FINANCIAL AID In USA

It is important to understand that most universities offer financial assistance to international students based primarily on merit and rarely on need. The amount, and type of assistance offered varies, based on the university, department and level of study. Assistance of funds is more likely in Graduate studies and less in Undergraduate courses. Also funds are more likely to be available in fields like Engineering, Physical Sciences and Biological sciences, rather than in courses like Humanities, Social Sciences and Management.

In contrast to undergraduate education, where admission and financial awards are controlled at the institutional level, US graduate education is quite tightly controlled at the departmental level. Funding for certain fields tends to be more heavily subsidised than for others. For example, a student of physics, chemistry, or biology may find institutional funding more readily available than a student of humanities, the social sciences, or education.

Scholarships and Awards

There are also independent foundations and scholarship organisations that provide funding for British students studying in the US. Many of these awards will also pay for living and travel expenses. For example, The US-UK Fulbright Commission grants between six and ten graduate awards in any discipline at the US institution of the UK student's choice. The award covers tuition fees, health insurance, and living expenses for the first year of study only.
Funding directories, such as Peterson's Grants for Graduate and Postdoctoral Study (1998) and the annually published The Grants Register (Palgrave Macmillan), show that there are hundreds of independent awards available, so doing as much research as possible is a key factor in getting funding.

Scholarships and Awards

There are also independent foundations and scholarship organisations that provide funding for British students studying in the US. Many of these awards will also pay for living and travel expenses. For example, The US-UK Fulbright Commission grants between six and ten graduate awards in any discipline at the US institution of the UK student's choice. The award covers tuition fees, health insurance, and living expenses for the first year of study only.
Funding directories, such as Peterson's Grants for Graduate and Postdoctoral Study (1998) and the annually published The Grants Register (Palgrave Macmillan), show that there are hundreds of independent awards available, so doing as much research as possible is a key factor in getting funding.