One of the main reservations students have when it comes to deciding whether or not to study abroad is the cost associated with it. A little-known fact about studying in a foreign country is that students can get money by learning about educational grants that help cover the expenses of living and attending school abroad. Not only can students typically use their current financial aid and scholarships while abroad, but they can often get even more grant money for attending school abroad than they could when studying in the United States.
There are several different types of educational grants for college that students can apply for when planning a semester or year abroad. They cover things like travel, courses, required supplies, and housing. Some are competitive, but others aren’t because many students don’t know about them. The following are some of the categories of grants students can apply for:
Merit-based grant – This grant is awarded based on a student’s academic ability or other artistic or athletic skills displayed in activities outside the classroom.
Student-specific grant – This is granted based on each student’s individual characteristics, including gender, race, religions, medical history, or many other factors.
Destination-specific grant – This grant can be given to a student by the country in which they’re going to study. It’s often used to encourage living in that country instead of another.
Program-specific grant – It’s awarded to students by either the school they attend in the U.S. or the program they’re enrolling in abroad and is based partly on academic achievement.
Subject-specific grant – This type of grant can also be awarded to students by either their current school or their school abroad. It’s based on a student’s major and may also require them to take certain courses or conduct research while abroad.
In addition to the many grants available to student within these categories, there are several specific good educational grants that the federal government will award to students to help them cover the costs of studying abroad. The following are just a few of the specific federal study abroad grants available to students:
David L. Boren Undergraduate Program for Study Abroad – It grants aid to undergraduate students who travel to other countries to study the language and culture there. The students most likely to be awarded assistance are those who choose to study in areas of the world where knowledge of the region would be helpful to the national security of the United States.
Benjamin A. Gilman Award – This award is given to students by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Culture Affairs. It is given only to undergraduate students who are eligible for Pell Grants. The grant was created in order to help students study abroad who would otherwise not get to because they could not afford to.
Grants given to students to help them study abroad can be awarded by the federal government, schools in the United States, schools in foreign countries, and other organizations. This is something many students don’t realize, but they should look into educational grants information when planning their international studies during college.
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