University Education in the USA is usually expensive for foreign students. To help with these costs, foreign students often seek scholarships offered specifically for them.
If you are looking for USA scholarships for Nigerian students, this is the place to be.
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Types of Scholarships Available for Nigerian Students in the USA
As a foreign student, especially a Nigerian. They’re many scholarships available for you. American schools understand that it is costly to pursue a degree and they have come up with these programs to reduce costs. Scholarships are a way of offering financial aid for Nigerian students in the USA.
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The following is a list of type of USA scholarship for Nigerian Students:
- Merit Based Scholarships
Merit scholarships are given based on the student’s excellence.
- Need-Based Scholarships
These scholarships are issued to students because of their financial need.
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- School-Specific International Students Scholarships
Many American Universities have scholarships made specially for international students.
- Country-Based Scholarships
Some institutions give scholarships to students from a particular country or demographic.
- Government-Funded Scholarships
These are scholarships issued by the United States government. Some of them are open to international students.
- Privately-Funded Scholarships
Private organisations fund some scholarships for international students.
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University Scholarships
Not all scholarships are offered by a college or University. University scholarships are focused on students that are running programs in their schools.
There are various University scholarships for Nigerian students, whether they are undergraduates or studying for their master’s degree.
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Scholarships for Nigerian Students in the USA
As a Nigerian student knowing how to apply for USA scholarships from Nigeria can be very important.
The number of these scholarships are huge but competition is equally fierce.
Nonetheless, you need to be proactive to land any scholarship. These are some of the best USA scholarships for Nigerians.
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Undergraduate Scholarships for Nigerian Students in USA
These scholarships are for Nigerian undergraduate students. Some of them offer a fully funded program while others are partially funded. In all, they help with the huge cost of attending an American University even if you wish to study in the USA from Nigeria.
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Some of the USA undergraduate scholarships for Nigerians include:
- Boston University (BU) Trustee Scholarship Program for Undergraduate Students
- Simmons University 2024 Distinguished Scholar Award For Undergraduate Students
- U.S. Department of State 2024 Gilman Scholarship Program For Undergraduate Students
- International Student Grant, Ohio State University 2024
- University of Oregon International Cultural Service Program 2024
Master’s Scholarships for Nigerian Students in USA
Some graduate scholarships in USA for Nigerian students are
- Mastercard Foundation/Arizona State University Scholarship Program for African Students 2024
- University Of Pittsburgh Heinz Fellowship For Masters Students In Africa 2024/2025
- Mastercard Foundation 2024 Masters Scholarship at University Of California BerkeleyThe University
- University of Idaho 2023-2024 Scholarships for International Students
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program 2024 For High-Achieving Students, Stanford University
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MBA Scholarships for Nigerian Students in USA
- Christine And Ian Bolt Scholarship At University Of Kent 2024
- 2024 MPOWER Financing MBA Scholarship For International Students To Study In Canada And USA
- Boustany Foundation Harvard University MBA Scholarship 2024
- MBA Scholarship Fund At University Of North Texas 2024
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PhD Scholarships for Nigerian Students in USA
- University Of Notre Dame 2024-2025 Peace Studies PhD Scholarship For International Students
- Christine And Ian Bolt Scholarship At University Of Kent 2024
- William H McCardell Memorial Scholarship In Forest Science At University Of Arizona 2024
- Ph.D Scholarships at Yale University 2024
By no means is this list exhaustive. There are still so many scholarships programs that Nigerian students can apply for.
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Popular Scholarship Programs in the USA for Nigerian Students
Although there are a great deal of scholarship opportunities to explore as a Nigerian student, some scholarships are popular in the USA for Nigerian students.
Factors that affect this preference are the ease of securing the scholarship, if they offer a partial or full funded program and the eligibility criteria for USA scholarships.
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Some popular Scholarship schemes include:
Government Funded Scholarships
Like you read above, These are scholarships issued by the United States government.
These are fully funded scholarships in the USA for Nigerians and other international students.
Examples include:
Fulbright Foreign Student Program
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program encourages international graduates, professionals and artists to come and study in the USA.
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is open to 160 countries and issues scholarships to roughly 4,000 international students yearly.
This scholarship Program is administered by government controlled binational Fulbright Commissions or US embassies in your country.
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program was designed to promote leadership among international professionals.
Like the Fulbright Foreign Student program, this is also a government funded scholarship aimed at getting the best of graduates. It is open to almost all international students and their requirements are similar to the Fulbright Foreign scholarship.
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Private/Non-Profit Scholarships
Some scholarships are set up by private individuals and are for non-profit. They may be controlled by a charity group, religious body, particular race or a philanthropist. Some of Private Scholarships include:
United Negro College Fund Scholarships
This is by far one of the biggest USA scholarships for African students. It is also aimed at minority groups, especially black people.
How exactly big are they? They pay out over 100 million in scholarships to over 1000 schools year in, year out.
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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scholarship
If the name didn’t betray this scholarship program, well I guess you haven’t use a Microsoft before. Owned by the former world richest man, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been awarding scholarships for years to students in African countries.
American Association of University Women International Fellowship
The program supports women applying for a full-time graduate or postgraduate study in the US. They must not be permanent residents but students who intend to retire to third homeland
Accredited U.S. institutions offering both graduate and postgraduate studies
are eligible.
Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship
Enter Mr Gates again.This scholarship is aimed at Microsoft employees of Black descent. That is, Microsoft employees who are African American, African or Ethiopian are eligible to apply.
They must be ready to pursue a degree in a four year course in disciplines such as engineering, finance and computer science.
Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund
The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMEG) is a public nonprofit, public charity aimed at empowering exceptional women and children mainly for developed countries. The MMEG is open to internationals from 79 countries and has issued $5 million worth of scholarships till date.
Rotary Peace Fellowships
Each year, 150 students are awarded Rotary Peace Fellowships. These fellowships allow you to offer a Professional Development Certificate Program. Simde 2002, the rotary 1,400 fellows, from 115 countries have benefited from this scholarship. The rotary peace fellowship is a fully funded scholarship.
Applying for USA Scholarships as a Nigerian Student
So, now you are familiar with the different types of scholarships available for the Nigerian student, how can you apply for the Nigeria to USA scholarship programs of your choice?
Research Scholarship Options
The first thing is research. Every scholarship program has its own requirements. You have to find out if the program is tailored for you and if you could have a chance of securing it.
Most scholarship requirements are on their website where it is easily found.
So what are the general requirements for USA scholarships?
- Statement of Purpose letter
- Academic scores rate (Your grade point average)
- Standardised test scores (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT
- English Language proficiency proof scores
- Passport, Photo ID
- Document for confirmation of Age
- Demonstrated financial need
- Recommendation letter
Prepare Required Application Materials
After you have browsed through your scholarship options and locked on which one you want to apply for, it’s time to prepare required application materials. Different scholarship schemes demand different materials. Carefully write out all the materials required to apply.
Meet Eligibility Criteria
There is no point wasting your time applying for a scholarship that you are not eligible for. Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria before proceeding. It will be useless applying for a scholarship designed only for Latin American students when you are African.
Follow Application Instructions and Deadlines
Every scholarship application is governed by its own rules and deadlines. Not following the application instructions to the letter might get you disqualified.
Submit your application before the deadline dates.
Note some application processes for USA scholarships programs may extend their deadline dates but some others are strict with deadlines and may not. Again, USA scholarship deadlines for Nigerians vary from one scholarship to the other. In all, be on the safer side and submit in time.
Seek Recommendations and Mentorship
Anything you wish to do, has been done before. Of course you want a scholarship, the good news is other people have landed scholarships from the scheme you applied for. You can use their expertise and experience.
Seek out mentorship and relate with people who have secured these scholarships that you are applying for.
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Interview Process for Some Scholarships
Most scholarship interviews are like normal interviews when the interviewer asks questions.
There are some scholarships that have application fees. The ideal is to find
USA scholarships with no application fees.
Familiarise yourself with frequently asked questions from scholarships programs.
These schemes are kind enough to give you a sneak peak of the question they might ask you at an interview.
- Some of these questions include:
- Tell us about yourself
- Who are role models?
- What’s your best strength?
- What is a terrible mistake you’ve made?
- Why should we award you this scholarship?
- What has been your favourite class and why?
- Who has been your most interesting teacher?
- In your school career has there been a paper or project that was particularly thought-provoking?
- How do you spend your pastime?
- Who is your favourite author and book?
- How would your best friend describe you?
- What has been the most satisfying activity you engaged in from the past few years?
- Is there anything you are looking forward to or going to try in the future?
Tips for Increasing Your Chances of Being Accepted
You can’t influence the final decision if a scholarship scheme will award you a scholarship or not, no. But you can increase your chances of being accepted.
Maintain Excellent Academic Performance
Most scholarships are awarded for academic excellence. The more you prove you excel at academics, the better your chances of landing a scholarship. You should try to maintain your academic performances at all times.
Some students will apply for scholarships and believe that that is the end. They relax and let their performances drop. This can be counterproductive and might lead to rejection.
Participate in Extracurricular Activities
Some other scholarships are not solely based on academic prowess but the participation in extracurricular activities such as sports or music. Participating in such activities gives an edge and a different dimension in competing.
There are many success stories of Nigerian scholarship winners in the USA who achieved this by only academics. True, but participating in extracurricular activities is also beneficial.
Highlight Relevant Experience and Skills
Make your best experience and skills stand out when applying. If you have specific high quality skills, please do tell. This will make you stand out of the thousands, maybe millions of other students that are applying.
Tailor Your Application to the Scholarship
Like the saying, a square peg cannot fit in a round hole. When applying make sure your application is designed to fit the need of the scholarships.
Get relevant skills and discipline that will make your application appealing. Every Scholarship program has its ideal candidate. You could be the best in your discipline, if you don’t fit into such a category, you may be rejected.
Tailor your application in line with what the scholarship programs require.
Apply for Multiple Scholarship Opportunities
The magic is in the numbers. You should not stick to one scholarship program and hope for the best. There are many other students gunning for that scholarship.
Competition is fierce and you might be setting yourself up for rejection and frustration. You shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket.
There are many scholarship programs, it is advisable to try as many as possible as long as you are eligible.
If you applied for one scholarship and you fail, and you don’t try again, you won’t get accepted.
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Conclusion
Many US scholarships programs are open to Nigerian students. Some are fully funded government powered programs which are aimed at most international students while others are privately funded.
Most programs have certain requirements and eligibility factors which a Nigerian student have to provide before being considered
All of this could be confusing if you don’t know how to scout for USA scholarships for Nigerian students. You will need a consultant to help you with processing.
We help Nigerian students secure Scholarships of their choices. Book a free consultation with us. Your story will be one of the success stories of Nigerians in USA scholarships. We are looking forward to helping you.
