USA and Canada are two of the most popular international study destinations for students the world over. More than a million international students, the highest in terms of percentage, choose the US as their study destination. With its liberal post-study work permit policy and a well-defined path to permanent residence for international students, Canada isn’t too far behind on the popularity charts either.
However, the one stumbling block for most aspiring students are the finances required for studying in the US or Canada. Even with the easy availability of student loans, the cost is simply too high for most Indian students for it to be a feasible option.
This is why international scholarships hold such importance for study abroad aspirants. By lowering their study expenses significantly, scholarships can make studying in the US or Canada much more affordable for students.
MPOWER Global Citizen Scholarship is one such excellent opportunity for international students. The scholarship program provides financial assistance to international students enrolled at any of MPOWER’s partner universities in the US or Canada.
As part of the program, four scholarships will be awarded – two in April 2019, and two in October 2019. Applications are being accepted for the first two scholarships till 15 April, 2019 and there are many reasons why students should not miss this golden chance. Here are five of them:
1. PRESTIGIOUS HONOUR
The scholarship is offered by MPOWER Financing, a leading student financing company invested in offering complete support to students from around the world and set them up for academic, professional and financial success. Being a Public Benefit Corporation, the company is dedicated to make a positive impact in the world. The ‘Global Citizen Scholarship’ offered by MPOWER is a prestigious honour that empowers international students to become global citizens and future leaders in business, government, and their community.
2. FEW RESTRICTIONS
The eligibility criteria for the scholarship is wide enough to cover a majority of international students and has very few restrictions. For instance, there is no requirement for a student to be an MPOWER borrower to apply for the scholarship. The only eligibility criteria for the scholarship requires an international student to be over 18 years of age and be admitted to a US or Canadian college (that has partnered with MPOWER), with an authorized study permit for the respective countries. Thus, all levels of higher education – be it graduation, post-graduation, or even a Ph.D. – are covered under the scholarship.
3. WIDE ACCESSIBILITY
With over 200 Universities partnering with MPOWER for the scholarship, the scholarship is widely accessible for international students. From top Ivy league colleges in the US, to a majority of the top private and public universities in the US and Canada, most of the popular choices for students are covered in this list of universities. With regular additions to the list of recommended universities, the number of colleges continues to grow as well. You can find the complete list of universities here.
4. FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The scholarship offers an amount of USD 5000 to the selected winners. Once the scholarship winners have been notified, MPOWER will confirm the winner’s eligibility. After eligibility is verified, the scholarship funds are directly disbursed to the winner’s college/university, subject to the requirements of any applicable U.S. or Canadian laws. The financial support of USD 5000 is quite substantial for an international student and can go a long way in making their education affordable in a foreign country.
5. APPLY WITH EASE
The entire application process is completely online and easy to follow. All eligible students must complete an online application form to enter the scholarship contest. Winners are selected based solely on their short essay response, which are judged on grammar, vocabulary and clarity, creativity, and insightfulness and power of story. The scholarship essays are judged by an unbiased committee within MPOWER.
So if the US or Canada is your study destination of preference, and the university you are applying to is in the recommended list of MPOWER partner universities, you should definitely give the MPOWER Global Citizen Scholarship an earnest shot.
