help
It’s not possible for you to know the nitty-gritty of study abroad scholarships from before. So, do ask for assistance. Have detailed discussions with the admission offices of the colleges that you have shortlisted. Go through their websites thoroughly.
You could also connect with their ex-students groups on social media or some other platform. They can provide you with first-hand tips on early application formalities regarding scholarships.
Reach out to academic counselors here in India. But beware of fly-by-night operators and commission agents doubling up as “counselors.” Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime decision for most.
Rely on GradRight to provide you with unbiased and extensive research-based advice.
2. Research, More and More
There is no end to the amount of information that structured research can bring you. Check out GradRight’s resources for the top scholarships available for you. Alternatively, do a Google search. You would come across a fair amount of information on the same.
Do remember that there are various parameters to this search.
3. Find Location-specific Study Abroad Scholarships
Looking to study in a specific country/city? Then research accordingly.
Are you keen to go for an MS program in Germany? Or maybe you are looking for scholarship options in Japan. The government of the foreign country or the Indian government might also have multiple options.
4. Find Program-specific Study Abroad Scholarships
You might be keen on a specific program without much focus on the particular location. So, this becomes a suitable search option. You might be eager to pursue an MBA degree from abroad with a scholarship.
Apart from these, scholarships based on specific student categories (gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, or disabilities-based) are also available. Reputed corporate houses like the Tata Group also provide scholarships for deserving students.
5. Get in Touch with the Scholarship Providers Directly
And do so well in advance. Don’t forget that there are many aspirants like you. The scholarship providers are best suited to give you the minutest details of the international scholarships for Indian students available.
They will update you with the details of the application process. They would also apprise you of the most important factor – the timelines in the process.
Start this process more than a year in advance of your intended college joining season. It has multiple benefits. You stay ahead of the crowd. The provider has more time to answer your queries. It also shows your genuineness of intention to avail of the scholarship. In the end, all of this works in your favor. Because it boosts your chances of landing the scholarship.
So, get going and get featured on their radar without delay. It’s all about planning ahead of time.
6. Build an Irresistible Resume
So you are ready with the list of scholarships you want to apply for. Now comes the critical part – to make yourself worthwhile to get that scholarship. And your resume goes a long way in ensuring this.
Start working on your resume well in advance. Be concise and comprehensive. Highlight your campus activities. Especially if you have any kind of international experience as a student. You need to keep it within one page, preferably.
The cover letter that accompanies the resume is an equally crucial document. It vouches for your claim for the scholarship. A generic cover letter won’t do the job. Nor would something that uses heavy-duty adjectives. Focus on how the skills you gained in India would be impactful in your life abroad as a student.
And preparing this would need time. So, plan well ahead of time.
7. Get Worthy References
Applications for study abroad scholarships would need you to provide references. Most students reach out to their professors for this. You want your favorite processor to write a recommendation letter for you. You need to ask them for it well in advance. This gives time to prepare that impactful recommendation letter.
A suggestion in this regard. Do take the recommendation from a professor who has interacted frequently with you. He/she would have the best knowledge about you to write an effective recommendation letter.
So…
To conclude, starting early is the thumb rule. There is a lot to be done in terms of applying for the scholarship. All that requires a fair amount of preparation. Because scholarships for studies abroad don’t come easy.
And at every stage, GradRight is there to assist you. Our advisors would ensure that you receive the most authentic and useful information at every step. And let you breathe easy about applying for the scholarship.
Not on time – but before time.
