The first thing about funding which no one tells you is that just because your study abroad costs more, it does not mean that you will then be awarded more student loans. This came as quite a shock to me. When I went to the community college for my associates, tuition was half what it is at my 4 year institution. The amount given by the federal government is contingent upon tuition costs and living expenses in the area of residence. I assumed with a study abroad it would work the same. Because my award amount increased as I went to a more expensive university, I assumed the same would happen for my study abroad. Turns out, I was wrong, and it's even worse than that.
My tuition at the University of Utah is in-state tuition. The total amount offered, which would supposedly include my books, housing, and living expenses as well, is about 5k short of what I need just for tuition at my foreign institution. For the single person with no responsibilities, this is a hefty amount, but doable with some saving and working. However, for the student with a family left behind, and therefore two households to support, it's like getting divorced, and suddenly there's just not enough money to go around. For those who've been through divorce, you know just what I'm talking about. For those who haven't, hope that you never do. It's 10 flavors of horror.
To make matters worse, and scholarship money you get reduces your loan amount, so the sum total of dollar bills flowing to your tuition bill, regardless of the source, does not increase. In some ways, at least immediately, you're no better off after the nightmare of the scholarship experience then you were when you just filed your FAFSA and had a financial aid office define what your education should cost you.
But, debt has to be paid back, and scholarships do not. No one can go to school on their own, even if their parents aren't helping. Scholarships are handouts, even if they are deserved. So, I went to work.
I applied for 67 different scholarships over the course of almost a year. I researched every topic and website I could imagine, and talked with endless numbers of people including other students and advisers. It took me months to compile all the places I could apply, and then more time to write for them, all while maintaining a 16 credit load schedule. Today, I'll talk about the two biggest study abroad scholarships I applied for.
First, there was the Boren Scholarship. Boren is a behemoth of a scholarship, with an award to the tune of a 20k+, depending on expenses claimed. This, almost, would pay for my program all by itself. This scholarship is geared to people who are seeking language proficiency in a critical language. My language is Arabic, so I met that criteria. It also is an intensive essay writing experience, with a suggested 12-15 drafts before you can feel like you're essay MIGHT be polished enough to get you in the door. In the spring, if you make it past the first round, you are asked for a budget update. I did not get such an email. I knew early on that I would not be getting this scholarship.
I spent 4 months writing mine two page essay, had 3 stellar letters of reference, with a career goal in line with what the state department was looking for. After all that, I did not get this one. It did, however, write a killer essay that only needed a few tweaks to work for other scholarships.
The second scholarship is the Gilman Scholarship. This one is a 5k scholarship, with a 3k bonus for those seeking proficiency in a critical language. I wrote my essay for this scholarship while I was working on Boren. I will be the first to admit that it was almost an afterthought, since I was sure I'd get Boren. I felt like I was such a perfect match for Boren, but I'd apply for Gilman just in case. It turned out that I did get the entire 8k for this scholarship. Since it was almost an after thought, as the months passed I had forgotten about this scholarship almost completely. I had also already been rejected for Boren, and assumed, since they were so similar, that I would not get Gilman either. I got the email on my phone over dinner, and could not even eat, I was so happy. My to-go box was almost entirely full of food as I went about facebooking and texting family about my good fortune while my husband drove me home.
The lesson? Gilman is not an afterthought. It is a serious chunk of change and I feel very lucky to have gotten it. Furthermore, any scholarship, no matter how small, is worth the effort since it's that much less debt to pile on. I'm really glad I had been so thorough applying for other scholarships, since this was not the end of my good fortune.
After receiving acceptance notification about the scholarships, there are meetings and criteria you still have to meet. I am unfamiliar with the Boren requirements, but Gilman had you submit a bunch of additional information. It's almost like hey here's some money, but there's a bunch more hoops, so maybe you won't get it after all. I think losing something I almost had was more stress than writing the original application in the first place. My paper work was accepted, and all was well. This was just one of the roller coaster rides I went on with the funding process.
Tomorrow I'll talk about smaller scholarships, and places to look you might not have thought about.
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