myUface Blog

myUface can help you get admitted to a university, but we DO NOT provide you with scholarships to study there.  It is up to you and your university to determine how you will pay for tuition, living expenses, books, etc.

Go BACK to “Questions and Answers.”

Did you know that there are numerous scholarship opportunities for international athletes? That’s right…but you need to be pretty good. If you are, and you play a sport that is popular in the US, you might be eligible for scholarships. Do you think you fit the bill? If so, here are a couple things you should know:

1. Go to the website www.berecruited.com . It will give you a good idea of what US universities are looking for (myUface doesn’t have any relationships with this site…enter at your own risk!)
2. It’s a bit easier to get scholarships for individual sports (tennis, wrestling, etc) than team sports because it’s easier for universities to assess your play. However, basketball, soccer and other team sports are definitely open to international students.
3. Some universities don’t allow scholarships in the first year. Make sure you do your homework.
4. You need to be honest about your ability. Universities will want to know how you rank in your country? How you rank on your team?
5. Last, you’ll need a good video of yourself in action. It should be about 4-5 minutes long and begin with a closeup of you introducing yourself. Just highlights on the video and make sure you are easily identified.

There are lots of rules around scholarships for athletes but there are opportunities. If you are an athlete and think you might have a good chance at a scholarship, let us know and we’ll help you find the right organization to guide you through the maze.

We’re proud to hear from many myUface users that they’ve been accepted to universities in the U.S.  Many of them, though, have a big problem:  they don’t have the resources to pay for tuition and living expenses, and the school isn’t offering a full scholarship.

We can’t offer a solution to this problem.  However, we have done a lot of work on this blog explaining some of the different options for finding financial aid.  You can find that here.

The bottom line is that finding financial aid can be very difficult.  You need to work hard and be disciplined.  You also need to look to all available options.

Good luck to anyone in this situation!  Use the myUface blog resources and let us know if you have questions!

Readers of this blog know that we love nothing more than 100% fully funded scholarships.  Many of you have indicated that you cannot afford to finance a graduate education.  Well, apply to sponsored programs like Muskie!In Akmal’s case, we had been working to find a good university placement when we heard that Akmal had applied for, and received, a Muskie.  Now, it looks like Akmal will have all his costs (including travel, visa, tuition, living expenses, etc) paid for to do his graduate degree!  For those of you not familiar with the Muskie Graduate Fellowship check it out.

myUface will send out information on this scholarship once recruitment begins the Fall of 2010.  Also, check our our blog for information on other sponsored programs.

Hat tip, again, to Kevin Reiling, Belarus ECA:

Up to a $6,000 scholarship for “[a]pplicants must be citizens and residents of any country except the United States. Awarded, based on academic achievement, for a four-year period (8 semesters) to students in their first year of study working on a bachelor’s degree, or to students with transfer credit for a variable period of time depending on Michigan Tech requirements.”

Full details are available here.  The site is a little confusing, but it looks like by applying to the university you are automatically considered for the scholarship.

Hat tip to Kevin Reiling, EAC Belarus for this, and for scholarship information yesterday and tomorrow as well:

Grand Valley State University is proud to offer academic-based competitive scholarships to qualified international applicants. Available to both undergraduate and graduate applicants, these scholarships were established to recognize the high level of academic achievement of students coming to our campus from around the world.

Get the full details of this scholarship opportunity here.

The Open Society Foundation is offering a scholarship in European Studies at the University of Aarhus to citizens of Belarus.

The application deadline is April 15th, so if you’re interested, get moving!

This article at U.S News and World Report isn’t specifically about international students, but it does touch on all the issues that go into financial aid decisions at a U.S. university.  Also, it does comment briefly on international students:

The aid policy for international students: A few schools on this list, such as Princeton and Grinnell College in Iowa, commit to meet the financial needs of noncitizens. Many others, such as Northwestern and Adrian, don’t guarantee full aid for international students.

Here is the list of colleges and universities that claim to meet the full needs of students.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t specify if they will offer the same to international students.

Yes, this is a strange question.  When we talk about education in the United States, most people immediately think of all those articles in the newspaper or online that say you need $20,000 to $50,000 PER YEAR to study in the US.  Well, sometimes that’s true.  However, there are TONS of educational programs, good ones, in the US that don’t cost that much.

English Language Programs

We now have HUNDREDS of students registered at myUface.  Almost all of you say you want to get your undergraduate degree in the US.  However, many of you will not likely be able to get the 500 TOEFL score (paper based) to start an undergraduate program (let alone the 550 to begin most graduate programs).  If this situation sounds familiar to you, here’s an idea – think about a Summer English Language Program!  You will spend between 6 and 12 weeks in the US learning English and, in some cases, improving your study skills.

How much do these programs cost?  Some of the shorter programs cost as little as $3,000-$5,000!  This includes tuition, dormitory and meals (but sadly not airfare)!  That’s hard to beat and it will make you a much more attractive and successful student later.  Here are some of the programs we like (but there are literally TONS of others that are fantastic as well….just ask your local educational advisor):

1. Rochester Institute of Technology – great school, great location in New York and best of all….GREAT PRICE.  (7 weeks for about $4400)
2. Utah Valley University – some of the best skiing in the world right outside your dorm!  Very friendly and safe area not to mention it’s a wonderful program.  I visited this college and really liked it and the staff.  Even better, students who complete the ESL program are automatically eligible to register into regular degree seeking classes!
3. The University of Pittsburgh’s English Language Institute – Pitt’s ELI program even offers a three week cultural and language program during the summer where tuition is $1800.  They also offer a five week program for potential grad students that costs $2400 (tuition only).  Check them out!

Again, there are hundreds of great ESL programs out there that won’t break the bank.  If you think that an ESL program might be a better start for you, please go back into your myUface profile and choose “Special Program – ESL”.  Even better, if you think you might be able to afford the $4,000-7,000 price tag, indicate this on your profile.  This is important information for universities when they search your profile.

If there is one thing we love at myUface, it’s a 100% full scholarship that also fully covers all living expenses. When we find an opportunity like this, even if it’s not at a US-based university, we have to let our students know about it.

Thanks to the US Central Asia Education Foundation, citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan can apply for a limited number of full scholarships. Check out the USCAEF Student Fellowships here.

Let them know you heard about the opportunity at myUface!

If you want more information on this opportunity, let us know. We would be happy to get you in touch with the staff of this program.