Opportunity Grants: A Great Financial Aid Source for International Students
Monday, September 21st, 2009Yes, it’s true: Opportunity Grants offer up to $10,000 to help cover the costs of your U.S. education.
This is Michael Curtis, writing today on a very important subject. On June 22, Nate made a very important blog entry focused on US Government financed educational opportunities. Nate hit some great points – there are numerous opportunities for students to study at little or no cost in the U.S. Perhaps more importantly, most of these programs begin recruiting students right now! September generally is the start of recruitment for most high school, undergraduate and graduate programs.
Many tens of thousands of students will apply for these fellowships. Unfortunately, not all will be chosen. That’s where myUface comes in. However, as we’ve mentioned, myUface doesn’t guarantee 100% financing for your education. In all likelihood, you will have to come up with at least a portion of the cost of your education and living expenses while in the U.S. While this is often difficult, don’t despair! The US State Department funds a fantastic program in numerous countries that can cover up to $10,000 for things like:
- test preparation
- visa and application fees;
- transportation costs;
- books;
- English language courses ; and
- (in some cases) top-off funds toward tuition.
The program is called “Opportunity Grants” and it represents one of the most exiting ways for many students to help with covering some of the costs of education. While these grants are not offered in each country, many students will benefit from them.
How do you go about finding out more about opportunity grants and how they might make your dream of studying in the US a bit closer to reality? Check out the website of your local US embassy! For instance, if you are a citizen of Kazakhstan, you would find the information here. You could also read the following, available for download.
Don’t forget about opportunity grants when you are determining whether or not you can afford to study in the US! Visit the website of your U.S. Embassy or Educational Advising Center to see if Opportunity Grants are a possibility for you!
Update: According to the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan, students from the following countries are eligible for Opportunity Grants:
Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen. Beginning summer 2009, students from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama will also be eligible to apply through the local EducationUSA advising office.
