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Funding Your USC
Education
Funding for international
students to study in the United States is limited and often
competitive. There are more funding opportunities for graduate
study; the majority of international undergraduates in the U.S.
are supported with personal funding. However, funding
opportunities from various sources do exist and all applicants
would be well-served to explore the options and know what is
available.
Locating funding requires
advanced planning, organization, and persistence. This page is
only a brief overview of funding opportunities for international
students. We hope you find this information useful in your
search.
Funding from the University
of South Carolina
At the undergraduate level,
funding from USC usually is not available upon admission.
Undergraduate international students pay the out-of-state
tuition rate each term. However, some departments may make
available competitive scholarships for continuing
undergraduates that provide a small financial award and a lower
tuition rate. Contact the academic department to which you are
applying for more information. It is legal for international
students to work on-campus and on-campus employment is
available; however, salaries from these jobs will only support
minor expenses.
At the graduate level,
certainly contact the academic department to which you are
applying to ask about the availability of graduate
assistantships. (The department web page is a good place to
start.) Graduate assistantships are part-time, paid work
experiences (10 – 20 hours per week) within the department;
salary, tuition supplements, and other benefits for these
positions vary. In addition to a salary, all graduate
assistants pay in-state tuition and fees. Assistantships are
competitive; however, many graduate students are able to fund
all or a portion of their education through an assistantship.
After beginning studies, students can locate additional research
funding, fellowships and grants through their academic advisor
and department.
International students do not
qualify for U.S. federal financial aid; however, they often are
eligible for scholarship opportunities available in each
academic department. A list of scholarships offered by academic
departments on campus can be accessed through the
Office of
Student Financial Aid and Scholarships website, or contact
the academic department directly about scholarship
opportunities.
Funding from the U.S. Government
The U.S. Department of State
offers the Fulbright program, a grant program uniquely
designed to bring international students and scholars to the
U.S. to further the goals of cultural exchange and international
education. The Fulbright Program is administered in 140
countries each year, providing various opportunities for
predominantly graduate study, with some grant opportunities for
undergraduate study. The application process differs by
country. The program is administered by three agencies and
further information can be found at their websites:
Check these sites for other
scholarship opportunities as well.
Foreign Government Sources
Your best chances for
financial aid may come from your own government. Many
governments administer scholarship programs for foreign study.
Your country’s embassy, consulate or education ministry will
often be a good source of information.
Please check the Quick Links
section on the right side of this page for additional funding
sources and information.
Financial Aid for International Students
Financial Aid for International Students may be available thru
individual companies if the international student has an
American citizen co-signatory.
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