The full ride scholarship is the most mystical of scholarships every student desperately dreams of. Sadly, these scholarships are pretty hard to come by and they are much harder to obtain. While several colleges offer full ride or full tuition scholarships, there’s also a variety of scholarships out there (run by private organizations and even the government) that you can use almost at any university. Read on to learn about full ride scholarships, how it works, and why it’s regarded as the most competitive student financial aid among the other types of scholarship.
What is a full ride scholarship?
A full ride scholarship is an incentive covering all of the college’s expenses. That includes tuition, room and board, textbooks, school supplies, and sometimes even cost of living, and fees for studying abroad. The specifics will vary from scholarship to scholarship, but in general the full ride includes more than just tuition.
A full ride scholarship may be granted either by the federal government, by the college itself, or by a private source (although rare). These are extremely sought-after, intensely competitive benefits paid out to an exceptionally small fraction of graduates, in reality about 0.1%.
What is the difference between a full ride and full tuition scholarship?
Most use full ride and full tuition to mean the same thing but that is not always the case.
In a full tuition scholarship that is what the award pays for. Your tuition. This could not, in other words, cover your full attendance cost. You’ll still also have to pay for room and board, tuition, transportation, laptop etc.
The Posse Scholars Program is just one example of a full tuition scholarship. It is available to students from high school who demonstrate academic potential. They are also leaders in their communities and high schools. Posse Scholars are awarded full-tuition leadership scholarships from affiliate colleges and universities in Posse. Babson College, Cornell University, Villanova and several more among others.
By comparison, a full trip typically covers all of the college’s expenses. From big-ticket things like housekeeping and tuition. For the smaller yet still costly items such as books, meal plan and school related trips.
The University of Virginia Jefferson Scholars Foundation is one such example of a full ride scholarship. This scholarship covers the maximum expense of tuition at the University for four years. Supplies, tuition fees, books, room, board, and personal expenses. It charges for additional opportunities of enrichment too.
The University of Oregon is providing the Stamps Leadership Scholarship as this one. It pays UO tuition, room, and board plus an investment fund of up to $12,000 for their four years at university. The extra money will cover internships abroad and unpaid training.
How much are full ride scholarships worth?
Let’s look at the estimated cost of attending college to see how much a full ride scholarship is currently worth. Full ride scholarships are available at a wide range of universities and schools. Others may cost more to attend than others.
At last review, $16,757 a year is the average expense of earning an undergraduate degree at a public university. It costs the private charitable organizations $43,065. Private, profit-making institutions cost $23,776. Such rates represent tuition, accommodation, room and board.
It takes four years to earn a standard bachelor degree. An average of $67,028 (public), $172,260 (private non-profit) and $95,104 (private for profit) could be worth a full ride scholarship at these colleges. If it’s a full ride, of course, it can provide funds for other expenses as well.
How do you get a full ride scholarship?
The details of getting a full-ride scholarship depend. But there are other requirements to discuss and aim for top students. They also go to very talented and inspired students, as do merit-based scholarships. Here are five things most full ride scholarships use as qualifying indicators:
- Test scores: Specific scores on PSAT, SAT and/or ACT tests may be required.
- Skills and interests: Many schools want to see a candidate doing more than just having excellent grades. Things like leadership, engagement and experience in volunteering can be significant.
- Letters of recommendation: You may need a supervisor, professor, or mentor to write a letter of reference to cast doubt on your personality.
- Personal essay: You might need to compose a personal, remarkable essay. One that goes into depth of your preferences and targets.
- Grades: The majority of full ride scholarships are looking at the grades. What they are, and how you keep them stable.
What GPA do you need to get a full ride scholarship?
The amount of GPA you need to get a full ride scholarship can vary. Some schools may want either a certain GPA or a certain class rank. You typically need to keep the stated GPA going when you are in a scholarship program.
Are international students entitled to full ride scholarships?
Although several scholarships come in the form of tuition fee reimbursement, or only cover living expenses, in reality there are many full-funded scholarships, covering both tuition fees and living costs. There are others that do include travel costs, book fee, insurance, and everything else you need abroad during your tenure.
However, please note that while there are indeed full ride scholarships available to foreign students in many countries, it relies on your eligibility: your grades, your extracurricular activities, the country you come from, your socio-economic background or your participation in research (for graduate scholarships).
Try to apply early so you don’t miss important deadlines for the application.
Which universities offer full ride scholarships to international students?
University of Toronto: Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship
This valuable full ride scholarship is established to honor international students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and innovation and who are regarded as leaders in their school. It’s also intended for students who have the ability to make a meaningful difference to the global community and make an impact.
The scholarship will cover tuition, books, incidental fees and full support of housing at the university for four years of study.
Around 37 students are called Lester B. Pearson Scholars every year. To be qualified, you must be an international student, obtain nomination from your school, enroll to study at the University of Toronto, and complete your application by the required deadlines for admission.
University of Westminster: Westminster Undergraduate Full Ride International Scholarships
This scholarship is intended for any qualifying undergraduate program, including foreign students from developing countries. It provides full fee reimbursement for tuition, lodging, living expenses and flights to and from London.
You are eligible to apply if you are from a country deemed to be a developing country or ‘middle-income’ nation. The website notes which developing countries are not available so you are qualified if your country is not on the list.
Requirements for recipients of a scholarship include: academic excellence, capacity for growth and financial need. Before applying, you must already retain an admission invitation (whether unconditional or conditional) to the university.
New York University Wagner
New York University Wagner’s scholarships are granted per application season to a select number of enrolled students including all NYU Wagner degree programs and foreign students. The awards are based solely on the quality of the application, and the Graduate Admissions Committee believes the applicant will make contributions to the NYU Wagner community.
All foreign applicants for postgraduate studies at NYU Wagner are automatically eligible for all merit-based scholarships, as the university gives fair consideration to applicants for scholarships from within and outside the United States. The grants are part of full ride scholarships like the Robert F. Wagner Scholarship that offers an annual stipend of $20,000.
