How to get the best scholarships to study abroad?

Know the easiest way to secure the best scholarships for any course in an international university in the UK, US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand

What's the first thought that comes to mind, following the idea to go to a foreign country to study for a period of two, three years or however long it takes?

Money, of course!

Hailing from a country like India where our local currency translates into precious little when confronted by a dollar or pound exchange, can be discouraging.

The best of international colleges however, are aware of this issue. The last thing they want is to discourage international students aspiring to accomplish more than their pervious generations. Today, the entire world is one big global playground open to players from every part of the world. Gone are the days where elite education was reserved only for the few and lucky. Today, anyone can get lucky with an international degree that can fling open a world of unimaginable possibilities.

Want to know how?

Here are the steps to find your peace of grant or scholarhip fund waiting just for you!

Find out Everything!

Beginning with educational professionals and liasons, and moving up the ladder to the universities themselves, find out what it takes to get a scholarship. You may be surprised to know that grants aren't only reserved for the top 1 % genius student population. If you can show drive and committment, you may qualify. Instead of emailing, try and meet professionals personally who deal with student placements abroad. If they dont organise scholarships, ask them if they know the process and who to apply to directly. Understand the parameters and find out how many students from the university of your choice were given scholarships in the last year and the year before that.. what kind of backgrounds were they from? How much were they granted?

Work on your Resume

Your past marks are not necessary going to be the deal crunchers in getting yourself a scholarship. A well written, to the point biodata can also do the trick. In fact, a resume can tell a person so much more about you than your marksheet. Highlight your current awareness of the world around you and your keeness to find out more. Your talents, extracurricular activities, your passions and your future plans can all make your resume attractive enough for a scholarship purely, due to the potential you display. International universities focus on more than academic feats and look forward to include eager, open and ambitious youth into their multicultural pot.

Gather References

All of us know at least a few people whom we admire and look up to. These mentors can actually help your case in being noticed for a good scholarship. Reach out to educationists, industry stalwarts, or any other credible personality whose word carries weight and request them to write you letters of reference giving details about their experiences with you and expectations from you. Before you get a reference written, explain to the person writing it who you aspire to get this scholarship and where you see yourself 5 years from now. This will give your references some positive direction and uniformity.

Know the types of scholarships

Organisation sponsored scholarships - These are meant for specific groups and you may be a part of that group without even knowing it. These group specific grants can pertain to a particular race or background or certain heritage. Find out if there are any in the area you wish to apply to.

Government funded grants - Many countries sponsor international students in order to encourage them to take advantage of their superior educational facilities. There are numerous funds in the UK https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/options/scholarships-financial-support , Australia http://www.scholars4dev.com/4950/australia-scholarships/ and Canada https://www.admissiontable.com/19-scholarships-in-canada-for-international-students/. Some governmental and others educational fraternity specific. In any case, they are all worth checking out.

Location based funding - Some nations such as Australia and Japan are looking to attract international students actively to specific cities and universities. Do your research and know which ones these are.

Course specific grants - If your line of interest is current and happening, you can be assured to find some top notch college to sponsor your education. Some of these industries include IT, International Relations, and Business specific streams. You may even find that the scholarship scenario gets better as you go up the education ladder. Post graduate and doctorate courses tend to have many more scholarship options abroad as these nations are truly dedicated in seeing more educated people arise in this world.

Stay Persistent

Remember to not get discouraged easily or give up. You may need to apply to an entire range of scholarship programs before you get in or then land yourself one in the first try! There's no fixed formula for it but it helps to follow these steps.

Do an extra course if necessary

While you wait for your scholarship or college application to get through, brush up on some skills that will help you. eg: If headed to Canada, learn French! It doesn’t take more than a few months to know the basics. If you need to do a vocational course, take it up. This shows your drive and willingness to achieve what you want. Plus it makes it obvious that you don’t like wasting time and wish to keep alert.

Stop worrying!

Believe that it is going to happen. That you will get the grant that you desire soon. Apply your mind to constructive activities while you wait and stay positive. Strive hard for it. Make your self eligible.