How to Get A Scholarship to Travel Abroad (Without Selling Your Father's House)

Dreaming of traveling abroad but your bank account is saying, “Try again next year…or never”? Well, scholarships might just be your golden ticket to international adventures—without having to sell the house your father worked hard to build or start an armed robbery gang. But before you pack your bags and start planning your “#globalcitizen” Instagram captions, you need to actually win a scholarship.

This guide will walk you through what you need to know, from choosing the right scholarship to writing a personal statement that makes Shakespeare envious and nailing your application like an ABSOLUTE BOSS.

Step 1: Picking the Right Scholarship (a.k.a. Not Wasting Your Time)

Not all scholarships are created equal. Some will cover everything (tuition, flights, accommodation, and even your daily coffee addiction), while others will barely pay for your bus fare to the airport. Here’s how to pick the right one:

✅ Look for Scholarships That Fit YOU

Scholarships are like dating—you need the right match. Here’s what to consider:

Eligibility

Are you actually qualified, or are you wasting your time applying for a scholarship meant for left-handed circus performers? Some scholarships are only for citizens of certain countries, which means even if you’ve lived there your whole life, you can’t apply. Other scholarships only want young women of a certain age e.g. 18 to 23. It’s important to read the fine print thoroughly and do your research before getting your hopes up on any scholarship. Trust me, nothing hurts worse than dreaming of a future and having those dreams destroyed all of a sudden. DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Coverage

Some scholarships only cover tuition, while others include living expenses, flights, and even insurance. Some scholarships are a little crazy. You’ll find a scholarship that seems perfect, it may cover flight and housing but then only 50% of tuition. And then they say you can’t be on any other scholarship except that one. Meaning you have to cut yourself and bleed out the rest of the tuition fee? Like if you could afford 50% of £28,000 all on your own, you probably might not really need a scholarship.

Location

Do you want to study in Europe? Asia? The U.S.? Focus on scholarships that align with your dream destination. A Chevening scholarship might be a dream come true, covering tuition, flights, and nearly everything else you would need, but if you don’t want to live in the UK, a Chevening scholarship is as useful to you as VIP tickets to last year’s concert.

Field of Study

Some scholarships are specific to subjects like STEM, arts, or business. If you’re studying philosophy, you probably won’t win an engineering scholarship (sadly). A LOT, and I mean A LOT of scholarships give priority to STEM and tech courses, but if you’re like me (you have a severe allergy to calculations and coding literally makes you want to off yourself), then applying for a STEM scholarship would turn your travel dreams to a nightmare fast. Don’t feel forced to give up on a career you love to get a funded education. At the end of the day, when the scholarship is over and schooling is done, you’ll still have to try to make a living from the degree you got. So pick something you love (or at least something you can tolerate) and try to find a scholarship that covers that.

🔎 Where to Find These Magical Scholarships

1. University Websites

Almost every school has its own funding opportunities. If you have a few dream schools in mind, and I recommend having more than a few, (your dream school might not be dreaming of you. It’s smart to have backups, you’re not Elle Woods) check each school’s website for scholarships and read their international students section. There will always be a few students there who sometimes mention whether they are studying on a scholarship. If their scholarship program accepted them, it might accept you, so it’s worth a try.

2. Government Scholarships

Programs like the Fulbright (USA), Chevening (UK), DAAD (Germany), and Erasmus Mundus (Europe) fund international students generously. If you have a dream destination in mind, look up that country and government scholarships (e.g. Australian government scholarships). Sometimes you’ll find something helpful. And don’t feel too insecure to apply. A lot of Chevening scholars seem to be high achievers and absolute geniuses, but if you look closely and read their stories, you’ll find out that a lot of them are regular students like you. They just had strong applications.

3. Private Organizations & NGOs

Many companies and charities offer study-abroad scholarships. If you have been getting a little jealous of the STEM students, here’s where you shine. There are private organizations and charities created in honour of notable people that fund different fields of education. So if you’re a theatre arts student, you’ll likely find a good amount of scholarships for theatre arts students that were created by foundations for late stage actors, musicians, and performers. Search your program + scholarships on Google to find some. E.g. philosophy scholarships.

4. Scholarship Databases

Websites like these can help:

You already know that the internet is stalking every one of us. As soon as you start searching scholarships frequently, your search engines will pick up on your interests and start showing you articles about scholarships. Also, search scholarships for students in your country. That way you’ll likely get recommended scholarships that accept students from your country. Sign up for any newsletters or groups that share scholarship information.

5. Online Forums and Social Media

Reddit is not just for conspiracy theories and finding illegal movie sites. Students like you are there sharing what scholarships they applied to and which ones they think you should avoid. If you already know what school you want to go to or what country you want, then go on YouTube and search this: “international student in country of choice/school of choice” E.g. “international student in University of Munich” or “international student in Germany”. You’ll find videos of international students who are already studying in your dream country/school. A lot of them will make videos about what life is like there, how they got in, the application process, and a lot more stuff that would be useful to you.

Step 2: What to Look for in a Scholarship (a.k.a. Reading the Fine Print)

Before you apply, stalk the scholarship details like you stalk your crush’s Instagram. Here’s what to watch out for:

Bond Agreements: Some scholarships require you to work in a specific field or country after graduation. Others require you to keep your GPA above a certain point to keep receiving funding. Make sure you’re okay with this.
Partial vs. Full Funding: A scholarship that only covers only part or all of tuition means you still need to fund your living expenses and or the rest of your tuition. Can you afford that?
Application Requirements: Do you need an essay? A video submission? A handwritten letter from your dead grandma? Your parent’s bank statements? The blood of an enemy? Check what’s required before committing.

Step 3: Writing a Personal Statement (a.k.a. Selling Yourself Without Sounding Too Desperate)

Most scholarships require a personal statement—which is just a fancy way of saying, “Tell us why we should give you this free money that your ancestors didn’t work for.” Here’s how to make yours stand out:

📝 Structure Your Statement Like a Pro

Hook Them In: Start with a strong opening. No “I have always dreamed of studying abroad” clichés! Literally everybody has dreamt of studying abroad. (Okay maybe not EVERYBODY, but seriously, one million other students will write that exact same line. Be different.)Instead, tell a compelling story about why you’re passionate about your field or what inspired you to travel.
Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of saying, “I’m passionate about environmental science,” tell a story about how you once organized a community cleanup. But don’t make up stories. If the scholarship also involves an interview, you might be asked to give more details about the story in your statement, and if they find any inconsistencies between what you wrote down and what you said in the interview, you may get disqualified.
Make It Personal: Why does this scholarship matter to YOU? What impact will it have on your future? The whole point of giving people free money to study is to assist people who plan to contribute to society after their education. People who are looking to build a future that helps themselves and others. Show them how you would do that.
End With a Bang: Reinforce why you’re the perfect candidate and express gratitude for the opportunity. Start with a hook, end with a hook. Be memorable.

🚨 Avoid These Mistakes

Generic Statements: If your essay could apply to literally anyone, rewrite it.
Sob Stories Without a Purpose: It’s okay to mention struggles, but make sure you focus on how you overcame them or how you plan to overcome them with the scholarship.
Grammar and Spelling Mistakes: Nothing says “I don’t deserve free money” like a sloppy essay. What do you think Grammarly is there for?

Step 4: Writing a Scholarship Application (a.k.a. Begging, But Make It Classy)

Every scholarship application is different, but here are some general tips to not get rejected:

✅ The Dos

✔ Follow the Instructions: If they ask for a 500-word essay, don’t write 1,500 words. Nobody likes an overachiever who can’t follow rules. Seriously. Obey EVERY rule.
✔ Be Honest: Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. They can smell fake humility from a mile away. If you are rich but only looking for a scholarship because your parents don’t want to pay for their little girl to move to a whole nother country far from them, say that. But make it moving.
✔ Highlight Achievements: This is your time to flex—mention academic awards, leadership roles, and community service. Brag, my dear. Brag!… Humbly, of course.
✔ Get Strong Recommendations: Ask professors, mentors, or employers who actually know you (not just someone with a fancy title). Again, don’t lie. Don’t send a fake recommendation for yourself. It’s thousands of dollars on the line here. These people aren’t fools. They WILL do their research. And they WILL catch you if you lie.

❌ The Don’ts

❌ Submitting at the Last Minute: Technology loves to fail at the worst times. Apply early to avoid a disaster. Special interest may also be given to early applicants.

❌ Copy-pasting: Each application should be tailored to the scholarship. Don’t write one essay and copy-paste to ten different scholarship applications. Scholarship committees can tell when you’re using the same essay for everything.

❌ Forgetting to Proofread: One typo can make you look careless. Have a friend, Grammarly, or an AI tool like ChatGPT review your application.

❌Using AI for the whole thing: Come on fam… It’s called a personal statement. Meaning it’s supposed to be personal. ChatGPT can’t tell your personal life story the way you, a human, would. Even a human writer can’t truly capture your life the way you would if you wrote it yourself. I know it’s hard, but try. You can get some help with drafting it out and proofreading, but do the actual writing on your own.

Step 5: Acing the Scholarship Interview (If There Is One)

Some scholarships require an interview, which means you need to prepare like it’s a job interview with free money on the line. Because that’s exactly what it is.

🎤 Common Questions You Might Get

Why do you want this scholarship?
What are your career goals?
How will this scholarship help you make an impact?
What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

I can’t give you the answers because the answers are different for everyone. Think deeply about what each question means to you and come up with answers that show your motivation and passion.

🔥 How to Impress

Be Confident, Not Arrogant: You’re amazing, but don’t be obnoxious. There’s a difference between “I’m perfectly qualified for this scholarship and accepting me would be a great decision.” and “You’re lucky I’m even considering applying for your scholarship.” However great your application may be, remember you’re the one who needs something from them. They don’t need you. Still, be confident. Don’t grovel like you’re begging for a cup of water after being stranded on a desert for days.
Have a Clear Goal: Scholarship committees want to invest in people with direction. You want to study abroad because? ‘The foreign school you’re applying to has some of the best resources in the whole world for your course of choice.’ ‘You want to experience a different culture and have the opportunity to connect with intellectuals from all over the world.’ Come up with something and make it good. How do you know if it’s good? When even you can’t believe that you came up with that.
Practice: Do a mock interview with a friend so you don’t freeze like a deer in headlights. Prepare some mock questions and practice your answers. Look up videos or posts of other students who have gone through the interviews and learn all you can from them. Again, YouTube and online forums like Reddit and Quora are your best friends.
Be Presentable: Whether it’s a virtual interview over Zoom or an in-person interview, put on your best outfit and your best attitude. I don’t care what your grandma told you, honey, looks matter. Period. Dress up, clean up nicely. No ripped jeans, no crop tops. A proper dress or a suit and tie. Act like you’re dressing to go get knighted by the Queen of England (or King, whatever. Do they even knight women?) You get the point. Look good, smell good—but not too good, you don’t want to use an overly strong perfume that triggers your interviewer’s allergies—and talk good.

Go Get That Free Money!

Applying for scholarships is a bit like dating—you might face rejection, but when you finally find “the one,” it’s totally worth it. Be patient, put in the effort, and don’t expect to get it on the first try, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it either. There will always be other doors open for you if one closes.

Now, go forth and apply! Your dream of studying abroad is totally possible (and way better than going into massive student debt).

Wishing you peace, funds, and an amazing scholarship,

Dee

How to Get A Scholarship to Travel Abroad (Without Selling Your Father’s House)