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Scholarship is a blessing for students who wish to go to abroad for higher education but don’t have enough financial resources. As a matter of fact, most students 
particularly from the of Pakistan and India never have enough financial strength to study abroad because it is a very expensive journey. Going to a foreign country with stronger currency, affording one’s living and paying high tuition fees cost a great amount of money.
Every student I know always acquired a scholarship to help in their study cost. Most students only apply to study abroad after they have gotten a scholarship. I have seen students who wish to get a scholarship but they don’t do anything about it. You won’t get a scholarship just by sitting at home without doing any effort. They probably don’t know how to get a scholarship. Main objective of this article is guide those students in this regard. Here I am sharing with you the right way to find and apply for a scholarship.
What is Scholarship?
Scholarship comes in numerous shapes to help you study. It is a financial assistance given to a student to cover expenses. Some scholarships are provided as cash or cheque, amount can vary. Some scholarships are provided by paying a part or tuition/ semester fees. Scholarships also go by the name of Grants and Fellowships so don’t get confused with this. In addition to this help, students are also not required to repay for it. You don’t have any obligation of returning the money. However, sometimes host may put a condition to work for them after or during the education for a certain period of time.
How Much Do Scholarships Pay?
Some scholarships can cover your expenses for all semesters and as well as the complete cost of living and some scholarships may cover 
only a part of these expenses. It basically depends on what scholarship you apply for. Students can also apply for more than one scholarships and you can do it every year according to your need. Some scholarships may offer only 5 hundred dollars while some may pay as much as 50 thousand dollars. The more a scholarships pays, the more difficult its competition get.
How to Find Scholarships?
There are many different services that offer scholarships, you just have to find it. To give you a clearer idea, do know who gives these grants. Scholarships, grants and fellowships may be offered by universities, employers, private companies, communities, 
religious groups, governments (both your country’s and destination’s) and some kind rich individuals. You should also ask your current educational institutes if they can help in this matter as colleges, schools and universities also send their students abroad for education.
It can be sometimes difficult to get you started with something but once you have started it, you realize that it was no big deal. Students think of scholarships like a myth and a rare bird to find. I am telling you it’s not that difficult. If you really want to find and get a scholarship, first of all, Google is your best friend. You should search for the scholarships that best suit you. Once you start searching you will find how many opportunities are there.
Your main search keyword should be scholarships for Pakistani students and you will find every possible opportunity. Some students may not be very good at it so there are some websites that do the work for you. Best of the websites for Pakistani students scholarships are following:
Our own study abroad team also works day and night searching for latest and best scholarships for students. You can see all these scholarships at first link of study abroad. Their is also a search filter function making it easier to access scholarships that are related to what you need. Just enter your study field, destination country and level of education and see all the latest scholarships. Following video will help you understand the process.
When to Apply for Scholarships?
A lot students get confused thinking whether it’s the right time to search and apply for scholarships. Actually this is not even a question but 
I had to put it for students who don’t know. If you are determined to study abroad then start searching now. You should keep looking and applying for scholarships even if you are still in school or college completing your current degree. Many scholarship organization are open whole year while some give their advertisement in the days of admission.
Universities (not all universities) open their admission twice a year, you will find most people offering grants in these days. These scholarships also have application deadline that varies according to the benefactor. Make sure you abide by deadline as after that, applications are not accepted.
How to Get Scholarships?
Most scholarships have an eligibility criteria. Even to apply for these grants you first have to fulfill those conditions. First of all 
make sure that you are applying for scholarships that are best suited for you. You shouldn’t be wasting time on PhD scholarships while you are an undergraduate. Likewise, first read the terms and conditions of the benefactor and proceed further in accordance with them.
Most of the times there are interviews involved and if you impress them there, you won the scholarship. You should prepared for this time and work on your communication skills. Learn and practice how to give interviews. Here see the 10 Worst Mistakes Students do in Interview. This article will help you realize your possible future mistakes. In addition to that, here some of my Most Important Tips to Pass an Interview.
Instead of directly going for big scholarships, you should consider the scholarships with lower grants too as these are easier. Before they even call you for an interview, you most probably be asked to write an essay with the application on why should they give you the scholarship. You can consider it an essay contest and make sure you give the best of your work in it.
Usama Ahmed Awan
The Editor of StudyAbroad.pk, Usama is a BZU studied Software Engineer, now a Teacher, Article Writer, Educational Counselor and Journalist. He has been writing to assist students selecting the right career path.
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