Most college scholarship opportunities come with terms and conditions which applicants must meet to qualify. To be able to make an informed decision, students need to understand what’s involved. This is why we’ll be looking at some of the things international students need to consider before accepting college scholarships.
Some college scholarships require that you must be enrolled in an accredited school. Others state that you may not study outside the United States. Here are a few things international students should consider before signing up for college scholarships.
1. Scholarship Requirements
Every scholarship comes with specific requirements; academic, extracurricular activities, etc. It is, therefore, important to consider each requirement to see if you meet them successfully in order to qualify.
2. Scope or length of the Scholarship
Some scholarships are recurring, while others are one-time. One-time scholarships are mostly found in private or non-college organizations. Freshmen you receive one-time scholarships shouldn’t count on receiving same in subsequent years. Students can enjoy recurring scholarship opportunities provided they work hard to stay on top academically.
3. GPA
To keep enjoying a recurring scholarship, you’ll need to maintain a minimum GPA which could be 3.0, 3.2 or 3.5. This requires a lot of hard work and is one of the key requirements for qualification. This is one of the things international students need to consider before accepting college scholarships.
4. Financial Aid Package
Scholarships support your academics just as financial aid packages do. However, they can reduce your financial aid because colleges consider the money a new “resource.” So, it is not realistic to assume you can add the scholarship to your existing financial aid package. So, keep your expectations realistic.
5. Study Abroad
There are private scholarships that provide opportunities for non-indigenes of a country to study abroad. Confirm this with the organization awarding the scholarship and your school’s financial aid office to avoid being scammed. Having a clear understanding of the terms and conditions of college scholarships will help you meet up with the requirements.