International Students Funding 101

Blog XII of Thirty Days – Thirty Blogs series

I receive emails which start off like “Can you tell me about the research/group/academics at ..?” but end up with “Also can you tell me how is the funding scenario for ..?”. It is hard to miss the true intent of these emails. My replies start with “Texas A&M has …” and ends with “Btw, if funding is a big concern for you, then RELAX because..”. I imagine that last paragraph sends a smile across most people because their next few emails are solely about funding ! I figured from a past article, that a blog on the basics of securing funding for international students might have some utility value. (Who is interested in what I could have ended up as ??) Ok so first of all, 101 code refers to a basic primer course in any subject, often used in academic lingo.

First things first, this article is aimed towards international students who are going to be studying abroad and (often) are in need of financial aid to sustain themselves. Please note that notwithstanding the aid options available, you would often need to show enough financial resources to visa officers to convince them that you can financially support yourself through the whole course duration, unless you have received some aid ALONGWITH your admit offer. In reality, the living cost estimates made by colleges are often conservative and one ends up spending only 50 to 80% (depending upon location). This is possible due to sharing apartments, cooking at home, living frugally, sharing / lending / downloading books, relying on free food opportunities (religiously !!), etc. In addition, following aid options are available to ALL students :

• Scholarships: Often there are plethora of one-time financial aid options available in the form of scholarships (link) through university. Often these are merit based and in some cases almost always offered once student accepts an offer and reaches university. These may also be available through various departments/research groups or communities. Loan based scholarships (link1, link2) are also available in one’s home country which are marginally better than taking a loan.
• Graduate Assistantships (GA): As the name suggests, GA are assistantship options available for graduate students. Usually GAs imply that students COMPLETE tuition is waived in addition to receiving a monthly stipend/pay. Senior UG students MAY qualify depending upon local policies.
  • Research (GAR/RA): If you have got a PhD or MS admit AND been conversing with some professor for your research topic, chances are high that you could get an RA. Sometimes, professors may insist on seeing you perform for a semester before funding. RA is the best option available as you get paid to perform your research. However, it implies a commitment which may scare those unsure about their future plans.
  • Teaching (GAT/TA): If you are a graduate student, your department may need you to assist a faculty in conducting undergrad classes as a TA. Opportunities may be availed by applying to department OR talking to concerned professor in advance. Often prior working relation with professor may be required. While RA options are limited by research funding, TA options are limited only by courses and department funding. The flip side is you might have to attend UG classes, evaluate loads of marksheets and help UG students understand their course.
  • Non-teaching (GANT): If you are REALLY good in office skills like IT, programming, web development, helpdesk, customer handling then you could seek part-time employment in various campus offices as GANT. While this implies working 20 hours a week on non-academic work, but can be a great value addition to your resume (apart from offering the much needed aid). These positions are fiercely competed for and requires due diligence during application.
• Fellowships: Many government / research organisations and companies institute a fellowship to promote work in a field of their interest. While fellowships accepting international students are far & few in between and fiercely competed for, landing one ensures worry free education and a bright future. Some fellowships may require participation in campus activities or exhibiting exemplary performance in campus. Many fellowships require endorsement from faculty or multiple references.
• Part time (SW): If nothing else works, one can be a student worker by working on-campus part time UPTO 20 hours a week during session and 40 hours a week during holidays. Some universities may also allow international students to seek off campus employment (please check your college’s international students organisation link). Usually universities have some system for searching and applying for such jobs (link). Tasks may be as varied as cafeteria, sports centre, librarian, support. Some senior SWs are incentivised by offering them GANT.
• Full time (CPT/OPT): During the complete education term, based on local policies, usually students are eligible to work full time provided their work is related to their academic field. Often students achieve ‘breakeven’ by working in companies during summer (internship) or regular semesters (co-op) thus avoiding the need for any financial aid (although it would require you to pay tuition cost initially and recover it later). It also entails a chance of being extended a full time offer once academic course has been successfully completed. The flip side is one’s academic plans may get delayed due to being absent from university.
• Others: Depending upon locality, other options such as participating in a research experiment, contests, etc could offer additional sources of income although these are not strictly considered as aid. In USA, FAFSA is a good resource to claim federal aid but involves a long drawn process.

DISCLAIMER: Since I have only one MS to speak for, this blog may/may not stand true for situations in colleges other than Texas A&M but should come close. Please use discretion.